I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1386 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot program to 

assess the operational benefits of remote air traffic control towers, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 7, 2017 

Mr. KATKO (for himself, Mr. LIPINSKI, and Mrs. COMSTOCK) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 

and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a 

pilot program to assess the operational benefits of remote 

air traffic control towers, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. REMOTE TOWER PILOT PROGRAM FOR RURAL 

4 OR SMALL COMMUNITIES. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

6 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor7 tation shall establish a pilot program under which, upon 

8 approval of an application submitted by an operator of a 

9 public-use airport, the Secretary shall install and operate 


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1 at the airport a remote air traffic control tower in order 

2 to assess the operational benefits of remote air traffic con3 trol towers. 

4 (b) APPLICATIONS.—The operator of an airport seek5 ing to participate in the pilot program shall submit to the 

6 Secretary for approval an application that is in such form 

7 and contains such information as the Secretary may re8 quire. 

9 (c) SELECTION CRITERIA.— 

10 (1) SELECTION OF AIRPORTS.—From among 

11 the applications submitted under subsection (b), the 

12 Secretary, after consultation with representatives of 

13 labor organizations representing operators and em14 ployees of the air traffic control system, shall select 

15 for participation in the pilot program 7 airports as 

16 follows: 

17 (A) One nonhub, primary airport. 

18 (B) Three nonprimary airports without ex19 isting air traffic control towers. 

20 (C) Two airports with air traffic control 

21 towers participating in a program established 

22 under section 47124 of title 49, United States 

23 Code. 

24 (D) One airport selected at the discretion 

25 of the Secretary. 


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1 (2) PRIORITY SELECTION.—In selecting from 

2 among the applications submitted under subsection 

3 (b), the Secretary shall give priority to applicants 

4 that can best demonstrate the capabilities and po5 tential of remote air traffic control towers. 

6 (3) AUTHORITY TO REALLOCATE AIRPORT SE7 LECTION.—If the Secretary receives an insufficient 

8 number of applications, the Secretary may reallocate 

9 the distribution of airport sites described in para10 graph (1). 

11 (4) MULTIPLE REMOTE FACILITIES.—If prac12 ticable and necessary, the 3 remote air traffic con13 trol towers installed at nonprimary airports pursu14 ant to paragraph (1)(B) may co-locate remote facili15 ties to assess the benefits and efficiencies of consoli16 dating such facilities. 

17 (d) ASSET CLASSIFICATION.—A remote air traffic 

18 control tower, including ancillary equipment, installed with 

19 Government funds pursuant to this section shall be consid20 ered to be an air navigation facility. 

21 (e) SAFETY RISK MANAGEMENT PANEL.— 

22 (1) SAFETY RISK MANAGEMENT PANEL MEET23 ING.—Prior to the operational use of a remote air 

24 traffic control tower, the Secretary shall convene a 


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1 safety risk management panel for the tower to ad2 dress any safety issues with respect to the tower. 

3 (2) SAFETY RISK MANAGEMENT PANEL BEST

4 PRACTICES.—The safety risk management panels 

5 shall be created and utilized in a manner similar to 

6 that of safety risk management panels previously es7 tablished for remote air traffic control towers, taking 

8 into account best practices that have been developed. 

9 (f) DEFINITIONS.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—In this section, the following 

11 definitions apply: 

12 (A) AIR NAVIGATION FACILITY.—The term 

13 ‘‘air navigation facility’’ has the meaning given 

14 that term in section 40102(a) of title 49, 

15 United States Code. 

16 (B) REMOTE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

17 TOWER.—The term ‘‘remote air traffic control 

18 tower’’ means a remotely operated air naviga19 tion facility, including all necessary system com20 ponents, that provides the functions and capa21 bilities of an air traffic control tower. 

22 (2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER DEFINITIONS.— 

23 In this section, the terms ‘‘nonhub airport’’, ‘‘pri24 mary airport’’, ‘‘public-use airport’’, and ‘‘reliever 


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1 airport’’ have the meanings given such terms in sec2 tion 47102 of title 49, United States Code. 

3 (g) SUNSET.—The pilot program shall terminate on 

4 the day that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this 

5 Act. 

Æ 


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