Sec. 618. Contract Tower Program

391 words·~2 min read·/bill/118/s/1939/is/section-618

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Section 47124 of title 49, United States Code, as amended by section 528, is amended— in subsection (b)(3), by adding at the end the following: The Federal Aviation Administration shall provide airport sponsors that show good faith efforts to join the Contract Tower Program 7 years to complete an Operational Readiness Inspection after receiving a benefit-to-cost ratio. ; by redesignating subsection

(f)as subsection (h); by inserting after subsection (e), the following: The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall allow air traffic controllers at Federal Contract Towers to use technology to improve situational awareness including, but not limited to, using Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) radar displays, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), Flight Data Input/Output (FDIOs), and Automatic Terminal Information System (ATIS). To help facilitate the integration of the equipment described in paragraph (1), the Administrator shall— establish a set of standards that ensures safety for use of the equipment described in paragraph

(1)for the purpose of increased situational awareness; identify multiple approved vendors for such equipment if practicable; and partner with contract tower providers to define an appropriate initial training program to ensure that any tower radar displays, ADS-B displays, or other equipment are correctly integrated into Federal Contract Tower operations. The Secretary shall consult with industry experts, including air traffic control contractors and aviation insurance professionals, to determine adequate limits of liability for the Contract Tower Program, including during the period described in paragraph

(2)with respect to the determination of adequate excess liability insurance under paragraph (2)(B). During the period that begins on the date of enactment of this subsection and ends on the date the Secretary submits the report required by paragraph (3), the Secretary shall require air traffic control contractors to have adequate excess liability insurance (as determined by the Secretary in consultation with industry experts under paragraph (1)) to ensure resilience should a major accident occur. Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress on the findings, conclusions, and actions taken and planned to be taken to carry out this subsection. For purpose of this subsection, the term appropriate committees of Congress (as defined in subsection (f)(3)) includes the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. .