An Act extending the termination date of the Board of Marine Pilots.

Under AS 08.03.010 (10) the Board of Marine Pilots (BMP) will terminate on June 30, 1999. A report released by the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee recommended that the Legislature extend the board's termination date to June 30, 2004. House Bill 32 does just that.

Controversies surrounding the board during the previous review period (1990-93) have substantially improved. Issues relating to competition, training, and tariff-setting have not been totally resolved, but there is a great deal more consensus between BMP, marine pilots, and shippers that are subject to the board's oversight. Amendments made to the Pilot Statutes in 1995 have created a semi-competitive environment in which the board only intervenes when there are objections to rate changes. Resolution of these issues has enabled the board to concentrate more on the public safety aspects of its mission rather than legal confrontations that hampered its activities from 1990 to 1994.

The regulation and licensing of qualified marine pilots benefit the public's safety and welfare. The steady increase in tourist passenger ships in recent years has made BMP's role increasingly more important. The board provides reasonable assurance that the individuals licensed to pilot passenger and cargo ships in Alaskan waters are qualified to do so.