[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 24767-24778]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       AIRLINE SAFETY AND PILOT TRAINING IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2009

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3371) to amend title 49, United States Code, to improve 
airline safety and pilot training, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3371

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Airline 
     Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. FAA Task Force on Air Carrier Safety and Pilot Training.
Sec. 4. Implementation of NTSB flight crewmember training 
              recommendations.
Sec. 5. Secretary of Transportation responses to safety 
              recommendations.
Sec. 6. FAA pilot records database.
Sec. 7. FAA rulemaking on training programs.
Sec. 8. Aviation safety inspectors and operational research analysts.
Sec. 9. Flight crewmember mentoring, professional development, and 
              leadership.
Sec. 10. Flight crewmember screening and qualifications.
Sec. 11. Airline transport pilot certification.
Sec. 12. Flight schools, flight education, and pilot academic training.
Sec. 13. Voluntary safety programs.
Sec. 14. ASAP and FOQA implementation plan.
Sec. 15. Safety management systems.
Sec. 16. Disclosure of air carriers operating flights for tickets sold 
              for air transportation.
Sec. 17. Pilot fatigue.
Sec. 18. Flight crewmember pairing and crew resource management 
              techniques.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this Act, the following definitions 
     apply:
       (1) Advanced qualification program.--The term ``advanced 
     qualification program'' means the program established by the 
     Federal Aviation Administration in Advisory Circular 120-54A, 
     dated June 23, 2006, including any subsequent revisions 
     thereto.
       (2) Air carrier.--The term ``air carrier'' has the meaning 
     given that term in section 40102 of title 49, United States 
     Code.
       (3) Aviation safety action program.--The term ``aviation 
     safety action program'' means the program established by the 
     Federal Aviation Administration in Advisory Circular 120-66B, 
     dated November 15, 2002, including any subsequent revisions 
     thereto.
       (4) Flight crewmember.--The term ``flight crewmember'' has 
     the meaning given that term in part 1.1 of title 14, Code of 
     Federal Regulations.
       (5) Flight operational quality assurance program.--The term 
     ``flight operational quality assurance program'' means the 
     program established by the Federal Aviation Administration in 
     Advisory Circular

[[Page 24768]]

     120-82, dated April 12, 2004, including any subsequent 
     revisions thereto.
       (6) Line operations safety audit.--The term ``line 
     operations safety audit'' means the procedure referenced by 
     the Federal Aviation Administration in Advisory Circular 120-
     90, dated April 27, 2006, including any subsequent revisions 
     thereto.
       (7) Part 121 air carrier.--The term ``part 121 air 
     carrier'' means an air carrier that holds a certificate 
     issued under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal 
     Regulations.
       (8) Part 135 air carrier.--The term ``part 135 air 
     carrier'' means an air carrier that holds a certificate 
     issued under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal 
     Regulations.

     SEC. 3. FAA TASK FORCE ON AIR CARRIER SAFETY AND PILOT 
                   TRAINING.

       (a) Establishment.--The Administrator of the Federal 
     Aviation Administration shall establish a special task force 
     to be known as the ``FAA Task Force on Air Carrier Safety and 
     Pilot Training'' (in this section referred to as the ``Task 
     Force'').
       (b) Composition.--The Task Force shall consist of members 
     appointed by the Administrator and shall include air carrier 
     representatives, labor union representatives, and aviation 
     safety experts with knowledge of foreign and domestic 
     regulatory requirements for flight crewmember education and 
     training.
       (c) Duties.--The duties of the Task Force shall include, at 
     a minimum, evaluating best practices in the air carrier 
     industry and providing recommendations in the following 
     areas:
       (1) Air carrier management responsibilities for flight 
     crewmember education and support.
       (2) Flight crewmember professional standards.
       (3) Flight crewmember training standards and performance.
       (4) Mentoring and information sharing between air carriers.
       (d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and before the last day of each 180-
     day period thereafter until termination of the Task Force, 
     the Task Force shall submit to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate a report detailing--
       (1) the progress of the Task Force in identifying best 
     practices in the air carrier industry;
       (2) the progress of air carriers and labor unions in 
     implementing the best practices identified by the Task Force;
       (3) recommendations of the Task Force, if any, for 
     legislative or regulatory actions;
       (4) the progress of air carriers and labor unions in 
     implementing training-related, nonregulatory actions 
     recommended by the Administrator; and
       (5) the progress of air carriers in developing specific 
     programs to share safety data and ensure implementation of 
     the most effective safety practices.
       (e) Termination.--The Task Force shall terminate on 
     September 30, 2012.
       (f) Applicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The 
     Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not 
     apply to the Task Force.

     SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF NTSB FLIGHT CREWMEMBER TRAINING 
                   RECOMMENDATIONS.

       (a) Rulemaking Proceedings.--
       (1) Stall and upset recognition and recovery training.--The 
     Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall 
     conduct a rulemaking proceeding to require part 121 air 
     carriers to provide flight crewmembers with ground training 
     and flight training or flight simulator training--
       (A) to recognize and avoid a stall of an aircraft or, if 
     not avoided, to recover from the stall; and
       (B) to recognize and avoid an upset of an aircraft or, if 
     not avoided, to execute such techniques as available data 
     indicate are appropriate to recover from the upset in a given 
     make, model, and series of aircraft.
       (2) Remedial training programs.--The Administrator shall 
     conduct a rulemaking proceeding to require part 121 air 
     carriers to establish remedial training programs for flight 
     crewmembers who have demonstrated performance deficiencies or 
     experienced failures in the training environment.
       (3) Deadlines.--The Administrator shall--
       (A) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, issue a notice of proposed rulemaking under each of 
     paragraphs (1) and (2); and
       (B) not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, issue a final rule for the rulemaking in each of 
     paragraphs (1) and (2).
       (b) Stick Pusher Training and Weather Event Training.--
       (1) Multidisciplinary panel.--Not later than 120 days after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
     convene a multidisciplinary panel of specialists in aircraft 
     operations, flight crewmember training, human factors, and 
     aviation safety to study and submit to the Administrator a 
     report on methods to increase the familiarity of flight 
     crewmembers with, and improve the response of flight 
     crewmembers to, stick pusher systems, icing conditions, and 
     microburst and windshear weather events.
       (2) Report to congress and ntsb.--Not later than one year 
     after the date on which the Administrator convenes the panel, 
     the Administrator shall--
       (A) submit to the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the Committee 
     on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and 
     the National Transportation Safety Board a report based on 
     the findings of the panel; and
       (B) with respect to stick pusher systems, initiate 
     appropriate actions to implement the recommendations of the 
     panel.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section, the following 
     definitions apply:
       (1) Flight training and flight simulator.--The terms 
     ``flight training'' and ``flight simulator'' have the 
     meanings given those terms in part 61.1 of title 14, Code of 
     Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).
       (2) Stall.--The term ``stall'' means an aerodynamic loss of 
     lift caused by exceeding the critical angle of attack.
       (3) Stick pusher.--The term ``stick pusher'' means a device 
     that, at or near a stall, applies a nose down pitch force to 
     an aircraft's control columns to attempt to decrease the 
     aircraft's angle of attack.
       (4) Upset.--The term ``upset'' means an unusual aircraft 
     attitude.

     SEC. 5. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION RESPONSES TO SAFETY 
                   RECOMMENDATIONS.

       (a) In General.--The first sentence of section 1135(a) of 
     title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``to 
     the National Transportation Safety Board'' after ``shall 
     give''.
       (b) Air Carrier Safety Recommendations.--Section 1135 of 
     such title is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 
     (d) and (e), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
       ``(c) Annual Report on Air Carrier Safety 
     Recommendations.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress 
     and the Board, on an annual basis, a report on the 
     recommendations made by the Board to the Secretary regarding 
     air carrier operations conducted under part 121 of title 14, 
     Code of Federal Regulations.
       ``(2) Recommendations to be covered.--The report shall 
     cover--
       ``(A) any recommendation for which the Secretary has 
     developed, or intends to develop, procedures to adopt the 
     recommendation or part of the recommendation, but has yet to 
     complete the procedures; and
       ``(B) any recommendation for which the Secretary, in the 
     preceding year, has issued a response under subsection (a)(2) 
     or (a)(3) refusing to carry out all or part of the procedures 
     to adopt the recommendation.
       ``(3) Contents.--
       ``(A) Plans to adopt recommendations.--For each 
     recommendation of the Board described in paragraph (2)(A), 
     the report shall contain--
       ``(i) a description of the recommendation;
       ``(ii) a description of the procedures planned for adopting 
     the recommendation or part of the recommendation;
       ``(iii) the proposed date for completing the procedures; 
     and
       ``(iv) if the Secretary has not met a deadline contained in 
     a proposed timeline developed in connection with the 
     recommendation under subsection (b), an explanation for not 
     meeting the deadline.
       ``(B) Refusals to adopt recommendations.--For each 
     recommendation of the Board described in paragraph (2)(B), 
     the report shall contain--
       ``(i) a description of the recommendation; and
       ``(ii) a description of the reasons for the refusal to 
     carry out all or part of the procedures to adopt the 
     recommendation.''.

     SEC. 6. FAA PILOT RECORDS DATABASE.

