Aviation Safety Protection Act

Summary: Aviation Safety Protection Act - Amends Federal transportation law to establish a whistleblower protection program for airline employees providing air safety information. 
Prohibits air carriers, contractors, and subcontractors from discharging or otherwise discriminating against an employee as to pay, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because the employee: (1) is about to provide or has provided to the Federal Government information relating to any violation of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order, regulation, or standard, or any other Federal law relating to air carrier safety; or (2) is about to file or has filed a proceeding, or testified, or otherwise participated in a proceeding relating to such violations. 
Sets forth a Department of Labor complaint procedure for persons who believe they have been discharged or discriminated against in violation of this Act. 
Specifies civil penalties for violation of this Act.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Aviation Safety Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES PROVIDING AIR SAFETY INFORMATION.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 421 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

           ``SUBCHAPTER III--WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION PROGRAM

``Sec. 42121. Protection of employees providing air safety information
    ``(a) Discrimination Against Airline Employees.--No air carrier or 
contractor or subcontractor of an air carrier may discharge an employee 
of the air carrier or the contractor or subcontractor of an air carrier 
or otherwise discriminate against any such employee with respect to 
compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because 
the employee (or any person acting pursuant to a request of the 
employee)--
            ``(1) provided, caused to be provided, or is about to 
        provide or cause to be provided, to the Federal Government 
        information relating to any violation or alleged violation of 
        any order, regulation, or standard of the Federal Aviation 
        Administration or any other provision of Federal law relating 
        to air carrier safety under this subtitle or any other law of 
        the United States;
            ``(2) has filed, caused to be filed, or is about to file or 
        cause to be filed, a proceeding relating to any violation or 
        alleged violation of any order, regulation, or standard of the 
        Federal Aviation Administration or any other provision of 
        Federal law relating to air carrier safety under this subtitle 
        or any other law of the United States;
            ``(3) testified or will testify in such a proceeding; or
            ``(4) assisted or participated or is about to assist or 
        participate in such a proceeding.
    ``(b) Department of Labor Complaint Procedure.--
            ``(1) Filing and notification.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In accordance with this 
                paragraph, a person may file (or have a person file on 
                behalf of that person) a complaint with the Secretary 
                of Labor if that person believes that an air carrier or 
                contractor or subcontractor of an air carrier 
                discharged or otherwise discriminated against that 
                person in violation of subsection (a).
                    ``(B) Requirements for filing complaints.--A 
                complaint referred to in subparagraph (A) may be filed 
                not later than 90 days after an alleged violation 
                occurs. The complaint shall state the alleged 
                violation.
                    ``(C) Notification.--Upon receipt of a complaint 
                submitted under subparagraph (A), the Secretary of 
                Labor shall notify the air carrier, contractor, or 
                subcontractor named in the complaint and the 
                Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration of 
                the--
                            ``(i) filing of the complaint;
                            ``(ii) allegations contained in the 
                        complaint;
                            ``(iii) substance of evidence supporting 
                        the complaint; and
                            ``(iv) opportunities that are afforded to 
                        the air carrier, contractor, or subcontractor 
                        under paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Investigation; preliminary order.--
                    ``(A) In general.--
                            ``(i) Investigation.--Not later than 60 
                        days after receipt of a complaint filed under 
                        paragraph (1) and after affording the person 
                        named in the complaint an opportunity to submit 
                        to the Secretary of Labor a written response to 
                        the complaint and an opportunity to meet with a 
                        representative of the Secretary to present 
                        statements from witnesses, the Secretary of 
                        Labor shall conduct an investigation and 
                        determine whether there is reasonable cause to 
                        believe that the complaint has merit and notify 
in writing the complainant and the person alleged to have committed a 
violation of subsection (a) of the Secretary's findings.
                            ``(ii) Order.--Except as provided in 
                        subparagraph (B), if the Secretary of Labor 
                        concludes that there is reasonable cause to 
                        believe that a violation of subsection (a) has 
                        occurred, the Secretary shall accompany the 
                        findings referred to in clause (i) with a 
                        preliminary order providing the relief 
                        prescribed under paragraph (3)(B).
                            ``(iii) Objections.--Not later than 30 days 
                        after the date of notification of findings 
                        under this paragraph, the person alleged to 
                        have committed the violation or the complainant 
                        may file objections to the findings or 
                        preliminary order and request a hearing on the 
                        record.
                            ``(iv) Effect of filing.--The filing of 
                        objections under clause (iii) shall not operate 
                        to stay any reinstatement remedy contained in 
                        the preliminary order.
                            ``(v) Hearings.--Hearings conducted 
                        pursuant to a request made under clause (iii) 
                        shall be conducted expeditiously and governed 
                        by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. If a 
                        hearing is not requested during the 30-day 
                        period prescribed in clause (iii), the 
                        preliminary order shall be deemed a final order 
                        that is not subject to judicial review.
                    ``(B) Requirements.--
                            ``(i) Required showing by complainant.--The 
                        Secretary of Labor shall dismiss a complaint 
                        filed under this subsection and shall not 
                        conduct an investigation otherwise required 
                        under subparagraph (A) unless the complainant 
                        makes a prima facie showing that any behavior 
                        described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of 
                        subsection (a) was a contributing factor in the 
                        unfavorable personnel action alleged in the 
                        complaint.
                            ``(ii) Showing by employer.--
                        Notwithstanding a finding by the Secretary that 
                        the complainant has made the showing required 
                        under clause (i), no investigation otherwise 
                        required under subparagraph (A) shall be 
                        conducted if the employer demonstrates, by 
