ATC Hiring Reform Act of 2019

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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the ATC Hiring Reform Act of 2019 2. Hiring of air traffic control specialists Section 44506(f)(1)(B)(i) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking referring 10 percent. giving further preferential consideration, within each qualification category based upon pre-employment testing results, to pool 1 applicants described in clause (ii) before pool 2 applicants described in clause (iii). 3. Report on air traffic controller and training (a) Report to Congress Not later than December 31, 2019, and every 6 months thereafter, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report regarding the hiring and training of air traffic controllers. (b) Contents Each report under subsection (a) shall include the following information: (1) The number of applicants, from each hiring pool, who have done the following: (A) Applied for the position of air traffic controller. (B) Been issued a tentative offer letter for the position of air traffic controller. (C) Been issued a firm offer letter for the position of air traffic controller. (D) Been hired for the position of air traffic controller. (E) Reported to the FAA Academy for initial qualification training. (F) Successfully passed Air Traffic Basics training at the FAA Academy. (G) Successfully passed Terminal initial training at the FAA Academy. (H) Successfully passed En Route initial training at the FAA Academy. (2) The average cost of training per individual for the following: (A) Air Traffic Basics training at the FAA Academy. (B) Terminal initial training at the FAA Academy. (C) En Route initial training at the FAA Academy. (3) The FAA Academy attrition rate for each hiring pool. (4) Other information determined appropriate by the Administrator. 3. Report on air traffic controller and training (a) Report to Congress Not later than December 31, 2019, and every 6 months thereafter, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report regarding the hiring and training of air traffic controllers. (b) Contents Each report under subsection (a) shall include the following information: (1) The number of applicants, from each hiring pool (by vacancy announcement beginning with vacancy announcement FAA-ATO-19-ALLSRCE-61676 (issued on June 14, 2019)) who have done the following: (A) Applied for the position of air traffic controller. (B) Been issued a tentative offer letter for the position of air traffic controller. (C) Been issued a firm offer letter for the position of air traffic controller. (D) Been hired for the position of air traffic controller. (E) Reported to the FAA Academy for initial qualification training. (F) Successfully passed Air Traffic Basics training at the FAA Academy. (G) Successfully passed Terminal initial training at the FAA Academy. (H) Successfully passed En Route initial training at the FAA Academy. (2) The average cost of training per individual for each such hiring pool for the following: (A) Air Traffic Basics training at the FAA Academy. (B) Terminal initial training at the FAA Academy. (C) En Route initial training at the FAA Academy. (3) The FAA Academy attrition rate for each such hiring pool. (4) The number of applicants, from each such hiring pool, who have successfully completed qualification training at their first FAA facility and the number who are still in training at their first facility. (5) Other information determined appropriate by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. 4. Ensuring hiring preference for applicants with experience at an air traffic control facility of the National Guard Section 44506(f)(1)(A)(ii) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting (including a facility of the National Guard) Department of Defense 5. DOT Inspector General review and report (a) Review (1) In general The Inspector General of the Department of Transportation (in this section referred to as the Inspector General (A) what job-relevant aptitudes are measured by the air traffic controller pre-employment test and to what extent such aptitudes are tested; (B) the scoring methodology for the air traffic controller pre-employment test, including an assessment of whether such methodology is applied uniformly for all classes of applicants; (C) whether the air traffic controller pre-employment test incorporates any biographical questionnaire or assessment other than basic identifiers, such as name and questions that assess personal characteristics, and the extent to which such biographical assumptions are relied upon to assess air traffic controller applicants; (D) the effectiveness of the pre-employment test, mental health screening, and any other applicable pre-employment assessment to determine whether an applicant possesses the skills necessary to perform the duties of a controller; and (E) ways to improve the pre-employment test and other applicable pre-employment assessments as the Inspector General determines appropriate. (2) Start date The Inspector General shall initiate the review under paragraph (1) by not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act. (b) Report Not later than 180 days after the date the Inspector General initiates the review under subsection (a), the Inspector General shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on such review. December 5, 2019 Reported with amendment

Summary: ATC Hiring Reform Act of 2019 This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to give preferential consideration to employment applications of air traffic control specialists (1) who have completed air traffic controller training and graduated from an institution participating in the Collegiate Training Initiative program, or (2) who are veterans. The bill also requires (1) the FAA to submit semi-annual reports to Congress on the hiring and training of air traffic controllers, (2) the FAA to give preferential consideration to applicants who gained air traffic control experience at a National Guard facility, and (3) the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation to conduct a review that assesses the assumptions and methodologies used by the FAA in developing the air traffic controller pre-employment test.