[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 76 (Thursday, May 2, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3344-S3345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1957. Mr. LEE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1911 submitted by Ms. Cantwell (for herself, Mr. Cruz, Ms. 
Duckworth, and Mr. Moran) and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 
3935, to amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize and improve 
the Federal Aviation Administration and other civil aviation programs, 
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. ATC SOAR.

       (a) Hiring of Air Traffic Control Specialists.--Section 
     44506(f)(1)(B) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new clause:
       ``(iv) Consideration of candidates.--The Administrator 
     shall consider for the interview stage of the hiring process 
     candidates in each applicant pool described in this 
     subparagraph who--

       ``(I) score at or above a passing score as determined by 
     the Administrator on the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (AT-
     SA); and
       ``(II) meet minimum qualifications established by the 
     Administrator.''.

       (b) Ensuring Hiring of Air Traffic Control Specialists Is 
     Based on Assessment of Job-relevant Aptitudes.--
       (1) Update of the air traffic skills assessment.--Not later 
     than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall 
     revise the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (in this subsection 
     referred to as the ``AT-SA'') administered to air traffic 
     controller applicants described in clauses (ii) and (iii) of 
     section 44506(f)(1)(B) of title 49, United States Code, in 
     accordance with the following requirements:
       (A) The Administrator shall ensure that all questions on 
     the AT-SA are supported by a peer-reviewed job analysis that 
     ensures all questions test job-relevant aptitudes.
       (B) The Administrator shall ensure that the AT-SA does not 
     incorporate any biographical questionnaire or assessment or 
     other questions of a biographical nature (other than basic 
     identifiers such as first and last name) for applicants for 
     the position of air traffic controller from the applicant 
     pools described in clauses (ii) and (iii) of section 
     44506(f)(1)(B) of title 49, United States Code.
       (2) Conforming amendments eliminating use of biographical 
     assessments for all applicants.--Section 44506(f) of title 
     49, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a), is 
     further amended--
       (A) in paragraph (1)(C)--

[[Page S3345]]

       (i) by striking clause (ii); and
       (ii) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (ii); and
       (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
       ``(B) No biographical assessments.--The Administrator shall 
     not use any biographical assessment when hiring under 
     paragraph (1)(A) or paragraph (1)(B).''.
       (c) DOT Inspector General Report.--Not later than 180 days 
     after the date on which the Administrator of the Federal 
     Aviation Administration completes the revision of the Air 
     Traffic Skills Assessment (AT-SA) required under subsection 
     (b)(1), the Inspector General of the Department of 
     Transportation shall submit a report to the Administrator, 
     the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
     the House of Representatives, and, upon request, to any 
     member of Congress, that assesses the assumptions and 
     methodologies used to develop such revisions, the job-
     relevant aptitudes measured, and the scoring process for the 
     revised assessment, together with, if appropriate, a 
     description of any actions taken or recommended to be taken 
     to address the results of the report.
                                 ______