       (a) Records of Employment of Pilot Applicants.--Section 
     44703(h) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(16) Applicability.--This subsection shall cease to be 
     effective on the date specified in regulations issued under 
     subsection (i).''.
       (b) Establishment of FAA Pilot Records Database.--Section 
     44703 of such title is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (i) and (j) as subsections 
     (j) and (k), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (h) the following:
       ``(i) FAA Pilot Records Database.--
       ``(1) In general.--Before allowing an individual to begin 
     service as a pilot, an air carrier shall access and evaluate, 
     in accordance with the requirements of this subsection, 
     information pertaining to the individual from the pilot 
     records database established under paragraph (2).
       ``(2) Pilot records database.--The Administrator shall 
     establish an electronic database (in this subsection referred 
     to as the `database') containing the following records:
       ``(A) FAA records.--From the Administrator--

[[Page 24769]]

       ``(i) records that are maintained by the Administrator 
     concerning current airman certificates, including airman 
     medical certificates and associated type ratings and 
     information on any limitations to those certificates and 
     ratings;
       ``(ii) records that are maintained by the Administrator 
     concerning any failed attempt of an 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
       ``(iii) summaries of legal enforcement actions resulting in 
     a finding by the Administrator of a violation of this title 
     or a regulation prescribed or order issued under this title 
     that was not subsequently overturned.
       ``(B) Air carrier and other records.--From any air carrier 
     or other person (except a branch of the Armed Forces, the 
     National Guard, or a reserve component of the Armed Forces) 
     that has employed an individual as a pilot of a civil or 
     public aircraft, or from the trustee in bankruptcy for such 
     air carrier or person--
       ``(i) records pertaining to the individual that are 
     maintained by the air carrier (other than records relating to 
     flight time, duty time, or rest time), including records 
     under regulations set forth in--

       ``(I) section 121.683 of title 14, Code of Federal 
     Regulations;
       ``(II) paragraph (A) of section VI, appendix I, part 121 of 
     such title;
       ``(III) paragraph (A) of section IV, appendix J, part 121 
     of such title;
       ``(IV) section 125.401 of such title; and
       ``(V) section 135.63(a)(4) of such title; and

       ``(ii) other records pertaining to the individual's 
     performance as a pilot that are maintained by the air carrier 
     or person concerning--

       ``(I) the training, qualifications, proficiency, or 
     professional competence of the individual, including comments 
     and evaluations made by a check airman designated in 
     accordance with section 121.411, 125.295, or 135.337 of such 
     title;
       ``(II) any disciplinary action taken with respect to the 
     individual that was not subsequently overturned; and
       ``(III) any release from employment or resignation, 
     termination, or disqualification with respect to employment.

       ``(C) National driver register records.--In accordance with 
     section 30305(b)(8) of this title, from the chief driver 
     licensing official of a State, information concerning the 
     motor vehicle driving record of the individual.
       ``(3) Written consent; release from liability.--An air 
     carrier--
       ``(A) shall obtain the written consent of an individual 
     before accessing records pertaining to the individual under 
     paragraph (1); and
       ``(B) may, notwithstanding any other provision of law or 
     agreement to the contrary, require an individual with respect 
     to whom the carrier is accessing records under paragraph (1) 
     to execute a release from liability for any claim arising 
     from accessing the records or the use of such records by the 
     air carrier in accordance with this section (other than a 
     claim arising from furnishing information known to be false 
     and maintained in violation of a criminal statute).
       ``(4) Reporting.--
       ``(A) Reporting by administrator.--The Administrator shall 
     enter data described in paragraph (2)(A) into the database 
     promptly to ensure that an individual's records are current.
       ``(B) Reporting by air carriers and other persons.--
       ``(i) In general.--Air carriers and other persons shall 
     report data described in paragraphs (2)(B) and (2)(C) to the 
     Administrator promptly for entry into the database.
       ``(ii) Data to be reported.--Air carriers and other persons 
     shall report, at a minimum, under clause (i) the following 
     data described in paragraph (2)(B):

       ``(I) Records that are generated by the air carrier or 
     other person after the date of enactment of this paragraph.
       ``(II) Records that the air carrier or other person is 
     maintaining, on such date of enactment, pursuant to 
     subsection (h)(4).

       ``(5) Requirement to maintain records.--The Administrator--
       ``(A) shall maintain all records entered into the database 
     under paragraph (2) pertaining to an individual until the 
     date of receipt of notification that the individual is 
     deceased; and
       ``(B) may remove the individual's records from the database 
     after that date.
       ``(6) Receipt of consent.--The Administrator shall not 
     permit an air carrier to access records pertaining to an 
     individual from the database under paragraph (1) without the 
     air carrier first demonstrating to the satisfaction of the 
     Administrator that the air carrier has obtained the written 
     consent of the individual.
       ``(7) Right of pilot to review certain records and correct 
     inaccuracies.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law or 
     agreement, the Administrator, upon receipt of written request 
     from an individual--
       ``(A) shall make available, not later than 30 days after 
     the date of the request, to the individual for review all 
     records referred to in paragraph (2) pertaining to the 
     individual; and
       ``(B) shall provide the individual with a reasonable 
     opportunity to submit written comments to correct any 
     inaccuracies contained in the records.
       ``(8) Reasonable charges for processing requests and 
     furnishing copies.--The Administrator may establish a 
     reasonable charge for the cost of processing a request under 
     paragraph (1) or (7) and for the cost of furnishing copies of 
     requested records under paragraph (7).
       ``(9) Privacy protections.--
       ``(A) Use of records.--An air carrier that accesses records 
     pertaining to an individual under paragraph (1) may use the 
     records only to assess the qualifications of the individual 
     in deciding whether or not to hire the individual as a pilot. 
     The air carrier shall take such actions as may be necessary 
     to protect the privacy of the individual and the 
     confidentiality of the records accessed, including ensuring 
     that information contained in the records is not divulged to 
     any individual that is not directly involved in the hiring 
     decision.
       ``(B) Disclosure of information.--
       ``(i) In general.--Except as provided by clause (ii), 
     information collected by the Administrator under paragraph 
     (2) shall be exempt from the disclosure requirements of 
     section 552 of title 5.
       ``(ii) Exceptions.--Clause (i) shall not apply to--

       ``(I) de-identified, summarized information to explain the 
     need for changes in policies and regulations;
       ``(II) information to correct a condition that compromises 
     safety;
       ``(III) information to carry out a criminal investigation 
     or prosecution;
       ``(IV) information to comply with section 44905, regarding 
     information about threats to civil aviation; and
       ``(V) such information as the Administrator determines 
     necessary, if withholding the information would not be 
     consistent with the safety responsibilities of the Federal 
     Aviation Administration.

       ``(10) Periodic review.--Not later than 18 months after the 
     date of enactment of this paragraph, and at least once every 
     3 years thereafter, the Administrator shall transmit to 
     Congress a statement that contains, taking into account 
     recent developments in the aviation industry--
       ``(A) recommendations by the Administrator concerning 
     proposed changes to Federal Aviation Administration records, 
     air carrier records, and other records required to be 
     included in the database under paragraph (2); or
       ``(B) reasons why the Administrator does not recommend any 
     proposed changes to the records referred to in subparagraph 
     (A).
       ``(11) Regulations for protection and security of 
     records.--The Administrator shall prescribe such regulations 
     as may be necessary--
       ``(A) to protect and secure--
       ``(i) the personal privacy of any individual whose records 
     are accessed under paragraph (1); and
       ``(ii) the confidentiality of those records; and
       ``(B) to preclude the further dissemination of records 
     received under paragraph (1) by the person who accessed the 
     records.
       ``(12) Good faith exception.--Notwithstanding paragraph 
     (1), an air carrier may allow an individual to begin service 
     as a pilot, without first obtaining information described in 
     paragraph (2)(B) from the database pertaining to the 
     individual, if--
       ``(A) the air carrier has made a documented good faith 
     attempt to access the information from the database; and
       ``(B) has received written notice from the Administrator 
     that the information is not contained in the database because 
     the individual was employed by an air carrier or other person 
     that no longer exists or by a foreign government or other 
     entity that has not provided the information to the database.
       ``(13) Limitations on electronic access to records.--
       ``(A) Access by individuals designated by air carriers.--
     For the purpose of increasing timely and efficient access to 
     records described in paragraph (2), the Administrator may 
     allow, under terms established by the Administrator, an 
     individual designated by an air carrier to have electronic 
     access to the database.
       ``(B) Terms.--The terms established by the Administrator 
     under subparagraph (A) for allowing a designated individual 
     to have electronic access to the database shall limit such 
     access to instances in which information in the database is 
     required by the designated individual in making a hiring 
     decision concerning a pilot applicant and shall require that 
     the designated individual provide assurances satisfactory to 
     the Administrator that--
       ``(i) the designated individual has received the written 
     consent of the pilot applicant to access the information; and
       ``(ii) information obtained using such access will not be 
     used for any purpose other than making the hiring decision.
       ``(14) Authorized expenditures.--Out of amounts 
     appropriated under section 106(k)(1), there is authorized to 
     be expended to carry out this subsection such sums as may be 
     necessary for each of fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012.

[[Page 24770]]

       ``(15) Regulations.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Administrator shall issue 
     regulations to carry out this subsection.
       ``(B) Effective date.--The regulations shall specify the 
     date on which the requirements of this subsection take effect 
     and the date on which the requirements of subsection (h) 
     cease to be effective.
       ``(C) Exceptions.--Notwithstanding subparagraph (B)--
       ``(i) the Administrator shall begin to establish the 
     database under paragraph (2) not later than 90 days after the 
     date of enactment of this paragraph;
       ``(ii) the Administrator shall maintain records in 
     accordance with paragraph (5) beginning on the date of 
     enactment of this paragraph; and
       ``(iii) air carriers and other persons shall maintain 
     records to be reported to the database under paragraph (4)(B) 
     in the period beginning on such date of enactment and ending 
     on the date that is 5 years after the requirements of 
     subsection (h) cease to be effective pursuant to subparagraph 
     (B).
       ``(16) Special rule.--During the one-year period beginning 
     on the date on which the requirements of this section become 
     effective pursuant to paragraph (15)(B), paragraph (7)(A) 
     shall be applied by substituting `45 days' for `30 days'.''.
       (c) Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Limitation on liability; preemption of state law.--
     Section 44703(j) (as redesignated by subsection (b)(1) of 
     this section) is amended--
       (A) in the subsection heading by striking ``Limitation'' 
     and inserting ``Limitations'';
       (B) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) by striking 
     ``paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``subsection (h)(2) or 
     (i)(3)'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (A) by inserting ``or accessing the 
     records of that individual under subsection (i)(1)'' before 
     the semicolon; and
       (iii) in the matter following subparagraph (D) by striking 
     ``subsection (h)'' and inserting ``subsection (h) or (i)'';
       (C) in paragraph (2) by striking ``subsection (h)'' and 
     inserting ``subsection (h) or (i)'';
       (D) in paragraph (3), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
     (A), by inserting ``or who furnished information to the 
     database established under subsection (i)(2)'' after 
     ``subsection (h)(1)''; and
       (E) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) Prohibition on actions and proceedings against air 
     carriers.--
       ``(A) Hiring decisions.--An air carrier may refuse to hire 
     an individual as a pilot if the individual did not provide 
     written consent for the air carrier to receive records under 
     subsection (h)(2)(A) or (i)(3)(A) or did not execute the 
     release from liability requested under subsection (h)(2)(B) 
     or (i)(3)(B).
       ``(B) Actions and proceedings.--No action or proceeding may 
     be brought against an air carrier by or on behalf of an 
     individual who has applied for or is seeking a position as a 
     pilot with the air carrier if the air carrier refused to hire 
     the individual after the individual did not provide written 
     consent for the air carrier to receive records under 
     subsection (h)(2)(A) or (i)(3)(A) or did not execute a 
     release from liability requested under subsection (h)(2)(B) 
     or (i)(3)(B).''.
       (2) Limitation on statutory construction.--Section 44703(k) 
     (as redesignated by subsection (b)(1) of this section) is 
     amended by striking ``subsection (h)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (h) or (i)''.

     SEC. 7. FAA RULEMAKING ON TRAINING PROGRAMS.

       (a) Completion of Rulemaking on Training Programs.--Not 
     later than 14 months after the date of 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) Expert Panel To Review Part 121 and Part 135 Training 
     Hours.--
       (1) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall convene a 
     multidisciplinary expert panel comprised of, at a minimum, 
     air carrier representatives, training facility 
     representatives, instructional design experts, aircraft 
     manufacturers, safety organization representatives, and labor 
     union representatives.
       (2) Assessment and recommendations.--The panel shall assess 
     and make recommendations concerning--
       (A) the best methods and optimal time needed for flight 
     crewmembers of part 121 air carriers and flight crewmembers 
     of part 135 air carriers to master aircraft systems, 
     maneuvers, procedures, take offs and landings, and crew 
     coordination;
       (B) the optimal length of time between training events for 
     such crewmembers, including recurrent training events;
       (C) the best methods to reliably evaluate mastery by such 
     crewmembers of aircraft systems, maneuvers, procedures, take 
     offs and landings, and crew coordination; and
       (D) the best methods to allow specific academic training 
     courses to be credited pursuant to section 11(d) toward the 
     total flight hours required to receive an airline transport 
     pilot certificate.
       (3) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
     of Representatives, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate, and the National Transportation 
     Safety Board a report based on the findings of the panel.

     SEC. 8. AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS AND OPERATIONAL RESEARCH 
                   ANALYSTS.

       (a) Review by DOT Inspector General.--Not later than 9 
     months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Inspector 
     General of the Department of Transportation shall conduct a 
     review of aviation safety inspectors and operational research 
     analysts of the Federal Aviation Administration assigned to 
     part 121 air carriers and submit to the Administrator of the 
     Federal Aviation Administration a report on the results of 
     the review.
       (b) Purposes.--The purpose of the review shall be, at a 
     minimum--
       (1) to review the level of the Administration's oversight 
     of each part 121 air carrier;
       (2) to make recommendations to ensure that each part 121 
     air carrier is receiving an equivalent level of oversight;
       (3) to assess the number and level of experience of 
     aviation safety inspectors assigned to such carriers;
       (4) to evaluate how the Administration is making 
     assignments of aviation safety inspectors to such carriers;
       (5) to review various safety inspector oversight programs, 
     including the geographic inspector program;
       (6) to evaluate the adequacy of the number of operational 
     research analysts assigned to each part 121 air carrier;
       (7) to evaluate the surveillance responsibilities of 
     aviation safety inspectors, including en route inspections;
       (8) to evaluate whether inspectors are able to effectively 
     use data sources, such as the Safety Performance Analysis 
     System and the Air Transportation Oversight System, to assist 
     in targeting oversight of air carriers;
       (9) to assess the feasibility of establishment by the 
     Administration of a comprehensive repository of information 
     that encompasses multiple Administration data sources and 
     allowing access by aviation safety inspectors and operational 
     research analysts to assist in the oversight of part 121 air 
     carriers; and
       (10) to conduct such other analyses as the Inspector 
     General considers relevant to the purpose of the review.
       (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of receipt of the report submitted under subsection (a), 
     the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate a report--
       (1) that specifies which, if any, policy changes 
     recommended by the Inspector General under this section the 
     Administrator intends to adopt and implement;
       (2) that includes an explanation of how the Administrator 
     plans to adopt and implement such policy changes; and
       (3) in any case in which the Administrator does not intend 
     to adopt a policy change recommended by the Inspector 
     General, that includes an explanation of the reasons for the 
     decision not to adopt and implement the policy change.

     SEC. 9. FLIGHT CREWMEMBER MENTORING, PROFESSIONAL 
                   DEVELOPMENT, AND LEADERSHIP.

       (a) Rulemaking Proceeding.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
     Administration shall conduct a rulemaking proceeding to 
     require each part 121 air carrier to take the following 
     actions:
       (A) Establish flight crewmember mentoring programs under 
     which the air carrier will pair highly experienced flight 
     crewmembers who will serve as mentor pilots and be paired 
     with newly employed flight crewmembers. Mentor pilots shall 
     receive, at a minimum, specific instruction on techniques for 
     instilling and reinforcing the highest standards of technical 
     performance, airmanship, and professionalism in newly 
     employed flight crewmembers.
       (B) Establish flight crewmember professional development 
     committees made up of air carrier management and labor union 
     or professional association representatives to develop, 
     administer, and oversee formal mentoring programs of the 
     carrier to assist flight crewmembers to reach their maximum 
     potential as safe, seasoned, and proficient flight 
     crewmembers.
       (C) Establish or modify training programs to accommodate 
     substantially different levels and types of flight experience 
     by newly employed flight crewmembers.
       (D) Establish or modify training programs for second-in-
     command flight crewmembers attempting to qualify as pilot-in-
     command flight crewmembers for the first time in a specific 
     aircraft type and ensure that such programs include 
     leadership and command training.

[[Page 24771]]

       (E) Ensure that recurrent training for pilots in command 
     includes leadership and command training.
       (F) Such other actions as the Administrator determines 
     appropriate to enhance flight crewmember professional 
     development.
       (2) Compliance with sterile cockpit rule.--Leadership and 
     command training described in paragraphs (1)(D) and (1)(E) 
     shall include instruction on compliance with flight 
     crewmember duties under part 121.542 of title 14, Code of 
     Federal Regulations.
       (3) Streamlined program review.--
       (A) In general.--As part of the rulemaking required by 
     subsection (a), the Administrator shall establish a 
     streamlined process for part 121 air carriers that have in 
     effect, as of the date of enactment of this Act, the programs 
     required by paragraph (1).
       (B) Expedited approvals.--Under the streamlined process, 
     the Administrator shall--
       (i) review the programs of such part 121 air carriers to 
     determine whether the programs meet the requirements set 
     forth in the final rule referred to in subsection (b)(2); and
       (ii) expedite the approval of the programs that the 
     Administrator determines meet such requirements.
       (b) Deadlines.--The Administrator shall issue--
       (1) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, a notice of proposed rulemaking under subsection 
     (a); and
       (2) not later than 24 months after such date of enactment, 
     a final rule under subsection (a).

     SEC. 10. FLIGHT CREWMEMBER SCREENING AND QUALIFICATIONS.

       (a) Requirements.--
       (1) Rulemaking proceeding.--The Administrator of the 
     Federal Aviation Administration shall conduct a rulemaking 
     proceeding to require part 121 air carriers to develop and 
     implement means and methods for ensuring that flight 
     crewmembers have proper qualifications and experience.
       (2) Minimum requirements.--
       (A) Prospective flight crewmembers.--Rules issued under 
     paragraph (1) shall ensure that prospective flight 
     crewmembers undergo comprehensive pre-employment screening, 
     including an assessment of the skills, aptitudes, airmanship, 
     and suitability of each applicant for a position as a flight 
     crewmember in terms of functioning effectively in the air 
     carrier's operational environment.
       (B) All flight crewmembers.--Rules issued under paragraph 
     (1) shall ensure that, after the date that is 3 years after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, all flight crewmembers--
       (i) have obtained an airline transport pilot certificate 
     under part 61 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and
       (ii) have appropriate multi-engine aircraft flight 
     experience, as determined by the Administrator.
       (b) Deadlines.--The Administrator shall issue--
       (1) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, a notice of proposed rulemaking under subsection 
     (a); and
       (2) not later than 24 months after such date of enactment, 
     a final rule under subsection (a).

     SEC. 11. AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT CERTIFICATION.

       (a) Rulemaking Proceeding.--The Administrator of the 
     Federal Aviation Administration shall conduct a rulemaking 
     proceeding to amend part 61 of title 14, Code of Federal 
     Regulations, to modify requirements for the issuance of an 
     airline transport pilot certificate.
       (b) Minimum Requirements.--To be qualified to receive an 
     airline transport pilot certificate pursuant to subsection 
     (a), an individual shall--
       (1) have sufficient flight hours, as determined by the 
     Administrator, to enable a pilot to function effectively in 
     an air carrier operational environment; and
       (2) have received flight training, academic training, or 
     operational experience that will prepare a pilot, at a 
     minimum, to--
       (A) function effectively in a multipilot environment;
       (B) function effectively in adverse weather conditions, 
     including icing conditions;
       (C) function effectively during high altitude operations;
       (D) adhere to the highest professional standards; and
       (E) function effectively in an air carrier operational 
     environment.
       (c) Flight Hours.--
       (1) Numbers of flight hours.--The total flight hours 
     required by the Administrator under subsection (b)(1) shall 
     be at least 1,500 flight hours.
       (2) Flight hours in difficult operational conditions.--The 
     total flight hours required by the Administrator under 
     subsection (b)(1) shall include sufficient flight hours, as 
     determined by the Administrator, in difficult operational 
     conditions that may be encountered by an air carrier to 
     enable a pilot to operate safely in such conditions.
       (d) Credit Toward Flight Hours.--The Administrator may 
     allow specific academic training courses, beyond those 
     required under subsection (b)(2), to be credited toward the 
     total flight hours required under subsection (c). The 
     Administrator may allow such credit based on a determination 
     by the Administrator that allowing a pilot to take specific 
     academic training courses will enhance safety more than 
     requiring the pilot to fully comply with the flight hours 
     requirement.
       (e) Recommendations of Expert Panel.--In conducting the 
     rulemaking proceeding under this section, the Administrator 
     shall review and consider the assessment and recommendations 
     of the expert panel to review part 121 and part 135 training 
     hours established by section 7(b) of this Act.
       (f) Deadline.--Not later than 36 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue a final 
     rule under subsection (a).

     SEC. 12. FLIGHT SCHOOLS, FLIGHT EDUCATION, AND PILOT ACADEMIC 
                   TRAINING.

       (a) GAO Study.--The Comptroller General shall conduct a 
     comprehensive study of flight schools, flight education, and 
     academic training requirements for certification of an 
     individual as a pilot.
       (b) Minimum Contents of Study.--The study shall include, at 
     a minimum--
       (1) an assessment of the Federal Aviation Administration's 
     oversight of flight schools;
       (2) an assessment of the Administration's academic training 
     requirements in effect on the date of enactment of this Act 
     as compared to flight education provided to a pilot by 
     accredited 2- and 4-year universities;
       (3) an assessment of the quality of pilots entering the 
     part 121 air carrier workforce from all sources after 
     receiving training from flight training providers, including 
     Aviation Accreditation Board International, universities, 
     pilot training organizations, and the military, utilizing the 
     training records of part 121 air carriers, including 
     consideration of any relationships between flight training 
     providers and air carriers;
       (4) a comparison of the academic training requirements for 
     pilots in the United States to the academic training 
     requirements for pilots in other countries;
       (5) a determination and description of any improvements 
     that may be needed in the Administration's academic training 
     requirements for pilots;
       (6) an assessment of student financial aid and loan options 
     available to individuals interested in enrolling at a flight 
     school for both academic and flight hour training;
       (7) an assessment of the Federal Aviation Administration's 
     oversight of general aviation flight schools that offer or 
     would like to offer training programs under part 142 of title 
     14, Code of Federal Regulations; and
       (8) an assessment of whether compliance with the English 
     speaking requirements applicable to pilots under part 61 of 
     such title is adequately tested and enforced.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit 
     to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
     House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the 
     results of the study.

     SEC. 13. VOLUNTARY SAFETY PROGRAMS.

       (a) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal 
     Aviation Administration shall submit to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science and 
     Transportation of the Senate a report on the aviation safety 
     action program, the flight operational quality assurance 
     program, the line operations safety audit, and the advanced 
     qualification program.
       (b) Contents.--The report shall include--
       (1) a list of--
       (A) which air carriers are using one or more of the 
     voluntary safety programs referred to in subsection (a); and
       (B) the voluntary safety programs each air carrier is 
     using;
       (2) if an air carrier is not using one or more of the 
     voluntary safety programs--
       (A) a list of such programs the carrier is not using; and
       (B) the reasons the carrier is not using each such program;
       (3) if an air carrier is using one or more of the voluntary 
     safety programs, an explanation of the benefits and 
     challenges of using each such program;
       (4) a detailed analysis of how the Administration is using 
     data derived from each of the voluntary safety programs as 
     safety analysis and accident or incident prevention tools and 
     a detailed plan on how the Administration intends to expand 
     data analysis of such programs;
       (5) an explanation of--
       (A) where the data derived from such programs is stored;
       (B) how the data derived from such programs is protected 
     and secured; and
       (C) what data analysis processes air carriers are 
     implementing to ensure the effective use of the data derived 
     from such programs;
       (6) a description of the extent to which aviation safety 
     inspectors are able to review data derived from such programs 
     to enhance their oversight responsibilities;
       (7) a description of how the Administration plans to 
     incorporate operational trends identified under such programs 
     into the air transport oversight system and other 
     surveillance databases so that such system and databases are 
     more effectively utilized;

[[Page 24772]]

       (8) other plans to strengthen such programs, taking into 
     account reviews of such programs by the Inspector General of 
     the Department of Transportation; and
       (9) such other matters as the Administrator determines are 
     appropriate.

     SEC. 14. ASAP AND FOQA IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

       (a) Development and Implementation Plan.--The Administrator 
     of the Federal Aviation Administration shall develop and 
     implement a plan to facilitate the establishment of an 
     aviation safety action program and a flight operational 
     quality assurance program by all part 121 air carriers.
       (b) Matters To Be Considered.--In developing the plan under 
     subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider--
       (1) how the Administration can assist part 121 air carriers 
     with smaller fleet sizes to derive benefit from establishing 
     a flight operational quality assurance program;
       (2) how part 121 air carriers with established aviation 
     safety action and flight operational quality assurance 
     programs can quickly begin to report data into the aviation 
     safety information analysis sharing database; and
       (3) how part 121 air carriers and aviation safety 
     inspectors can better utilize data from such database as 
     accident and incident prevention tools.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
     of Representatives and the Committee on Science, Commerce, 
     and Transportation of the Senate a copy of the plan developed 
     under subsection (a) and an explanation of how the 
     Administration will implement the plan.
       (d) Deadline for Beginning Implementation of Plan.--Not 
     later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the Administrator shall begin implementation of the plan 
     developed under subsection (a).

     SEC. 15. SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS.

       (a) Rulemaking.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
     Administration shall conduct a rulemaking proceeding to 
     require all part 121 air carriers to implement a safety 
     management system.
       (b) Matters to Consider.--In conducting the rulemaking 
     under subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider, at a 
     minimum, including each of the following as a part of the 
     safety management system:
       (1) An aviation safety action program.
       (2) A flight operational quality assurance program.
       (3) A line operations safety audit.
       (4) An advanced qualification program.
       (c) Deadlines.--The Administrator shall issue--
       (1) not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, a notice of proposed rulemaking under subsection 
     (a); and
       (2) not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, a final rule under subsection (a).
       (d) Safety Management System Defined.--In this section, the 
     term ``safety management system'' means the program 
     established by the Federal Aviation Administration in 
     Advisory Circular 120-92, dated June 22, 2006, including any 
     subsequent revisions thereto.

     SEC. 16. DISCLOSURE OF AIR CARRIERS OPERATING FLIGHTS FOR 
                   TICKETS SOLD FOR AIR TRANSPORTATION.

       Section 41712 of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Disclosure Requirement for Sellers of Tickets for 
     Flights.--
       ``(1) In general.--It shall be an unfair or deceptive 
     practice under subsection (a) for any ticket agent, air 
     carrier, foreign air carrier, or other person offering to 
     sell tickets for air transportation on a flight of an air 
     carrier to not disclose, whether verbally in oral 
     communication or in writing in written or electronic 
     communication, prior to the purchase of a ticket--
       ``(A) the name (including any business or corporate name) 
     of the air carrier providing the air transportation; and
       ``(B) if the flight has more than one flight segment, the 
     name of each air carrier providing the air transportation for 
     each such flight segment.
       ``(2) Internet offers.--In the case of an offer to sell 
     tickets described in paragraph (1) on an Internet Web site, 
     disclosure of the information required by paragraph (1) shall 
     be provided on the first display of the Web site following a 
     search of a requested itinerary in a format that is easily 
     visible to a viewer.''.

     SEC. 17. PILOT FATIGUE.

       (a) Flight and Duty Time Regulations.--
       (1) In general.--In accordance with paragraph (3), the 
     Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall 
     issue regulations, based on the best available scientific 
     information--
       (A) to specify limitations on the hours of flight and duty 
     time allowed for pilots to address problems relating to pilot 
     fatigue; and
       (B) to require part 121 air carriers to develop and 
     implement fatigue risk management plans.
       (2) Matters to be addressed.--In conducting the rulemaking 
     proceeding under this subsection, the Administrator shall 
     consider and review the following:
       (A) Time of day of flights in a duty period.
       (B) Number of takeoff and landings in a duty period.
       (C) Number of time zones crossed in a duty period.
       (D) The impact of functioning in multiple time zones or on 
     different daily schedules.
       (E) Research conducted on fatigue, sleep, and circadian 
     rhythms.
       (F) Sleep and rest requirements recommended by the National 
     Transportation Safety Board and the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration.
       (G) International standards regarding flight schedules and 
     duty periods.
       (H) Alternative procedures to facilitate alertness in the 
     cockpit.
       (I) Scheduling and attendance policies and practices, 
     including sick leave.
       (J) The effects of commuting, the means of commuting, and 
     the length of the commute.
       (K) Medical screening and treatment.
       (L) Rest environments.
       (M) Any other matters the Administrator considers 
     appropriate.
       (3) Deadlines.--The Administrator shall issue--
       (A) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, a notice of proposed rulemaking under subsection 
     (a); and
       (B) not later than one year after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, a final rule under subsection (a).
       (b) Fatigue Risk Management Plan.--
       (1) Submission of fatigue risk management plan by part 121 
     air carriers.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     enactment of this section, each part 121 air carrier shall 
     submit to the Administrator for review and approval a fatigue 
     risk management plan.
       (2) Contents of plan.--A fatigue risk management plan 
     submitted by a part 121 air carrier under paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) Current flight time and duty period limitations.
       (B) A rest scheme that enables the management of fatigue, 
     including annual training to increase awareness of--
       (i) fatigue;
       (ii) the effects of fatigue on pilots; and
       (iii) fatigue countermeasures.
       (C) Development and use of a methodology that continually 
     assesses the effectiveness of the program, including the 
     ability of the program--
       (i) to improve alertness; and
       (ii) to mitigate performance errors.
       (3) Plan updates.--A part 121 air carrier shall update its 
     fatigue risk management plan under paragraph (1) every 2 
     years and submit the update to the Administrator for review 
     and approval.
       (4) Approval.--
       (A) Initial approval or modification.--Not later than 9 
     months after the date of enactment of this section, the 
     Administrator shall review and approve or require 
     modification to fatigue risk management plans submitted under 
     this subsection to ensure that pilots are not operating 
     aircraft while fatigued.
       (B) Update approval or modification.--Not later than 9 
     months after submission of a plan update under paragraph (3), 
     the Administrator shall review and approve or require 
     modification to such update.
       (5) Civil penalties.--A violation of this subsection by a 
     part 121 air carrier shall be treated as a violation of 
     chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code, for purposes of 
     the application of civil penalties under chapter 463 of that 
     title.
       (6) Limitation on applicability.--The requirements of this 
     subsection shall cease to apply to a part 121 air carrier on 
     and after the effective date of the regulations to be issued 
     under subsection (a).
       (c) Effect of Commuting on Fatigue.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall enter into 
     appropriate arrangements with the National Academy of 
     Sciences to conduct a study of the effects of commuting on 
     pilot fatigue and report its findings to the Administrator.
       (2) Study.--In conducting the study, the National Academy 
     of Sciences shall consider--
       (A) the prevalence of pilot commuting in the commercial air 
     carrier industry, including the number and percentage of 
     pilots who commute;
       (B) information relating to commuting by pilots, including 
     distances traveled, time zones crossed, time spent, and 
     methods used;
       (C) research on the impact of commuting on pilot fatigue, 
     sleep, and circadian rhythms;
       (D) commuting policies of commercial air carriers 
     (including passenger and all-cargo air carriers), including 
     pilot check-in requirements and sick leave and fatigue 
     policies;
       (E) post-conference materials from the Federal Aviation 
     Administration's June 2008 symposium entitled ``Aviation 
     Fatigue Management Symposium: Partnerships for Solutions'';
       (F) Federal Aviation Administration and international 
     policies and guidance regarding commuting; and
       (G) any other matters as the Administrator considers 
     appropriate.

[[Page 24773]]

       (3) Preliminary findings.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of entering into arrangements under paragraph (1), the 
     National Academy of Sciences shall submit to the 
     Administrator its preliminary findings under the study.
       (4) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
     entering into arrangements under paragraph (1), the National 
     Academy of Sciences shall submit to the Administrator a 
     report containing its findings under the study and any 
     recommendations for regulatory or administrative actions by 
     the Federal Aviation Administration concerning commuting by 
     pilots.
       (5) Rulemaking.--Following receipt of the report of the 
     National Academy of Sciences under paragraph (4), the 
     Administrator shall--
       (A) consider the findings and recommendations in the 
     report; and
       (B) update, as appropriate based on scientific data, 
     regulations required by subsection (a) on flight and duty 
     time.
       (6) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
     this subsection.

     SEC. 18. FLIGHT CREWMEMBER PAIRING AND CREW RESOURCE 
                   MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES.

       (a) Study.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
     Administration shall conduct a study on aviation industry 
     best practices with regard to flight crewmember pairing and 
     crew resource management techniques.
       (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
     of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
     and Transportation of the Senate a report on the results of 
     the study.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Costello) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3371.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COSTELLO. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank you, and I rise in support of H.R. 3371, the 
Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act.
  This legislation will improve aviation safety, and it is one of the 
strongest aviation safety bills in decades. The bipartisan legislation 
is authored by Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Member Petri, and me. I would 
like to thank them for their leadership and hard work to bring this 
legislation to the floor today.
  I also want to thank the families of those who perished in the Colgan 
accident in Buffalo for their input, cooperation, and persistence. Some 
of them are here with us today.
  In addition, the subcommittee worked very closely with the pilot 
groups, the airlines, the National Transportation Safety Board, the 
Department of Transportation inspector general, and members of the 
Aviation Subcommittee, as well as other Members of Congress, such as 
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, Congressman Brian Higgins and 
Congressman Christopher Lee, who also helped shape the legislation.
  At our Aviation Subcommittee hearing on June 11, I stated that we 
would not wait on the FAA to go forward with the rulemaking process. 
Rather, we would move legislation through the Congress to improve 
safety and to improve pilot training, and that is exactly what we did. 
On July 30, H.R. 3371 was reported favorably out of the Transportation 
and Infrastructure Committee. The bill has many cosponsors from both 
sides of the aisle.
  Mr. Speaker, today is an important day for aviation safety. Ranking 
Member Petri and I held an Aviation Subcommittee hearing on June 11 on 
``Regional Air Carriers and Pilot Workforce Issues.'' The testimony we 
heard was nearly unanimous--that Congress and the FAA must raise the 
bar on the current minimum pilot training standards. At the end of the 
hearing, I stated our intention to pursue legislation.
  The bill before us fulfills our commitment to address these safety 
issues, and we will continue to conduct rigorous oversight to ensure 
that these measures are implemented after the bill is enacted.
  Regional airlines have been involved in the last six fatal U.S. 
airline accidents, and pilot performance has been implicated in three 
of these accidents, not including Colgan. It is time to strengthen 
pilot training requirements and qualifications. Those, among other 
important issues, are addressed in this legislation.
  To address pilot qualifications, the bill increases the minimum 
flight hours required to be hired as an airline pilot. Currently, 
individuals only need a commercial pilot's license to be a commercial 
pilot, which is a minimum of 250 flight hours. Based on the witnesses' 
testimonies in our hearing, meetings and a roundtable discussion with 
airline pilots, there is a consensus that 250 hours simply is not 
enough experience to be an airline pilot, and that safety would be 
improved by raising the standard.
  Under H.R. 3371, all airline pilots must obtain an Airline Transport 
Pilot license, which is currently needed to be an airline captain. It 
requires a minimum of 1,500 flight hours, additional aeronautical 
knowledge, crew resources management, and greater flight proficiency 
testing.
  In addition to the ATP, the bill goes a step further to put in place 
new statutory requirements to strengthen the qualitative minimum 
requirements a pilot must have to qualify for an ATP. For example, an 
individual must be able to function effectively in a multi-pilot 
environment. We also require pilots to be trained to fly in adverse 
weather conditions, including icing.
  The subcommittee is looking at this issue very closely. In fact, 
Ranking Member Petri and I are convening a roundtable tomorrow to 
discuss what steps can be taken to mitigate ground and in-flight icing 
and how icing can affect commercial and general aviation aircraft.
  In addition, because pilot groups, the FAA administrator and flight 
education universities have all cited the need to strengthen pilot 
academic training, the bill allows the FAA administrator to give credit 
towards the 1,500-flight-hour requirements if a flight school or a 
university provides academic training that exceeds the strengthened 
minimum ATP requirements in the bill.
  To reiterate, this bill, one, will require all pilots to hold an ATP 
certificate; two, will strengthen the minimum requirements for an ATP; 
and three, will provide a flight-hour credit for coursework that 
exceeds the strengthened minimum requirements. In addition, the 
administrator can only award these credits on the basis that specific 
academic courses will enhance safety more than flight experience.
  H.R. 3371 goes a long way to strengthening both the qualitative and 
quantitative training requirements to become an airline pilot.
  The bill mandates several outstanding NTSB recommendations related to 
pilot training that were discussed at the hearing, such as stall and 
upset recovery, and remedial training. We require the FAA to convene a 
multidisciplinary panel on stick pusher training and for the FAA to act 
on the panel's recommendations. We are also mandating that the 
Secretary of Transportation must provide Congress with an annual report 
on each open NTSB recommendation.
  To address concerns regarding professional standards, the bill 
requires regional and major airlines to create pilot mentoring programs 
pairing highly experienced pilots with junior pilots. New-hire pilots 
and pilots in command are required to receive leadership training and 
must undergo instruction on compliance with sterile cockpit 
regulations.
  Also, the bill creates a task force of experts to evaluate best 
practices in the airline industry regarding mentoring, pilot training 
and intercarrier information sharing. The task force will report to 
Congress every 180 days on the progress of implementing these best 
practices.
  To ensure that airlines can make informed hiring decisions, the bill 
also

[[Page 24774]]

requires the FAA to create and maintain an electronic pilot records 
database.

                              {time}  1315

  The database will allow airlines to quickly assess and have access to 
the pilot's comprehensive record for the purposes of hiring only. The 
database will have records of the pilot's license, aircraft ratings, 
check rides, notice of disapproval, and other flight proficiency tests.
  Fatigue has been on the NTSB's ``most wanted list'' since 1990. The 
bill directs the FAA to implement a new pilot flight and duty time 
rule. An updated rule will more adequately reflect the operating 
environment of today's pilots and will reflect scientific research on 
fatigue. In addition, the bill requires air carriers to create fatigue 
risk management systems to proactively mitigate fatigue.
  Many of us are concerned about the relationship between pilot 
commuting and fatigue. This is an issue that needs to be looked at more 
closely. Therefore, the bill directs the National Academy of Sciences 
to conduct a study on the impact of commuting on pilot fatigue. The 
bill requires all Internet Web sites that sell airline tickets to show 
on the first Web page display which air carrier is operating the 
flight, including multiple flight segments.
  Finally, to recap, the bill increases the minimum flight hours 
required to be hired as an airline pilot to 1,500 hours and an ATP 
license. Now an individual needs only 250 hours to receive their 
commercial pilot's license and fly in the left seat of a cockpit as a 
First Officer. The bill requires the First Officer to have at least 
1,500 hours and an ATP.
  We are strengthening the ATP by requiring strong qualitative 
requirements such as knowing how to fly in a multi-pilot environment, 
being trained to fly in adverse weather conditions, including icing. It 
mandates several outstanding NTSB recommendations related to pilot 
training and requires the Secretary of Transportation to provide an 
annual report to Congress on each NTSB recommendation that is still 
open.
  It mandates regional and major airlines to create pilot mentoring 
programs, it requires the FAA to create and maintain an electronic 
pilot database to ensure that airlines can make informed hiring 
decisions. It directs the FAA to implement the flight and duty time 
rules and requires airlines to create fatigue management systems.
  It directs the National Academy of Science to study the relationship 
between pilot commuting and fatigue. It requires all Internet Web sites 
that sell airline tickets to explicitly say which air carriers are 
operating the flight, including multi legs of flight.
  Mr. Speaker, this is most comprehensive safety bill that has come 
before this Congress in many, many years. It provides important steps 
to address many safety concerns raised at our hearing. I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I rise in support of H.R. 3371, the Airline Safety and Pilot 
Training Improvement Act.
  Safety is the highest priority of the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, as we've heard from our subcommittee 
chairman. Even the most well-funded, technologically advanced 
transportation system is worth less if it cannot move its users from 
point to point in the safest possible manner. Although the U.S. airline 
industry's safety record is the envy of the world, recent events offer 
proof that this safety legislation is needed.
  Since 2003, there have been six fatal commercial air carrier 
accidents. Every one of those six involved regional airlines. In four 
of the six accidents, the National Transportation Safety Board cited 
pilot performance as a potential factor. The most recent accident of 
Colgan Flight 3407 was again a stark reminder that we must remain ever 
vigilant in our pursuit of aviation safety.
  In response to these accidents, the National Transportation Safety 
Board has made several recommendations related to pilot training, pilot 
fatigue, the availability of pilot records, and voluntary safety 
reporting programs. The bill before us is an important step toward 
improving safety by implementing the NTSB pilot training requirements
  To address what FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has identified as a 
lapse in professionalism on the flight deck, the bill directs the FAA 
to conduct a rulemaking to improve flight crew member mentoring, 
professional development, and leadership.
  This bipartisan legislation contains several provisions that will 
help mitigate the dangers associated with pilot fatigue. H.R. 3371 
directs the FAA administrator to update and issue new pilot flight and 
duty time requirements. It also requires the Federal Aviation 
Administration to coordinate with the National Academy of Sciences in 
order to conduct a joint study on the effects of pilot commuting.
  The bill mandates that all commercial air carriers submit a fatigue 
risk management plan to the FAA within 90 days of enactment. Pilot 
fatigue poses a significant risk to air transportation, and I am glad 
this bill takes measures to eliminate its dangerous consequences.
  H.R. 3371 will improve access to pilot records by creating a secure, 
consolidated FAA-managed database. The database will contain all Part 
121 pilots' performance, training, and testing records, and it will 
enable air carriers to gain a more accurate and complete perspective 
when making hiring decisions. All commercial carriers will be required 
to access this database and prescreen an applicant's comprehensive 
record before making a final decision on hiring.
  These are just a few of the provisions included in this important 
legislation. I would like to express my appreciation for the open, 
bipartisan manner in which this bill was put together. This collective 
effort demonstrates that aviation safety is, as it always should be, a 
nonpartisan issue.
  I also want to thank the families of Continental Flight 3407. Their 
efforts to improve regional airline safety have been most helpful as we 
drafted the bill before us.
  In the other body, the Commerce Committee has included several 
provisions in its mark of the FAA reauthorization bill that address 
some of the same issues in the bill before us today. I urge my 
colleagues in the Senate to complete consideration of their 
reauthorization package so that we may conference these bills together 
before the end of this year. These issues are too important to leave to 
languish due to inaction.
  While some have concerns about certain provisions of the bill, I 
support moving the bill forward and addressing those concerns during 
the House and Senate conference.
  Again, I thank the chairman, as well as my colleagues, for their work 
on this important bill, and our subcommittee chairman, Representative 
Costello from Illinois.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 2 minutes to the 
chairperson of the Rules Committee, the gentlewoman from New York, 
Congresswoman Slaughter.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my great gratitude to 
Mr. Costello for the incredible work that he's done on this in such a 
short period of time. And those of us who live in the area of the 
Colgan crash are greatly in his debt. I thank Mr. Petri for all of the 
good work. I think this is indeed one of the best safety bills that 
we've done since I've been in Congress.
  Nothing in the bill before us can do anything to bring back the lives 
that were lost on that cold night in Buffalo back in February when 
Colgan Air Flight 3407 fell to the ground and exploded into fire. But I 
am happy to be here today because the House is moving forward with 
legislation that includes the strong new set of guidelines for 
improving passenger and crew safety.
  This Act will mean safer flights for all of us. As we learned during 
the NTSB hearings into this issue over the

[[Page 24775]]

summer, there are far too many pilots flying regional planes who are 
overextended, undertrained, or exhausted.
  The bill establishes comprehensive preemployment screening for 
prospective pilots and requires airlines to establish pilot mentoring 
programs so that the highly experienced pilots can mentor more junior 
pilots, surely an issue in the Colgan crash. In fact, junior pilots 
will no longer fly alongside a junior pilot under the bill.
  In addition, there are new mandates that grew out of the NTSB safety 
hearings earlier this year: requiring the FAA to ensure that pilots are 
trained on stall recovery and upset recovery, mandates that the FAA 
convene a multidisciplinary panel on pilot training for stick pusher 
operations, and then take action to implement the recommendations of 
the panel.
  It came as a surprise to me that the NTSB ideas were only suggestions 
to the FAA. So obviously we're going to have to make sure that they're 
implemented.
  There is also a section in the bill to create the new database which 
Mr. Costello has explained, but most importantly, it requires the 
Secretary of Transportation to give us an annual report on what they're 
doing to address each open NTSB recommendation pertaining to small air 
carriers like Colgan.
  I am so grateful for this bill.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield such time as he may 
consume to an original coauthor of the bill who is before us who has 
been heavily involved in the deliberations on the bill from its 
inception, our colleague from New York, Representative Chris Lee.
  Mr. LEE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support today of H.R. 
3371, the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act which I 
introduced with my western New York colleagues, Ms. Slaughter and Mr. 
Higgins.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill, unfortunately, arose out of a tragedy. This 
past February on an icy evening in Buffalo, Continental Connection 
Flight 3407, operated by regional carrier Colgan Air, crashed into a 
home killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground.
  Among those on board Flight 3407: a prominent human rights activist, 
a 9/11 widow, a retired Air Force Reservist, an accomplished jazz 
guitarist, a cantor at a Williamsville temple, the director of a youth 
services program, an expectant mother who was going to be due at the 
end of May, a program manager for Northrop Grumman, a second-year law 
student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, and a Vietnam veteran 
with two Purple Hearts.
  The families of these victims--many of whom are here, and I am 
honored that they are here today. I've used their personal heartache to 
advocate for stronger standards for commercial airline pilots. It is 
due to their tireless efforts that we have come so far.
  Being a commercial airline pilot is not an entry-level position. 
Commercial pilots are entrusted with the lives of our mothers, 
daughters, sons, and fathers, and we and they both deserve to have them 
as well-trained as possible. This bill dramatically improves training 
by requiring commercial airline pilots an FAA airline transport pilot 
license which requires a minimum of 1,500 flight hours.
  In addition, H.R. 3371 requires the first page of a Web site that 
sells airline tickets to disclose the airline carrier that operates 
each segment of the flight. From combating pilot fatigue to improving 
training practices, establishing an electronic pilot records database, 
and increasing transparency, H.R. 3371 is an important first step in 
improving commercial airline safety.
  I would like to thank again my colleagues, Mr. Higgins and Ms. 
Slaughter, for the support they have given to the families and victims 
of the Flight 3407 tragedy, as well as Chairmen Costello and Oberstar 
and Ranking Members Petri and Mica for their hard work on these issues.
  While it's horrifying to think that this tragedy could have been 
avoided, this legislation is a testament to the courage and the 
strength of the Flight 3407 families who, again, have worked tirelessly 
to enact these meaningful reforms.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and enable these 
long-overdue reforms.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York who was instrumental in working with us to 
craft this bill, Congressman Higgins.
  Mr. HIGGINS. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in support of H.R. 
3371, the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009. I 
especially want to thank my colleagues from western New York, 
Congressman Chris Lee and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter.
  On February 12, 50 lives were lost when Continental Connection Fight 
3407 crashed into a house in Clarence, New York, 5 miles from the 
Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Earlier this year, I said that 
the devastation felt in the aftermath of this tragedy can never be 
undone. This was an avoidable tragedy, and we owe it to the families 
and the victims and to all air passengers to learn from this experience 
and change the system to improve flight safety. This bill will start to 
do that.
  The Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009 will 
address the many factors that caused the crash of Flight 3407. The bill 
would require all commercial pilots to obtain an Airline Transport 
Pilots license which requires a minimum of 1,500 flight hours.

                              {time}  1330

  It requires the FAA to ensure that pilots are better trained to 
recover from stalls, and it would create a database to provide access 
to pilots' comprehensive records. The bill also established new risk 
management plans to reduce pilot fatigue and to enhance pilot training 
for flying in inclement weather, including icy conditions.
  This legislation dramatically improves upon the safety of our 
airways. However, I do have concerns with language in the bill that 
would give the FAA administrator the authority to allow academic class 
time to count as class hours towards the 1,500-hour flight requirement. 
While additional academic class time is important, if we want 
experienced pilots, there is simply no replacement for flight hours. As 
this legislation continues through Congress, I will work to perfect the 
language to ensure high-quality training.
  I want to thank Chairman Oberstar, Chairman Costello, Ranking Members 
Mica and Petri for their leadership. I would also like to thank the 
families, some of whom are here today and many of whom who were here 
for many months, including Kevin Kuwik and Karen Eckert, for their 
commitment to making from this tragedy something positive.
  Mr. PETRI. I yield such time as he may consume to the ranking member 
of the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, my colleague, 
John Mica, from Florida.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, I am pleased to come to the 
House today and join in a bipartisan effort to pass the regional 
commuter airline safety legislation. I really don't need a prepared 
speech to talk about this, having been involved with Mr. Costello, Mr. 
Oberstar, our ranking member of the Aviation Subcommittee, Mr. Petri, 
on almost a daily basis for a number of weeks. In fact, having chaired 
the Aviation Subcommittee and now a leader of the full committee, I 
can't think of any issue we have probably spent more quality time on 
and a more bipartisan effort. If all the legislation was fashioned in 
the manner in which this was, I think Congress would be in great shape 
and held in great esteem by the public.
  As you have heard today, this legislation comes as a result of a 
tragedy. We have had the good fortune of having our large passenger 
aircraft not have really a significant incidence of fatalities since, I 
believe, November of 2001, but we have had at least, since 2003, six 
regional commuter aircraft crashes, and we have had over 155 deaths in 
an even shorter period of time.
  That prompted me, and I brought the record, and I will probably put 
it in the

[[Page 24776]]

Record, my calls for looking at commuter airline safety. Unfortunately, 
the crash in Buffalo, the sixth crash that we had, and the families 
that have been mentioned here today who had victims in Flight 3407, 
also took up the banner, turned a horrible personal tragedy and loss 
into something positive and have worked in a positive fashion to craft 
good legislation.
  Let me just cite for the record that we all came together and we 
entered in drafting legislation. We introduced it in a bipartisan 
fashion, as we say around here, the big four, Mr. Oberstar and myself, 
Mr. Petri, Mr. Costello. Then we thought we had done what we needed to 
do. But it wasn't long before that legislation saw the light of day, 
and we got to folks talking about the provisions.
  One of the more controversial provisions was going from a smaller 
number of flight hours to 1,500 flight hours. We felt, we believed then 
and we firmly believe today, that commuter and regional aircraft 
passengers shouldn't be second-class passengers. The pilot that's in 
the cockpit of those smaller aircraft should have the same skills and 
training, background and educational experience as those pilots in 
larger commercial aircraft.
  After we introduced that, we found, in fact, that we needed to fine-
tune the legislation and make certain that the type of hours aren't 
just simple flight hours. If someone is towing a banner, for example, 
does that qualify you to fly commercial passenger aircraft as someone 
flying in, say, the tropics and never experienced a de-icing? If 
someone is flying a mail route and never had passengers in an aircraft, 
a crop duster, might rack up 1,500 hours; that wasn't what we wanted.
  We sat down. We sat down with experts, pilots. We sat down with 
officials from the Federal Aviation Administration. We sat down with 
all the parties who could provide us guidance. I think what we came up 
with is the best possible guidelines for FAA to ensure that we have 
quality, qualified pilots in the cockpit of regional carriers.
  I just want to thank again everyone who has participated.
  Now, let me say that the challenge is just beginning. We have not had 
an FAA reauthorization, I think, since I have chaired the subcommittee. 
We just got an FAA administrator some months ago. We were one of the 
longest times without an administrator. Our overall bill, FAA bill that 
sets policy projects and all of the important aspects of aviation 
safety, is still not in place.
  Mr. Oberstar and I, Mr. Petri, Mr. Costello, we have done our due 
diligence in the House. We all need now to work on the other body. It 
is my hope that we can incorporate this legislation into the master FAA 
reauthorization and get that signed by the President into law so that, 
again, we can ensure for regional passengers of commercial aircraft, 
for the flying public, and for all aircraft in our skies and for the 
future the best possible safety measures in law.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Ohio, who is a member of the subcommittee, who is an 
experienced pilot and who made invaluable contributions to this 
legislation, Mr. Boccieri.
  Mr. BOCCIERI. Mr. Speaker, Chairman Oberstar, Chairman Costello, 
Ranking Members Mica and Petri, thank you for bringing this bill to the 
floor today.
  I remember my parents telling me: don't just tell me what you 
believe; show me what you have done and I will tell you what you 
believe. By us bringing this bill to the floor today, we can now 
discount the feelings and thoughts that we just believe that we should 
have safer skies. We are now doing what should be required to make 
airline travel as safe as possible.
  Taken on a whole, Mr. Speaker, airline travel is extremely safe in 
the United States. However, that is component and functional upon the 
pilots flying and the training that they receive. In fact, this air 
crew, by all standards, was a very experienced crew. Yet what we found 
through NTSB reports and the later testimony by the FAA is that that 
air crew and this airline did not train their pilots to adequately 
recover from a stall.
  Now, we can measure these types of instant recovery patterns and the 
upset stall recovery that needs to happen based on simulation. This 
bill will now force pilots and their trainers to make certain that they 
will not only recognize a stall, but be able to recover from a stall 
and be adequately trained on the equipment in their airplane.
  We will increase the number of hours for regional pilots. We will add 
crew resource management that will help pilots cut down on the chatter 
while they are flying. Important stall recovery procedures will be 
implemented through pilot training programs that will allow simulation.
  We will also end these share agreements, because when you and I buy a 
ticket, we want to know that we are flying with the air carrier that we 
sign up and we pay for, and that's going to change in this bill. Not 
only are we going to allow these regional airlines to cut corners, to 
shave times and shoot for the minimums, because when we asked this 
airline why they were not trained to adequately recover from this, they 
said the FAA did not require them to do this; that will end. We are 
going to do this now.
  Don't tell me what you believe. Show me what you have done and I will 
tell you what you believe.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
former chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, my colleague from 
Tennessee, John Duncan.
  Mr. DUNCAN. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise mainly to commend, first of all, Chairman 
Oberstar, who I have always referred to as Mr. Aviation in this 
Congress, and my own ranking member, Mr. Mica, who has been so kind to 
me. I especially want to commend my good friends, Chairman Costello and 
Ranking Member Petri, who have worked so hard to bring this legislation 
to fruition and bring it to the floor today.
  Unless you have worked on legislation like this, you just can't 
imagine all of the details that have to be ironed out, all the 
competing interests that have to be brought together. I especially want 
to thank them for taking into consideration the needs of our great 
educational institutions that have aviation programs, such as Embry-
Riddle and Middle Tennessee State University in my own State of 
Tennessee, and many others.
  As Ranking Member Petri just mentioned, I had the privilege of 
serving for 6 years as chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee. I enjoyed 
that very much, and I think it's very important work that I had the 
privilege of doing then and that they are working so hard on now.
  We have the best aviation system in the world, without any question. 
Unfortunately, we have more people killed in 3\1/2\ months on the 
Nation's highways than have been killed in all of the U.S. aviation 
accidents combined since the Wright brothers' flight in 1903. It's an 
amazing record.
  But you can never rest on your laurels, and you should always be 
trying to make things better. We have the best airlines and we have the 
best pilots, but everybody should always be trying to improve and get 
better. Certainly, when we are faced with the tragedy of a major crash 
such as we have heard mentioned several times here already today, it's 
a terrible thing, especially for those who have been killed and their 
families. We all need to do everything we can and we certainly try to 
do everything we can to make our aviation system even safer.
  I am pleased to be associated with these gentlemen and also with this 
legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this very fine bill.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield to the distinguished 
chairman of the full committee, Chairman Oberstar, as much time as he 
may consume.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. I thank the gentleman from Illinois, Chair of the 
Subcommittee on Aviation, for the splendid job he has done, for the 
diligent, time-consuming, engaged work that he has dedicated to 
bringing this bill to

[[Page 24777]]

the House floor today; and to our colleague, Mr. Petri, a senior member 
on the Aviation Subcommittee on the Republican side who has also 
contributed an enormous amount of time and energy and work. We 
appreciate the kind words of Mr. Duncan and Mr. Mica, my ranking member 
and counterpart, and to the congressional delegation of Members whose 
constituents included those lost lives in this tragic crash.
  It is so often the case that tragedy brings us to the House floor to 
right a wrong and correct gaps in safety in aviation, in railroad, in 
trucking, in passenger rail service, transit systems. We should be 
ahead of the game. We should be prescriptive rather than reactive. This 
legislation will do that for us. It will make us prescriptive in the 
field of aviation.
  This bill, when enacted into law, will be the most significant 
improvement in raising the standards of pilot qualifications since 
1958, when the FAA was established. There has been a great deal of 
concentration of public interest in the number of hours required to 
serve in the flight deck, in the left-hand or the right-hand seat.
  This bill is much more than hours served. We have a current standard 
that a pilot need only a commercial pilot's certificate, 250 hours, in 
some cases only 190 hours.

