I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5675 

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to revise 

hiring practices for air traffic controller positions, to establish an Air 

Traffic Control Education and Training Advisory Committee, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 

Mr. HULTGREN (for himself and Mr. LIPINSKI) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to revise hiring practices for air traffic controller 

positions, to establish an Air Traffic Control Education 

and Training Advisory Committee, 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 ‘‘Standards Addressing 

5 Federal Transparency and Oversight With Evolving Re6 cruitment Specifications Act’’ or the ‘‘SAFE TOWERS 

7 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. HIRING OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS. 

2 Section 44506 of title 49, United States Code, is 

3 amended by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(f) REVISION OF HIRING PRACTICES.— 

5 ‘‘(1) CONSIDERATION OF APPLICANTS.— 

6 ‘‘(A) PREFERENCE FOR AT–CTI AND VRA

7 APPLICANTS.—In appointing individuals to the 

8 position of air traffic controller, the Adminis9 trator shall give preferential consideration to 

10 the following applicants: 

11 ‘‘(i) An individual who— 

12 ‘‘(I) has successfully completed 

13 air traffic controller training and 

14 graduated from an institution partici15 pating in the Collegiate Training Ini16 tiative program maintained under 

17 subsection (c)(1); and 

18 ‘‘(II) has received an appropriate 

19 recommendation from the institution. 

20 ‘‘(ii) A qualified individual who is eli21 gible for a veterans recruitment appoint22 ment pursuant to section 4214 of title 38. 

23 ‘‘(iii) A qualified individual who is an 

24 eligible veteran, as such term is defined in 

25 section 4211 of title 38, maintaining avia26 tion experience. 


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1 ‘‘(B) CONSIDERATION OF GENERAL PUB2 LIC APPLICANTS.—The Administrator may con3 sider general public applicants for the position 

4 of air traffic controller only after completing 

5 consideration of the applicants described in sub6 paragraph (A). 

7 ‘‘(2) ELIMINATION OF BIOGRAPHICAL ASSESS8 MENTS.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator 

10 shall revise the hiring practices of the Adminis11 tration that apply to applicants for the position 

12 of air traffic controller with the Department of 

13 Transportation to eliminate the use of a bio14 graphical assessment or any other personality 

15 test that unduly disqualifies applicants. The re16 vision under this subparagraph shall not be 

17 subject to paragraph (3). 

18 ‘‘(B) RECONSIDERATION OF APPLICANTS

19 DISQUALIFIED ON THE BASIS OF BIOGRAPHICAL

20 ASSESSMENTS.— 

21 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—If an individual 

22 applied for the position of air traffic con23 troller with the Department in response to 

24 the FG–01 Vacancy Announcement issued 

25 on February 10, 2014, and was disqualiVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:18 Oct 06, 2014 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5675.IH H5675

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1 fied from the position as the result of a bi2 ographical assessment, the Administrator 

3 shall provide the applicant an opportunity 

4 to reapply as soon as practicable for the 

5 position under the revised hiring practices. 

6 ‘‘(ii) WAIVER OF AGE RESTRICTION.— 

7 The Administrator shall waive any max8 imum age restriction for the position of air 

9 traffic controller with the Department that 

10 would otherwise disqualify an individual 

11 from the position if the individual— 

12 ‘‘(I) is reapplying for the position 

13 pursuant to clause (i) on or before 

14 December 31, 2016; and 

15 ‘‘(II) met the maximum age re16 quirement on the date of the individ17 ual’s previous application for the posi18 tion. 

19 ‘‘(3) PARTICIPATION OF CTI INSTITUTIONS IN

20 REVISION OF HIRING PRACTICES.—Before making 

21 any revision to the hiring practices that apply to ap22 plicants for the position of air traffic controller with 

23 the Department, the Administrator shall provide the 

24 Air Traffic Control Education and Training Advi25 sory Committee established under subsection (g) and 


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1 institutions of higher education participating in the 

2 Collegiate Training Initiative program with notice of 

3 the revision and an opportunity to comment.’’. 

4 SEC. 3. COLLEGIATE TRAINING INITIATIVE. 

5 Section 44506(c)(1) of title 49, United States Code, 

6 is amended— 

7 (1) in the first sentence by striking ‘‘may main8 tain’’ and inserting ‘‘shall maintain’’; and 

9 (2) in the second sentence by striking ‘‘may es10 tablish’’ and inserting ‘‘, in consultation with the Air 

11 Traffic Control Education and Training Advisory 

12 Committee established under subsection (g), shall es13 tablish’’. 

14 SEC. 4. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL EDUCATION AND TRAINING 

15 ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

16 Section 44506 of title 49, United States Code, is fur17 ther amended by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(g) AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL EDUCATION AND

19 TRAINING ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 

20 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator 

21 shall establish an Air Traffic Control Education and 

22 Training Advisory Committee (in this subsection re23 ferred to as the ‘Committee’). 

24 ‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Committee shall— 


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1 ‘‘(A) provide advice and recommendations 