                        clear and convincing evidence, that the 
                        employer would have taken the same unfavorable 
                        personnel action in the absence of that 
                        behavior.
                            ``(iii) Criteria for determination by 
                        secretary.--The Secretary may determine that a 
                        violation of subsection (a) has occurred only 
                        if the complainant demonstrates that any 
                        behavior described in paragraphs (1) through 
                        (4) of subsection (a) was a contributing factor 
                        in the unfavorable personnel action alleged in 
                        the complaint.
                            ``(iv) Prohibition.--Relief may not be 
                        ordered under subparagraph (A) if the employer 
                        demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence 
                        that the employer would have taken the same 
                        unfavorable personnel action in the absence of 
                        that behavior.
            ``(3) Final order.--
                    ``(A) Deadline for issuance; settlement 
                agreements.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Not later than 120 days 
                        after conclusion of a hearing under paragraph 
                        (2), the Secretary of Labor shall issue a final 
                        order that--
                                    ``(I) provides relief in accordance 
                                with this paragraph; or
                                    ``(II) denies the complaint.
                            ``(ii) Settlement agreement.--At any time 
                        before issuance of a final order under this 
                        paragraph, a proceeding under this subsection 
                        may be terminated on the basis of a settlement 
                        agreement entered into by the Secretary of 
                        Labor, the complainant, and the air carrier, 
                        contractor, or subcontractor alleged to have 
                        committed the violation.
                    ``(B) Remedy.--If, in response to a complaint filed 
                under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Labor determines 
                that a violation of subsection (a) has occurred, the 
                Secretary of Labor shall order the air carrier, 
                contractor, or subcontractor that the Secretary of 
                Labor determines to have committed the violation to--
                            ``(i) take action to abate the violation;
                            ``(ii) reinstate the complainant to the 
                        former position of the complainant and ensure 
                        the payment of compensation (including back 
                        pay) and the restoration of terms, conditions, 
                        and privileges associated with the employment; 
                        and
                            ``(iii) provide compensatory damages to the 
                        complainant.
                    ``(C) Costs of complaint.--If the Secretary of 
                Labor issues a final order that provides for relief in 
                accordance with this paragraph, the Secretary of Labor, 
                at the request of the complainant, shall assess against 
                the air carrier, contractor, or subcontractor named in 
                the order an amount equal to the aggregate amount of 
                all costs and expenses (including attorney and expert 
                witness fees) reasonably incurred by the complainant 
                (as determined by the Secretary of Labor) for, or in 
                connection with, the bringing of the complaint that 
                resulted in the issuance of the order.
            ``(4) Frivolous complaints.--A complaint brought under this 
        section that is found to be frivolous or to have been brought 
        in bad faith shall be governed by Rule 11 of the Federal Rules 
        of Civil Procedure.
            ``(5) Review.--
                    ``(A) Appeal to court of appeals.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Not later than 60 days 
                        after a final order is issued under paragraph 
                        (3), a person adversely affected or aggrieved 
                        by that order may obtain review of the order in 
                        the United States court of appeals for the 
                        circuit in which the violation allegedly 
                        occurred or the circuit in which the 
                        complainant resided on the date of that 
                        violation.
                            ``(ii) Requirements for judicial review.--A 
                        review conducted under this paragraph shall be 
                        conducted in accordance with chapter 7 of title 
                        5. The commencement of proceedings under this 
                        subparagraph shall not, unless ordered by the 
                        court, operate as a stay of the order that is 
                        the subject of the review.
                    ``(B) Limitation on collateral attack.--An order 
                referred to in subparagraph (A) shall not be subject to 
                judicial review in any criminal or other civil 
                proceeding.
            ``(6) Enforcement of order by secretary of labor.--
                    ``(A) In general.--If an air carrier, contractor, 
                or subcontractor named in an order issued under 
                paragraph (3) fails to comply with the order, the 
                Secretary of Labor may file a civil action in the 
                United States district court for the district in which 
                the violation occurred to enforce that order.
                    ``(B) Relief.--In any action brought under this 
                paragraph, the district court shall have jurisdiction 
                to grant any appropriate form of relief, including 
                injunctive relief and compensatory damages.
            ``(7) Enforcement of order by parties.--
                    ``(A) Commencement of action.--A person on whose 
                behalf an order is issued under paragraph (3) may 
                commence a civil action against the air carrier, 
                contractor, or subcontractor named in the order to 
                require compliance with the order. The appropriate 
                United States district court shall have jurisdiction, 
                without regard to the amount in controversy or the 
                citizenship of the parties, to enforce the order.
                    ``(B) Attorney fees.--In issuing any final order 
                under this paragraph, the court may award costs of 
                litigation (including reasonable attorney and expert 
                witness fees) to any party if the court determines that 
                the awarding of those costs is appropriate.
    ``(c) Mandamus.--Any nondiscretionary duty imposed by this section 
shall be enforceable in a mandamus proceeding brought under section 
1361 of title 28.
    ``(d) Nonapplicability To Deliberate Violations.--Subsection (a) 
shall not apply with respect to an employee of an air carrier, or 
contractor or subcontractor of an air carrier who, acting without 
direction from the air carrier (or an agent, contractor, or 
subcontractor of the air carrier), deliberately causes a violation of 
any requirement relating to air carrier safety under this subtitle or 
any other law of the United States.
    ``(e) Contractor Defined.--In this section, the term `contractor' 
means a company that performs safety-sensitive functions by contract 
for an air carrier.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 421 of title 
49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

           ``SUBCHAPTER III--WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION PROGRAM

``42121. Protection of employees providing air safety information.
    (c) Civil Penalty.--Section 46301(a)(1)(A) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ``subchapter II of chapter 421,'' 
and inserting ``subchapter II or III of chapter 421,''.