110 HR 2443 IH: Federal Aviation Administration U.S. House of Representatives 2007-05-22 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2443 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 22, 2007 Mr. Poe (for himself, Mr. Filner, Mrs. Bono, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. English of Pennsylvania, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Doyle, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Melancon, Mr. Hill, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Berry, Mr. Abercrombie, and Mr. Capuano) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend title 49, United States Code, to suspend the authority of the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to eliminate, consolidate, deconsolidate, colocate, or plan for the consolidation, deconsolidation, inter-facility reorganization, or colocation of, any air traffic control facility and services of the Administration.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Federal Aviation Administration Facility Consolidation Moratorium Act of 2007.

2.

Findings and purposes

(a)

Findings

Congress finds that— (1)during previous, successful consolidations and colocations of facilities of the Federal Aviation Administration, the constructive involvement of air traffic controllers and other stakeholders was permitted and was positive and mutually beneficial to the Administration, stakeholders, employees, and the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system; (2)the Administration has an obligation to keep members of Congress, the public, airport operators, aviation operators, and other stakeholders informed of potential, planned, or pending efforts of the Administration that could affect the safety of the national airspace system; (3)the Administration has failed to appropriately notify such stakeholders with regards to consolidations and colocations of air traffic control facilities, including the terminal radar approach control facilities at Beaumont, Texas, Palm Springs, California, and Lincoln, Nebraska; (4)facility consolidation and colocation should be used by the Administration primarily as a means to increase air system safety and efficiency; (5)consolidation has been a policy endorsed by the Administration for more than 30 years, with a primary goal of ensuring that consolidation is considered for terminal radar approach control facilities when there is a specific operational need and a cost benefit; and (6)air traffic operations should not be consolidated or colocated exclusively to address budgetary concerns. (b)

Purposes

The purposes of this Act are— (1)to impose a moratorium on the consolidation or colocation of air traffic control facilities of the Administration until January of 2009; (2)to assure the continued safe operations of air traffic control facilities throughout the national airspace system; (3)to assure that consolidation and colocation efforts are done so in a collaborative and cooperative manner with input from all stakeholders, including members of Congress and air traffic controllers; and (4)to reinforce the Administration’s 30-year policy of providing primary consideration to facilities whose consolidation would provide a specific operational need.

3.

Suspension of consolidation

(a)

In general

Chapter 445 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

44518.

Realignment of Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control facilities and services

The authority of the Federal Aviation Administration to eliminate, consolidate, deconsolidate, colocate, execute an inter-facility reorganization of, or plan for the consolidation, deconsolidation, inter-facility reorganization, or colocation of, any air traffic control facility and services of the Administration is suspended until January 1, 2009.

. (b)

Clerical amendment

The analysis for such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following: 44518. Realignment of Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control facilities and services. .