[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SUPPORT OF THE FLIGHT SCHOOL SECURITY ACT OF 2013

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 19, 2013

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of the ``Flight School Security Act of 2013.''
  This bipartisan legislation closes a known aviation security gap by 
requiring individuals seeking flight training on aircraft with a 
maximum certified takeoff weight of more than 12,500 pounds to be 
checked against the terrorist watchlist prior to receiving flight 
training.
  I am proud to have the Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland 
Security's Subcommittee on Transportation Security, Cedric Richmond, 
and the Chairman of the Committee's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies, Patrick Meehan, 
as original cosponsors of this important legislation.
  Under current law, a flight instructor, pilot school, or aviation 
training center are only required to check aliens--non-United States 
citizens--against the terrorist watchlist and receive a determination 
from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as to whether 
that individual presents a risk to aviation or national security prior 
to providing flight training.
  U.S. citizens who seek the same training do not undergo these simple 
checks.
  As a matter of practice, daily checks against the terrorist watchlist 
are only undertaken for aliens and individuals who hold valid airman's 
certifications issued by the Federal Aviation Administration; TSA does 
not check the names of those seeking or undertaking flight training 
against the watchlist until after they have already been trained on how 
to fly a plane and are applying for a certificate to take their first 
solo flight.
  The ``Flight School Security Act of 2013'' closes this security gap 
by requiring that any individual seeking training in the operation of 
any aircraft having a maximum certified takeoff weight of more than 
12,500 pounds, including a United States citizen, be checked against 
the terrorist watchlist to ascertain if the individual may pose a 
threat to aviation or national security and receive a determination 
from the Assistant Secretary that the individual does not pose a threat 
that warrants denial of access to such training.
  The ``Flight School Security Act of 2013'' would subject individuals 
seeking flight school training to the same terrorist watchlist check 
that anyone taking a flight domestically undergoes.
  It does not compel United States citizens to provide the exhaustive 
list of personally identifiable information, including fingerprints, 
which are required to be provided by an alien seeking flight training.
  Mr. Speaker, the ``Flight School Security Act of 2013'' is a common 
sense, bipartisan bill, crafted in consultation with both TSA and 
stakeholders.
  The bill is the product of the oversight work of the Committee on 
Homeland Security and represents a common sense solution to a glaring 
security gap.
  Just last week, in an appearance before the Committee on Homeland 
Security's Subcommittee on Transportation Security, the TSA 
Administrator, John S. Pistole, stated that this security gap is an 
issue that has to be addressed, that Congressional action would be 
welcome, and that checking those seeking flight training against the 
terrorist watchlist prior to them commencing flight training would be 
the best security.
  I urge my colleagues to support the ``Flight School Security Act of 
2013'' so that we can be secure in the knowledge that no person who 
poses a security threat that is significant enough to be blocked from 
boarding an aircraft is allowed to learn to fly one.

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