II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1594 

To improve the Federal flight deck officers program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 17, 2015 

Mr. PAUL introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To improve the Federal flight deck officers program, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Arm All Pilots Act 

5 of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FACILITATION OF AND LIMITATIONS ON TRAINING 

7 OF FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS. 

8 (a) IMPROVED ACCESS TO TRAINING FACILITIES.— 

9 Section 44921(c)(2)(C)(ii) of title 49, United States Code, 

10 is amended— 


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1 (1) by striking ‘‘The training of’’ and inserting 

2 the following: 

3 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The training 

4 of’’; and 

5 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(II) ACCESS TO TRAINING FA7 CILITIES.—Not later than 180 days 

8 after the date of the enactment of the 

9 Arm All Pilots Act of 2015, the Sec10 retary shall— 

11 ‘‘(aa) designate 5 additional 

12 firearms training facilities located 

13 in various regions of the United 

14 States for Federal flight deck of15 ficers relative to the number of 

16 such facilities available on the 

17 day before such date of enact18 ment; 

19 ‘‘(bb) designate firearms 

20 training facilities approved before 

21 such date of enactment for recur22 rent training of Federal flight 

23 deck officers as facilities ap24 proved for initial training and 

25 certification of pilots seeking to 


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1 be deputized as Federal flight 

2 deck officers; and 

3 ‘‘(cc) designate additional 

4 firearms training facilities for re5 current training of Federal flight 

6 deck officers relative to the num7 ber of such facilities available on 

8 the day before such date of en9 actment.’’. 

10 (b) FIREARMS REQUALIFICATION FOR FEDERAL

11 FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS.—Section 44921(c)(2)(C)(iii) of 

12 such title is amended— 

13 (1) by striking ‘‘The Under Secretary shall’’ 

14 and inserting the following: 

15 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The Sec16 retary shall’’; 

17 (2) in subclause (I), as designated by paragraph 

18 (1), by striking ‘‘the Under Secretary’’ and inserting 

19 ‘‘the Secretary, but not more frequently than once 

20 every 6 months,’’; and 

21 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘(II) USE OF FACILITIES FOR

23 REQUALIFICATION.—The Secretary 

24 shall allow a Federal flight deck offi25 cer to requalify to carry a firearm 


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1 under the program through training 

2 at a private or government-owned gun 

3 range certified to provide firearm re4 qualification training. 

5 ‘‘(III) SELF-REPORTING.—The 

6 Secretary shall determine that a Fed7 eral flight deck officer has met the re8 quirements to requalify to carry a 

9 firearm under the program if— 

10 ‘‘(aa) the officer reports to 

11 the Secretary that the officer has 

12 participated in a sufficient num13 ber of hours of training to re14 qualify to carry a firearm under 

15 the program; and 

16 ‘‘(bb) the administrator of 

17 the facility at which the officer 

18 conducted the requalification 

19 training verifies that the officer 

20 participated in that number of 

21 hours of training.’’. 

22 (c) LIMITATIONS ON TRAINING.—Section 

23 44921(c)(2) of such title is amended by adding at the end 

24 the following: 

25 ‘‘(D) LIMITATIONS ON TRAINING.— 


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1 ‘‘(i) INITIAL TRAINING.—The Sec2 retary may require— 

3 ‘‘(I) initial training of not more 

4 than 5 days for a pilot to be deputized 

5 as a Federal flight deck officer; 

6 ‘‘(II) the pilot to be physically 

7 present at the training facility for not 

8 more than 2 days of such training; 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(III) not more than 3 days of 

11 such training to be in the form of cer12 tified online training administered by 

13 the Department of Homeland Secu14 rity. 

15 ‘‘(ii) RECURRENT TRAINING.—The 

16 Secretary may require— 

17 ‘‘(I) recurrent training of not 

18 more than 2 days, not more fre19 quently than once every 5 years, for a 

20 pilot to maintain deputization as a 

21 Federal flight deck officer; 

22 ‘‘(II) the pilot to be physically 

23 present at the training facility for a 

24 full-day training session for not more 

25 than one day of such training; and 


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1 ‘‘(III) not more than one day of 

2 such training to be in the form of cer3 tified online training administered by 

4 the Department of Homeland Secu5 rity.’’. 

6 (d) OTHER MEASURES TO FACILITATE TRAINING.— 

7 Section 44921(e) of such title is amended— 

8 (1) by striking ‘‘Pilots participating’’ and in9 serting the following: 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Pilots participating’’; and 

11 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(2) FACILITATION OF TRAINING.— 

13 ‘‘(A) TIME OFF FOR TRAINING.—An air 

14 carrier shall permit a Federal flight deck officer 

15 or a pilot seeking to be deputized as a Federal 

16 flight deck officer to take a reasonable amount 

17 of leave from work to participate in initial and 

18 recurrent training for the program. An air car19 rier shall not be obligated to provide such an of20 ficer or pilot compensation for such leave. 

21 ‘‘(B) PRACTICE AMMUNITION.—At the re22 quest of a Federal flight deck officer, the Sec23 retary shall provide to the officer sufficient 

24 practice ammunition to conduct at least one 

25 practice course every month.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. CARRIAGE OF FIREARMS BY FEDERAL FLIGHT 

2 DECK OFFICERS. 

3 (a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—Section 44921(f) of title 

4 49, United States Code, is amended— 

5 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 

6 paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and 

7 (2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 

8 following: 

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall author10 ize a Federal flight deck officer to carry a firearm 

11 while engaged in providing air transportation or 

12 intrastate air transportation. The authority provided 

13 to a Federal flight deck officer under this paragraph 

14 includes the authority to carry a firearm— 

15 ‘‘(A) on the officer’s body, loaded, and 

16 holstered; 

17 ‘‘(B) when traveling to a flight duty as18 signment, throughout the duty assignment, and 

19 when traveling from a flight duty assignment to 

20 the officer’s home or place where the officer is 

21 residing when traveling; and 

22 ‘‘(C) in the passenger cabin and while 

23 traveling in a cockpit jump seat. 

24 ‘‘(2) CONCEALED CARRY.—A Federal flight 

25 deck officer shall make reasonable efforts to keep 

26 the officer’s firearm concealed when in public. 


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1 ‘‘(3) PURCHASE OF FIREARM BY OFFICER.— 

2 Notwithstanding subsection (c)(1), a Federal flight 

3 deck officer may purchase a firearm and carry that 

4 firearm aboard an aircraft of which the officer is the 

5 pilot in accordance with this section if the firearm 

6 is of a type that may be used under the program.’’. 

7 (b) CARRIAGE OF FIREARMS ON INTERNATIONAL

8 FLIGHTS.—Paragraph (5) of section 44921(f) of such 

9 title, as redesignated by subsection (a)(1), is amended to 

10 read as follows: 

11 ‘‘(5) CARRYING FIREARMS OUTSIDE UNITED

12 STATES.— 

13 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In consultation with 

14 the Secretary of State, the Secretary— 

15 ‘‘(i) may take such action as may be 

16 necessary to ensure that a Federal flight 

17 deck officer may carry a firearm in a for18 eign country whenever necessary to partici19 pate in the program; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) shall take such actions as are 

21 within the authority of the Secretary to en22 sure that a Federal flight deck officer may 

23 carry a firearm while engaged in providing 

24 foreign air transportation. 


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1 ‘‘(B) CONSISTENCY WITH FEDERAL AIR

2 MARSHAL PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall work 

3 to make policies relating to the carriage of fire4 arms on flights in foreign air transportation by 

5 Federal flight deck officers consistent with the 

6 policies of the Federal air marshal program for 

7 carrying firearms on such flights.’’. 

8 (c) CARRIAGE OF FIREARM IN PASSENGER CABIN.— 

9 (1) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Section 44921 

10 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by add11 ing at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(l) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec13 tion shall be construed to require a Federal flight deck 

14 officer to place a firearm in a locked container, or in any 

15 other manner render the firearm unavailable, when the 

16 cockpit door is opened.’’. 

17 (2) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Section 

18 44921(b)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is 

19 amended— 

20 (A) by striking subparagraph (G); and 

21 (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (H) 

22 through (N) as subparagraphs (G) through 

23 (M), respectively. 


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1 (d) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after 

2 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

3 Homeland Security shall— 

4 (1) prescribe regulations on the proper storage 

5 of firearms when a Federal flight deck officer is at 

6 home or where the officer is residing when traveling; 

7 and 

8 (2) revise the procedural requirements estab9 lished under section 44921(b)(1) of title 49, United 

10 States Code, to implement the amendments made by 

11 subsection (c). 

12 SEC. 4. PHYSICAL STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK 

13 OFFICERS. 

14 Section 44921(d)(2) of title 49, United States Code, 

15 is amended— 

16 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), 

17 and (C) as clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), respectively, 

18 and by moving such clauses, as so redesignated, 2 

19 ems to the right; 

20 (2) by striking ‘‘A pilot is’’ and inserting the 

21 following: 

22 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A pilot is’’; and 

23 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(B) CONSISTENCY WITH REQUIREMENTS

25 FOR CERTAIN MEDICAL CERTIFICATES.—In esVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:50 Jun 20, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1594.IS S1594

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1 tablishing standards under subparagraph 

2 (A)(ii), the Secretary may not establish medical 

3 or physical standards for a pilot to become a 

4 Federal flight deck officer that are inconsistent 

5 with or more stringent than the requirements of 

6 the Federal Aviation Administration for the 

7 issuance of a first- or second-class airman med8 ical certificate under part 67 of title 14, Code 

9 of Federal Regulations (or any corresponding 

10 similar regulation or ruling).’’. 

11 SEC. 5. TRANSFER OF FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS 

12 FROM INACTIVE TO ACTIVE STATUS. 

13 Section 44921(d) of such title is amended by adding 

14 at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(5) TRANSFER FROM INACTIVE TO ACTIVE

16 STATUS.—A pilot deputized as a Federal flight deck 

17 officer who moves to inactive status may return to 

18 active status after completing one program of recur19 rent training described in subsection (c).’’. 

20 SEC. 6. FACILITATION OF SECURITY SCREENING OF FED21 ERAL FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS. 

22 Section 44921 of title 49, United States Code, as 

23 amended by section 3(c)(1), is further amended by adding 

24 at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(m) FACILITATION OF SECURITY SCREENING OF

2 FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS.— 

3 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBILITY FOR EXPEDITED SCREEN4 ING.—The Secretary shall allow a Federal flight 

5 deck officer to be screened through the crew member 

6 identity verification program of the Transportation 

7 Security Administration (commonly known as the 

8 ‘Known Crew Member program’) when entering the 

9 sterile area of an airport. 

10 ‘‘(2) PROHIBITION ON PAPERWORK.—The Sec11 retary may not require a Federal flight deck officer 

12 to fill out any forms or paperwork when entering the 

13 sterile area of an airport. 

14 ‘‘(3) STERILE AREA DEFINED.—In this sub15 section, the term ‘sterile area’ has the meaning given 

16 that term in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of Fed17 eral Regulations (or any corresponding similar regu18 lation or ruling).’’. 

19 SEC. 7. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 

20 Section 44921 of title 49, United States Code, as 

21 amended by this Act, is further amended— 

22 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Under Sec23 retary of Transportation for Security’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘Secretary of Homeland Security’’; 


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1 (2) in subsection (d)(4), by striking ‘‘may,’’ and 

2 inserting ‘‘may’’; 

3 (3) in subsection (i)(2), by striking ‘‘the Under 

4 Secretary may’’ and inserting ‘‘may’’; 

5 (4) in subsection (k)— 

6 (A) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); 

7 and 

8 (B) by striking ‘‘APPLICABILITY’’ and all 

9 that follows through ‘‘This section’’ and insert10 ing ‘‘APPLICABILITY.—This section’’; 

11 (5) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(n) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

13 ‘‘(1) PILOT.—The term ‘pilot’ means an indi14 vidual who has final authority and responsibility for 

15 the operation and safety of the flight or any other 

16 flight deck crew member. 

17 ‘‘(2) ALL-CARGO AIR TRANSPORTATION.—The 

18 term ‘air transportation’ includes all-cargo air trans19 portation.’’; and 

20 (6) by striking ‘‘Under Secretary’’ each place it 

21 appears and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’. 


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1 SEC. 8. REFUNDS OF CERTAIN SECURITY SERVICE FEES 

2 FOR AIR CARRIERS WITH FEDERAL FLIGHT 

3 DECK OFFICERS ON ALL FLIGHTS. 

4 Section 44940 of title 49, United States Code, is 

5 amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(j) REFUND OF FEES FOR AIR CARRIERS WITH

7 FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS ON ALL FLIGHTS.— 

8 From fees received in a fiscal year under subsection 

9 (a)(1), each air carrier that certifies to the Secretary of 

10 Homeland Security that all flights operated by the air car11 rier have on board a pilot deputized as a Federal flight 

12 deck officer under section 44921 shall receive an amount 

13 equal to 10 percent of the fees collected under subsection 

14 (a)(1) from passengers on flights operated by that air car15 rier in that fiscal year.’’. 

16 SEC. 9. TREATMENT OF INFORMATION ABOUT FEDERAL 

17 FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS AS SENSITIVE SECU18 RITY INFORMATION. 

19 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact20 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 

21 revise section 15.5(b)(11) of title 49, Code of Federal Reg22 ulations, to classify information about pilots deputized as 

23 Federal flight deck officers under section 44921 of title 

24 49, United States Code, as sensitive security information 

25 in a manner consistent with the classification of informa26 tion about Federal air marshals. 


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1 SEC. 10. REGULATIONS. 

2 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact3 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 

4 prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry 

5 out this Act and the amendments made by this Act. 

Æ 


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