To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to establish a flight deck training program for certain employees of the Federal Aviation Administration, and for other purposes.

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to establish a flight deck training program for certain employees of the Federal Aviation Administration, 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.

SEC. 2. Flight deck training program.

(a) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall establish a voluntary flight deck training program under which eligible employees of the Federal Aviation Administration may access the flight deck of voluntarily participating commercial passenger, air cargo, powered lift, or general aviation aircraft during flights for the purpose of familiarizing certified air traffic controllers with the complex onboard requirements experienced by flight crews.

(b) Eligible employees.—Certified air traffic controllers shall be eligible to participate in the program established under subsection (a).

(c) Participation.—Eligible employees under subsection (b) participating in the program established under subsection (a) may sit in the flight deck for at least 1 round trip to immediate and destination airports within the coterminous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and United States Possessions and Territories, except that—

(1) reimbursement of any expenses, including per diem and mileage, will not be authorized or paid; and

(2) an eligible employee may only participate in the program subject to operational and staffing requirements with management approval.

(d) Considerations.—An eligible employee participating in the program established under subsection (a) shall be considered as working on-duty during flight hours participating in the program.

(e) Regulations and policies.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall, in consultation with organizations representing certified collective bargaining representatives of airline pilots, flight crews, and the exclusive bargaining representative of air traffic controllers certified under section 7111 of title 5, United States Code, issue such policies as are necessary to carry out the program under subsection (a).

(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—The Administrator may prescribe additional ticketing requirements and security clearance eligibility requirements for eligible employees to ensure the safety of pilots, flight crew, and passengers.

(3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require a voluntarily participating commercial passenger, air cargo, powered lift, or general aviation aircraft to displace or otherwise reassign a off-duty pilot who is using an accessible seat within a flight deck for the purposes of traveling for work or assignment to allow an eligible employee to participate in the flight deck training program.

(f) Report to Congress.—Not later than 1 year after the establishment of the program under subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the number of air traffic controllers who have participated in the program under this section, the proportion of flights observed on each type of participating aircraft, barriers to participation for both air traffic controllers and airline participants, and recommendations to increase participation both for air traffic controllers and airline participants.