Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 21 of chapter 103 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word "departing", in line 4, the following words:- in transit.

SECTION 2. Said section 21 of said chapter 103, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

Any persons duly licensed by the United States Coast Guard as mate or master of a United States steam or motor vessel, of unlimited gross tons upon oceans, with a United States Coast Guard first class pilot endorsement for the waters of Cape Cod Bay, Cape Cod Canal, Buzzards Bay, Nantucket Sound or Vineyard Sound, may apply to the district 3 commissioner of pilots for a transit commission to navigate in those waters. A person so applying shall present proof of 15 round trips as a pilot or as a pilot under instruction or equivalent transits over those waters within the past 3 years before the date of application, as well as any federal course certifications as may be required.

SECTION 3. Any person holding a United States Coast Guard first class pilot endorsement for those waters, including a minimum of 15 active pilot transits on vessels engaged in foreign trade within the 3 years before July 1, 2003, shall qualify and be commissioned as a transit pilot for the waters for which that person is licensed. For all others, upon approval of the district 3 commissioner of pilots, any person so qualified shall be commissioned as a transit pilot for the waters for which that person is licensed.