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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 573 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 573

 To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 issue or revise regulations with respect to the medical certification 
       of certain small aircraft pilots, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 25, 2015

 Mr. Boozman (for himself, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Roberts, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. 
 Moran, and Mr. Inhofe) introduced the following bill; which was read 
     twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 issue or revise regulations with respect to the medical certification 
       of certain small aircraft pilots, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``General Aviation Pilot Protection 
Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. MEDICAL CERTIFICATION OF CERTAIN SMALL AIRCRAFT PILOTS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall issue or revise medical certification regulations 
to ensure that an individual may operate as pilot in command of a 
covered aircraft without regard to any medical certification or proof 
of health requirement otherwise applicable under Federal law if--
            (1) the individual possesses a valid State driver's license 
        and complies with any medical requirement associated with that 
        license;
            (2) the individual is transporting not more than 5 
        passengers;
            (3) the individual is operating under visual flight rules 
        or instrument flight rules; and
            (4) the relevant flight, including each portion thereof, is 
        not carried out--
                    (A) for compensation, including that no passenger 
                or property on the flight is being carried for 
                compensation;
                    (B) at an altitude that is more than 14,000 feet 
                above mean sea level;
                    (C) outside the United States, unless authorized by 
                the country in which the flight is conducted; or
                    (D) at an indicated air speed exceeding 250 knots.
    (b) Covered Aircraft Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered 
aircraft'' means an aircraft that--
            (1) is not authorized under Federal law to carry more than 
        6 occupants; and
            (2) has a maximum certificated takeoff weight of not more 
        than 6,000 pounds.
    (c) Report Required.--Not later than 5 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a 
report that describes the effect of the regulations issued or revised 
under subsection (a) and includes statistics with respect to changes in 
small aircraft activity and safety incidents.
    (d) Prohibition on Enforcement Actions.--On and after the date that 
is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator may not take an enforcement action for not holding a 
valid third-class medical certificate against a pilot of a covered 
aircraft for a flight if the pilot and the flight meet the applicable 
requirements under paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) unless 
the Administrator has published final regulations in the Federal 
Register under subsection (a).
                                 <all>
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