II 

Calendar No. 319 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1148 

[Report No. 116–169] 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Administrator of 

the Federal Aviation Administration to give preferential consideration 

to individuals who have successfully completed air traffic controller training and veterans when hiring air traffic control specialists. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 11, 2019 

Mr. HOEVEN (for himself, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. SULLIVAN, Ms. SINEMA, Mrs. 

CAPITO, Ms. MCSALLY, Mr. PETERS, and Mr. INHOFE) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

DECEMBER 5, 2019 

Reported by Mr. WICKER, with amendment 

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 

give preferential consideration to individuals who have 

successfully completed air traffic controller training and 

veterans when hiring air traffic control specialists. 


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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 ‘‘ATC Hiring Reform 

5 Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. HIRING OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SPECIALISTS. 

7 Section 44506(f)(1)(B)(i) of title 49, United States 

8 Code, is amended by striking ‘‘referring’’ and all that fol9 lows through ‘‘10 percent.’’ and inserting ‘‘giving further 

10 preferential consideration, within each qualification cat11 egory based upon pre-employment testing results, to pool 

12 1 applicants described in clause (ii) before pool 2 appli13 cants described in clause (iii).’’. 

14 SEC. 3. REPORT ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER AND TRAIN15 ING. 

16 (a) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than Decem17 ber 31, 2019, and every 6 months thereafter, the Adminis18 trator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall submit 

19 to the appropriate committees of Congress a report re20 garding the hiring and training of air traffic controllers. 

21 (b) CONTENTS.—Each report under subsection (a) 

22 shall include the following information: 

23 (1) The number of applicants, from each hiring 

24 pool, who have done the following: 


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1 (A) Applied for the position of air traffic 

2 controller. 

3 (B) Been issued a tentative offer letter for 

4 the position of air traffic controller. 

5 (C) Been issued a firm offer letter for the 

6 position of air traffic controller. 

7 (D) Been hired for the position of air traf8 fic controller. 

9 (E) Reported to the FAA Academy for ini10 tial qualification training. 

11 (F) Successfully passed Air Traffic Basics 

12 training at the FAA Academy. 

13 (G) Successfully passed Terminal initial 

14 training at the FAA Academy. 

15 (H) Successfully passed En Route initial 

16 training at the FAA Academy. 

17 (2) The average cost of training per individual 

18 for the following: 

19 (A) Air Traffic Basics training at the FAA 

20 Academy. 

21 (B) Terminal initial training at the FAA 

22 Academy. 

23 (C) En Route initial training at the FAA 

24 Academy. 


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1 (3) The FAA Academy attrition rate for each 

2 hiring pool. 

3 (4) Other information determined appropriate 

4 by the Administrator. 

5 SEC. 3. REPORT ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER AND TRAIN6 ING. 

7 (a) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than December 

8 31, 2019, and every 6 months thereafter, the Administrator 

9 of the Federal Aviation Administration shall submit to the 

10 appropriate committees of Congress a report regarding the 

11 hiring and training of air traffic controllers. 

12 (b) CONTENTS.—Each report under subsection (a) 

13 shall include the following information: 

14 (1) The number of applicants, from each hiring 

15 pool (by vacancy announcement beginning with va16 cancy announcement FAA-ATO-19-ALLSRCE-61676 

17 (issued on June 14, 2019)) who have done the fol18 lowing: 

19 (A) Applied for the position of air traffic 

20 controller. 

21 (B) Been issued a tentative offer letter for 

22 the position of air traffic controller. 

23 (C) Been issued a firm offer letter for the 

24 position of air traffic controller. 


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1 (D) Been hired for the position of air traffic 

2 controller. 

3 (E) Reported to the FAA Academy for ini4 tial qualification training. 

5 (F) Successfully passed Air Traffic Basics 

6 training at the FAA Academy. 

7 (G) Successfully passed Terminal initial 

8 training at the FAA Academy. 

9 (H) Successfully passed En Route initial 

10 training at the FAA Academy. 

11 (2) The average cost of training per individual 

12 for each such hiring pool for the following: 

13 (A) Air Traffic Basics training at the FAA 

14 Academy. 

15 (B) Terminal initial training at the FAA 

16 Academy. 

17 (C) En Route initial training at the FAA 

18 Academy. 

19 (3) The FAA Academy attrition rate for each 

20 such hiring pool. 

21 (4) The number of applicants, from each such 

22 hiring pool, who have successfully completed quali23 fication training at their first FAA facility and the 

24 number who are still in training at their first facil25 ity. 


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1 (5) Other information determined appropriate 

2 by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Admin3 istration. 

4 SEC. 4. ENSURING HIRING PREFERENCE FOR APPLICANTS 

5 WITH EXPERIENCE AT AN AIR TRAFFIC CON6 TROL FACILITY OF THE NATIONAL GUARD. 

7 Section 44506(f)(1)(A)(ii) of title 49, United States 

8 Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘(including a facility of the 

9 National Guard)’’ after ‘‘Department of Defense’’. 

10 SEC. 5. DOT INSPECTOR GENERAL REVIEW AND REPORT. 

11 (a) REVIEW.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Inspector General of the 

13 Department of Transportation (in this section re14 ferred to as the ‘‘Inspector General’’) shall conduct a 

15 review that assesses the assumptions and methodolo16 gies used to develop the air traffic controller pre-em17 ployment test. Such review shall include— 

18 (A) what job-relevant aptitudes are meas19 ured by the air traffic controller pre-employment 

20 test and to what extent such aptitudes are tested; 

21 (B) the scoring methodology for the air traf22 fic controller pre-employment test, including an 

23 assessment of whether such methodology is ap24 plied uniformly for all classes of applicants; 


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1 (C) whether the air traffic controller pre2 employment test incorporates any biographical 

3 questionnaire or assessment other than basic 

4 identifiers, such as name and questions that as5 sess personal characteristics, and the extent to 

6 which such biographical assumptions are relied 

7 upon to assess air traffic controller applicants; 

8 (D) the effectiveness of the pre-employment 

9 test, mental health screening, and any other ap10 plicable pre-employment assessment to determine 

11 whether an applicant possesses the skills nec12 essary to perform the duties of a controller; and 

13 (E) ways to improve the pre-employment 

14 test and other applicable pre-employment assess15 ments as the Inspector General determines ap16 propriate. 

17 (2) START DATE.—The Inspector General shall 

18 initiate the review under paragraph (1) by not later 

19 than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act. 

20 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

21 the Inspector General initiates the review under subsection 

22 (a), the Inspector General shall submit to the appropriate 

23 committees of Congress a report on such review. 


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Calendar No. 319 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1148 

[Report No. 116–169] 

A BILL 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require 

ing air traffic control specialists. traffic controller training and veterans when hirindividuals who have successfully completed air ministration to give preferential consideration to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation AdDECEMBER 5, 2019 

Reported with amendment 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS