Sec. 1963. Federal flight deck officer program improvements
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/bill/115/hr/302/eah/section-1963A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Section 44921(c)(2)(C)(ii) is amended— by striking The training of and inserting the following: The training of ; in subclause (I), as designated, by striking approved by the Under Secretary ; and by adding at the end the following: The Administrator shall designate additional firearms training facilities located in various regions of the United States for Federal flight deck officers for recurrent and requalifying training relative to the number of such facilities available on the day before such date of enactment. .
Section 44921(c)(2)(C) is amended— in clause (iii)— by striking The Under Secretary shall and inserting the following: The Administrator shall ; in subclause (I), as designated by subparagraph (A), by striking the Under Secretary and inserting the Administrator ; and by adding at the end the following: The Administrator shall allow a Federal flight deck officer to requalify to carry a firearm under the program through training at a Transportation Security Administration-approved firearms training facility utilizing a Transportation Security Administration-approved contractor and a curriculum developed and approved by the Transportation Security Administration. ; and by adding at the end the following:
The Administrator shall periodically review requalification training intervals and assess whether it is appropriate and sufficient to adjust the time between each requalification training to facilitate continued participation in the program under this section while still maintaining effectiveness of the training, and update the training requirements as appropriate. . Section 44921(c)(2) is amended by adding at the end the following: Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the TSA Modernization Act , and biennially thereafter, the Administrator shall review training facilities and training requirements for initial and recurrent training for Federal flight deck officers and evaluate how training requirements, including the length of training, could be streamlined while maintaining the effectiveness of the training, and update the training requirements as appropriate. .
Section 44921(e) is amended— by striking Pilots participating and inserting the following: Pilots participating ; and by adding at the end the following: An air carrier shall permit a pilot seeking to be deputized as a Federal flight deck officer or a Federal flight deck officer to take a reasonable amount of leave to participate in initial, recurrent, or requalification training, as applicable, for the program. Leave required under this paragraph may be provided without compensation. .
Section 44921(f) is amended— in paragraphs
(1)and (3), by striking Under Secretary and inserting Administrator ; and by adding at the end the following: The Administrator shall harmonize, to the extent practicable and in a manner that does not jeopardize existing Federal air marshal agreements, the policies relating to the carriage of firearms on international flights by Federal flight deck officers with the policies of the Federal air marshal program for carrying firearms on such flights and carrying out the duties of a Federal flight deck officer, notwithstanding Annex 17 of the International Civil Aviation Organization. . Section 44921(d)(2) is amended— by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and
(C)as clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), respectively; in clause (ii), as redesignated, by striking Under Secretary's and inserting Administrator's ; by striking A pilot is and inserting the following: A pilot is ; and by adding at the end the following: In establishing standards under subparagraph (A)(ii), the Administrator may not establish medical or physical standards for a pilot to become a Federal flight deck officer that are inconsistent with or more stringent than the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration for the issuance of the required airman medical certificate under part 67 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or any corresponding similar regulation or ruling). . Section 44921(d) is amended by adding at the end the following: In accordance with any applicable Transportation Security Administration appeals processes, a pilot deputized as a Federal flight deck officer who moves to inactive status may return to active status upon successful completion of a recurrent training program administered within program guidelines. . Section 44921, as amended by this section, is further amended— in subsection (a), by striking Under Secretary of Transportation for Security and inserting Administrator ; in subsection (b)— in paragraph (1), by striking Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Under Secretary and inserting The Administrator ; in paragraph (2), by striking Beginning 3 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Under Secretary shall begin the process of training and deputizing and inserting The Administrator shall train and deputize ; and in paragraph (3)(N), by striking Under Secretary's and inserting Administrator's ; in subsection (d)(4)— by striking may, and inserting may ; and by striking Under Secretary's and inserting Administrator's ; in subsection (i)(2), by striking the Under Secretary may and inserting may ; in subsection (k)— by striking paragraphs
(2)and (3); and by striking and all that follows through Applicability .— This section and inserting ; Applicability .—This section by adding at the end the following: In this section: The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration. The term air transportation includes all-cargo air transportation. The term firearms training facility means a private or government-owned gun range approved by the Administrator to provide recurrent or requalification training, as applicable, for the program, utilizing a Transportation Security Administration-approved contractor and a curriculum developed and approved by the Transportation Security Administration. The term pilot means an individual who has final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight or any other flight deck crew member. ; and by striking Under Secretary each place it appears and inserting Administrator . Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act— the Secretary of Transportation shall revise section 15.5(b)(11) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to classify information about pilots deputized as Federal flight deck officers under section 44921 of title 49, United States Code, as sensitive security information in a manner consistent with the classification of information about Federal air marshals; and the Administrator shall revise section 1520.5(b)(11) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to classify information about pilots deputized as Federal flight deck officers under section 44921 of title 49, United States Code, as sensitive security information in a manner consistent with the classification of information about Federal air marshals. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section and the amendments made by this section.