                              {time}  1345

  Well, to fly an aircraft you need a lot more experience, a lot more 
flight experience. You need more aeronautical knowledge. You need 
weather training. You need training in crew resource management in the 
flight deck so that you have a plan, as in the case of Galaxy Airlines 
when a sound was heard in the flight deck and all three personnel in 
the flight deck began troubleshooting and no one was flying the 
aircraft. You need a flight management plan. And in that case, the 
aircraft crashed and 93 people died.
  We raised the standards for the airline transport pilot 
certification. The pilot must have flight training, academic training, 
and operational experience to function effectively and efficiently in 
an operational environment. You have to be part meteorologist to 
understand weather conditions. You need training for how to cope with 
icing, high-altitude operations, multipilot crew, and operating an 
aircraft under difficult conditions, say, when the autopilot is off.
  Those are the raised standards that we include in this legislation, 
including a number of recommendations from the National Transportation 
Safety Board; remedial training, stall and upset recovery training. You 
can't get that just on the ground in a simulator. You need that 
training at six and seven miles in the air, when there is no curb to 
pull over and look under the hood or call for help. That training has 
to be instilled in the pilot, in the captain in command and the first 
officer, before they get in the flight deck.
  We also create an air carrier safety and pilot training task force to 
identify the best practices in the industry for pilot training, 
professional standards, intercarrier information-sharing and mentoring.
  All of these are important. But not just to have those standards. We 
require them to report to the Congress every 180 days, and I thank Mr. 
Costello for insisting on that and for the oversight he has conducted. 
We are going to stay on top of this thing. This full committee and this 
subcommittee are not going to just fold our hands after the bill passes 
and say ``job well done.'' ``Job just begun'' is our method and is our 
standard.
  For pilot fatigue, we require new flight and duty time rules within a 
year. You know, it took 14 years to get flight and duty time for flight 
attendants.
  So these and a whole host of others are wrapped up with a directive 
to the General Accounting Office to do an evaluation of flight schools 
upon enactment of this legislation and report back to Congress. That is 
a complete package: new standards, higher standards, more requirements, 
more oversight, reporting to the Congress and keeping our hands on to 
make sure there are no more Colgan tragedies.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I urge 
my colleagues to pass this bill.
  Mr. COSTELLO. I would ask the ranking member if he would yield 30 
seconds to me, since I am out of time.
  Mr. PETRI. I yield such time as he may consume to my chairman, Mr. 
Costello.
  Mr. COSTELLO. I thank the ranking member for yielding 30 seconds to 
me.
  In closing, let me reiterate that this is the strongest aviation and 
pilot training bill, as Chairman Oberstar said, in over half a decade. 
It is a good bill. It deserves our support. I urge my colleagues to 
support this legislation.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee and a cosponsor of this bill I rise to lend my 
strong support of Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 
2009. This important piece of legislation increases commercial pilot 
training requirements and requires the Federal Aviation Administration 
to convene a multidisciplinary review panel aimed at improving pilot 
response to a variety of conditions. It would also create an FAA task 
force to identify industry best practices.
  These are just a few of the many safety improvements in this bill. 
And while the safety record of our aviation system is admirable, 
mistakes in the sky can devastate hundreds of lives and we must do 
everything possible to ensure our pilots are adequately trained, well 
rested, and best practices are always used.
  I urge my colleagues to pass this important piece of legislation to 
make the skies safer for us all.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3371, the 
Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act.
  On February 12, 2009, 50 lives were lost when Continental Flight 3407 
crashed outside of Buffalo, New York. This was truly a national 
tragedy, one that has raised serious concerns about the safety and 
oversight of our nation's aviation system.
  I would like to take a moment to honor the lives of three of the 
passengers on Flight 3407 from New Jersey's 12th Congressional 
District, which I have the privilege to represent in Congress. I have 
spoken with and heard from their families and friends, and my thoughts 
and prayers go out to them as they cope with the loss of these 
outstanding individuals. As they mourn, they have been vigilant in 
working to ensure that we address the serious safety concerns that led 
to this crash.
  Lorin Maurer from Princeton was a fundraiser for the athletics 
division of Princeton University. According to her coworkers she was a 
bright and rising star. She was also a dedicated volunteer for the 
Greater Princeton Junior League. According to her fellow volunteers she 
was ``an enthusiastic woman who not only had great ideas for improving 
our community, but took the actions necessary to achieve our goals.'' I 
would like to thank Lorin's boyfriend Kevin Kuwik for his hard work on 
behalf of the families of Flight 3407.
  Ron Gonzalez of North Brunswick was a tireless advocate for his 
community. According to his sister he was a true advocate for life. His 
humanitarian efforts included running the New York City Marathon, and 
volunteering for the New York State Healthy Heart Program, HIV AIDS 
Community Services, and the New York State Prevention Planning Group. 
Ron worked at New Brunswick Tomorrow where he managed a school based 
program for at-risk children within New Brunswick Public Schools. 
During Ron's tenure with New Brunswick Tomorrow, he worked hard to save 
children who were in crisis due to domestic violence, drugs, gangs, and 
other social ills. His passing is a great loss to our community.
  Coleman Mellett from East Brunswick was a talented jazz guitarist. 
Coleman's talent was evident from a young age. He came in second at the 
scholarship competition at the East Coast Jazz Festival while he was 
still in high school. Coleman played with a number of talented 
musicians including Chuck Mangione's band. He also released the solo 
album Natural High in 2007 which demonstrated the depth of his talent. 
I can only imagine the music that we have lost with Coleman's passing.
  Many of the family members of the victims of Flight 3407 are at the 
Capitol today to remind us that we in Congress need to take action to 
prevent another tragedy of this scale.
  A series of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearings 
exposed the disturbing fact that this tragedy was preventable. The 
pilots had received inadequate training on how to recover from a stall 
and how to proceed in icing conditions. Severe pilot fatigue also was 
identified as the cause of the crash. The NTSB found that regional 
carriers are held to lower safety standards than national carriers

[[Page 24778]]

despite regional airlines' accounting for one-half of all scheduled 
flights in the United States. As a result, five of the last seven fatal 
commercial plane crashes involved regional carriers.
  As more Americans rely on commuter airlines for air service, the 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must take aggressive action to 
ensure that there is no difference in the level of safety provided by 
different air carriers. However, the NTSB hearings also made clear that 
the FAA has failed to issue regulations based on previous NTSB 
recommendations to establish uniform standards for training and 
performance. We owe it to the families and friends of the victims of 
the Flight 3407 to take action to prevent such tragedies in the future.
  Earlier this year I joined my colleagues from upstate New York, 
Christopher Lee and Brian Higgins in introducing the One Level of 
Safety Act. Our legislation would require regional carriers to meet the 
same training and safety standards of national carriers. Additionally, 
it would require the FAA to implement the unfulfilled NTSB 
recommendations that were found to be responsible for this crash. I 
would like to thank Chairman Costello for including a number of these 
provisions in the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act 
that we are considering today. I am proud to be an original cosponsor 
of this bill and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express concern with 
certain provisions of H.R. 3371, the Airline Safety and Pilot Training 
Improvement Act of 2009.
  While I strongly support the goal of the bill to increase airline 
safety and improve pilot training, I am concerned about changing 
current rules to require an airline pilot to hold an Airline Transport 
Pilot (ATP) certificate, which necessitates a minimum of 1,500 flight 
hours. During a hearing in September Tim Brady, dean of Embry-Riddle 
Aeronautical University's College of Aviation, testified that these 
added requirements could increase the cost of pilot training fivefold 
from $40,000 to $200,000. I am concerned that these increased costs 
could encourage pilots to seek less costly training alternatives and 
potentially be counter to the bills intended goal, of increasing 
safety.
  By dramatically increasing the costs of training we will drive our 
most qualified potential pilots out of accredited flight schools such 
as the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University 
of North Dakota that have produced exceptional pilots for decades. 
Graduates of these programs receive high quality flight instruction 
that is much more valuable than a pilot who might just be racking up 
straight and level flight time that has no increased educational or 
safety benefits. The focus on total flight hours rather than the 
quality of those hours will not provide the increased safety and pilot 
quality that is the goal of this legislation. It could in practice have 
the opposite effect, by driving students to undertake low value flying 
at the expense of high quality directed flight training. I believe that 
as this legislation moves forward some consideration must be given to 
Collegiate Aviation Programs that have been accredited by the Aviation 
Accreditation Board International (AABI). This will help to increase 
the focus of these requirements on quality of training rather than 
quantity of flight hours.
  While I will be voting in favor of this legislation in order to move 
forward the important process of increasing the safety of commercial 
aviation, I do so with reservations. Before this legislation becomes 
law I believe that it is vital that the bill be modified to recognize 
the tremendous benefits that our nation's accredited flight schools 
provide.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3371, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________