[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1284 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1284

    To require the implementation of certain recommendations of the 
 National Transportation Safety Board, to require the establishment of 
 national standards with respect to flight requirements for pilots, to 
  require the development of fatigue management plans, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 17, 2009

 Ms. Snowe (for herself and Mrs. Boxer) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the implementation of certain recommendations of the 
 National Transportation Safety Board, to require the establishment of 
 national standards with respect to flight requirements for pilots, to 
  require the development of fatigue management plans, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ensuring One Level of Aviation 
Safety Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE NATIONAL 
              TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD.

    (a) Implementation of Certain Recommendations.--Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 
the Federal Aviation Administration shall implement the following 
recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board:
            (1) Recommendations A-03-53 through A-03-54, dated December 
        2, 2003 (relating to inspections for general aviation aircraft 
        and low-airspeed alert systems for all aircraft).
            (2) Recommendation A-05-14, dated May 13, 2005 (relating to 
        programs for flight crewmembers who have demonstrated 
        deficiencies in performance or training).
            (3) Recommendations A-06-48 through A-06-51, dated July 10, 
        2006 (relating to aircraft operations in cold or icy 
        conditions).
            (4) Recommendation A-07-8, dated January 23, 2007 (relating 
        to developing programs of education for air carrier pilots).
    (b) Determinations With Respect to Pending and Future 
Recommendations.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the National 
        Transportation Safety Board provides the Administrator of the 
        Federal Aviation Administration with a safety recommendation, 
        the Administrator shall submit to Congress a notification--
                    (A) indicating whether or not the Administrator has 
                determined to implement the recommendation; and
                    (B)(i) if the Administrator determines to implement 
                the recommendation, describing the actions the 
                Administrator plans to take to implement the 
                recommendation; or
                    (ii) if the Administrator determines not to 
                implement the recommendation, describing the reasons 
                for that determination.
            (2) Pending recommendations.--Not later than 180 days after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
        Federal Aviation Administration shall submit to Congress the 
        notification described in paragraph (1) with respect to each 
        recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board--
                    (A) made before the date of the enactment of this 
                Act; and
                    (B) that is not implemented before such date of 
                enactment.

SEC. 3. CERTIFICATION OF RECEIPT OF FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION 
              AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES AND OTHER ORDERS BY AIR 
              CARRIERS.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall 
submit to Congress a plan that contains--
            (1) a certification process under which each air carrier 
        will certify to the Administration that the air carrier has 
        received an airworthiness directive or other order issued by 
        the Administration; and
            (2) a plan for ensuring the compliance of air carriers with 
        such directives and orders.

SEC. 4. SAFETY INSPECTIONS OF REGIONAL AIR CARRIERS.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall, not less frequently than once each year, perform 
random, unannounced, on-site inspections of regional air carriers to 
ensure that such air carriers are complying with all applicable safety 
standards of the Administration.
    (b) Regional Air Carriers Defined.--The Administrator of the 
Federal Aviation Administration shall determine which air carriers are 
regional air carriers for purposes of subsection (a).

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF SAFETY STANDARDS WITH RESPECT TO THE TRAINING, 
              HIRING, AND OPERATION OF AIRCRAFT BY PILOTS.

    (a) Completion of Rulemaking on Training Programs.--Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue a final rule with 
respect to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published in the Federal 
Register on January 12, 2009 (74 Fed. Reg. 1280; relating to training 
programs for flight crewmembers and aircraft dispatchers).
    (b) Establishment of National Standard With Respect to Minimum 
Number of Flight Hours Required to Hire Commercial Aircraft Pilots.--
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall revise 
regulations under part 61 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to 
increase the minimum number of hours of flight experience required for 
pilots to conduct flight operations under parts 121 and 135 of title 
14, Code of Federal Regulations.

SEC. 6. REGULATIONS TO ADDRESS PILOT FATIGUE.

    (a) Regulations on Work Hours for Pilots.--Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Aviation Administration shall prescribe regulations specifying 
limitations on hours of flight time allowed for pilots to address 
problems relating to pilot fatigue.
    (b) Fatigue Management Plans.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall prescribe regulations--
            (1) providing guidance to air carriers to develop plans to 
        ensure that pilots are not operating aircraft while fatigued;
            (2) requiring air carriers to submit such plans to the 
        Administration not later than 180 days after the Administrator 
        issues the final rule with respect to the regulations and to 
        update such plans on a regular basis; and
            (3) establishing standards and procedures for the 
        submission of such plans and the review of such plans by the 
        Administration.

SEC. 7. ACCESS BY AIR CARRIERS TO INFORMATION ABOUT PRACTICAL TEST 
              FAILURES BY PILOTS.

    Section 44703(h)(1)(A) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
            (2) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
            (3) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
                            ``(ii) any failed attempt of the individual 
                        to pass a practical test required to obtain a 
                        certificate or type rating under part 61 of 
                        title 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and''.

SEC. 8. OVERSIGHT OF PILOT TRAINING SCHOOLS.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall submit 
to Congress a plan for overseeing pilot schools certified under part 
141 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, that includes--
            (1) ensuring that the curriculum and course outline 
        requirements for such schools under subpart C of such part are 
        being met; and
            (2) conducting on-site inspections of each such school not 
        less frequently than once every 2 years.
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