2 to the Administrator about the needs, objec3 tives, plans, and content of air traffic controller 

4 training programs; 

5 ‘‘(B) review the operations of the Colle6 giate Training Initiative program maintained 

7 under subsection (c)(1); 

8 ‘‘(C) establish standardized curriculum, re9 quired outcomes, and accreditation standards 

10 for the Collegiate Training Initiative program; 

11 and 

12 ‘‘(D) annually review the air traffic con13 troller training initiatives carried out by the Ad14 ministration and provide advice and rec15 ommendations to the Administrator on whether 

16 such initiatives are appropriate to meet the 

17 needs of the air traffic controller workforce. 

18 ‘‘(3) MEMBERSHIP.— 

19 ‘‘(A) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The 

20 Committee shall be composed of 9 members ap21 pointed by the Administrator as follows: 

22 ‘‘(i) 2 individuals based on rec23 ommendations of the Association of Colle24 giate Training Institutions. 


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1 ‘‘(ii) 2 individuals based on rec2 ommendations of the National Air Traffic 

3 Controllers Association. 

4 ‘‘(iii) 2 individuals based on rec5 ommendations of the University Aviation 

6 Association. 

7 ‘‘(iv) 3 individuals selected by the Ad8 ministrator who meet the requirements of 

9 subparagraph (B). 

10 ‘‘(B) QUALIFICATIONS.—Individuals ap11 pointed pursuant to subparagraph (A)(iv)— 

12 ‘‘(i) may not be employees of the Fed13 eral Aviation Administration; and 

14 ‘‘(ii) shall be specifically qualified to 

15 serve on the Committee as a result of their 

16 education, training, and experience. 

17 ‘‘(C) TERMS.— 

18 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A member shall be 

19 appointed for a term of 2 years. 

20 ‘‘(ii) TERMS OF INITIAL AP21 POINTEES.—As designated by the Adminis22 trator at the time of appointment— 

23 ‘‘(I) 1 of the members first ap24 pointed under each of subparagraphs 


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1 (A)(i), (A)(ii), and (A)(iii) shall be ap2 pointed for a term of 3 years; and 

3 ‘‘(II) 2 of the members first ap4 pointed under subparagraph (A)(iv) 

5 shall be appointed for terms of 3 

6 years. 

7 ‘‘(D) VACANCIES.— 

8 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Any member ap9 pointed to fill a vacancy occurring before 

10 the expiration of the term for which the 

11 member’s predecessor was appointed shall 

12 be appointed only for the remainder of that 

13 term. 

14 ‘‘(ii) INTERIM SERVICE.—A member 

15 may serve after the expiration of that 

16 member’s term until a successor has taken 

17 office. 

18 ‘‘(iii) MANNER OF APPOINTMENT.—A 

19 vacancy in the Committee shall be filled in 

20 the manner in which the original appoint21 ment was made. 

22 ‘‘(E) PAY; TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members 

23 shall serve without pay but may receive travel 

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1 mittee in accordance with applicable provisions 

2 under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5. 

3 ‘‘(F) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of 

4 the Committee shall be elected by a majority of 

5 the members. 

6 ‘‘(G) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall 

7 meet quarterly and may have additional meet8 ings at the call of the Chairperson. 

9 ‘‘(4) ANNUAL REPORT.— 

10 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than May 

11 31st of each year, the Committee shall submit 

12 to Congress and the Administrator an annual 

13 report containing— 

14 ‘‘(i) the findings and recommenda15 tions of the Committee; and 

16 ‘‘(ii) beginning with the second annual 

17 report, an assessment of whether or not 

18 the Administrator has complied with the 

19 Committee’s recommendations from the 

20 previous year. 

21 ‘‘(B) FAA COMMENTS.—Not later than 60 

22 days after the date of submission of an annual 

23 report that includes an assessment described in 

24 subparagraph (A)(ii), the Administrator shall 

25 submit to Congress and the Committee a report 


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1 containing the Administrator’s written response 

2 to the assessment, including an explanation as 

3 to why the Administrator did or did not comply 

4 with each recommendation of the Committee. 

5 ‘‘(5) TERMINATION.—Section 14(a)(2)(B) of 

6 the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.; 

7 relating to the termination of advisory committees) 

8 shall not apply to the Committee.’’. 

9 SEC. 5. BEST PRACTICES FOR TRAINING AIR TRAFFIC CON10 TROLLERS. 

11 Section 44506 of title 49, United States Code, is fur12 ther amended by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(h) BEST PRACTICES FOR TRAINING.—The Admin14 istrator, in consultation with the Air Traffic Control Edu15 cation and Training Advisory Committee established 

16 under subsection (g), shall take into consideration any lo17 cally developed training initiatives for air traffic control18 lers for use in establishing best practices nationwide.’’. 

Æ 


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