(E) The releasable portions of the Admin-
istrator’s investigative report will be available to 
the individual. 
(2) ACCESS TO AIR TRAFFIC DATA.—The Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Aviation Administration 
shall provide (in a timely manner) an individual who 
is the subject of an investigation relating to ap-
proval, denial, suspension, modification, or revoca-
tion of an airman certificate under chapter 447 of 
title 49, United States Code, any air traffic data 
that would facilitate the individual’s ability to pro-
ductively participate in the investigation, including 
the following: 
(A) Relevant air traffic communication 
tapes. 
(B) Radar information. 
(C) Air traffic controller statements. 
(D) Flight data. 
(E) Investigative reports. 
(F) Any other air traffic or flight data that 
would facilitate the individual’s ability to pro-
ductively participate in the investigation. 
(3) TIMING.—The Administrator shall not pro-
ceed against an individual that is the subject of an 
investigation described in paragraph (1) for at least 
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30 days after the air traffic data required under 
paragraph (2) is made available to the individual. 
(c) AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 49.— 
(1) 
AIRMAN
CERTIFICATES.—Section 
44703(d)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by striking the second sentence and insert-
ing the following: ‘‘The Board is not bound by the 
findings of fact of the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration or the interpretation of laws 
or regulations the Administrator carries out, but 
may consider the interpretation and guidance of the 
Administrator in its review in accordance with the 
general administrative law principles of deference.’’. 
(2) AMENDMENTS, MODIFICATIONS, SUSPEN-
SIONS, AND REVOCATIONS OF CERTIFICATES.—Sec-
tion 44709(d)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘is not bound’’ and all that fol-
lows through the end period and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘is not bound by the findings of fact of the 
Administrator or the interpretation of laws or regu-
lations the Administrator carries out, but may con-
sider the interpretation and guidance of the Admin-
istrator in its review in accordance with the general 
administrative law principles of deference.’’. 
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(3) REVOCATION
OF
AIRMAN
CERTIFICATES 
FOR
CONTROLLED
SUBSTANCE
VIOLATIONS.—The 
third sentence of section 44710(d)(1) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended in the third sen-
tence, by striking ‘‘is not bound’’ and all that follows 
through the end period, and inserting the following: 
‘‘is not bound by findings of fact of the Adminis-
trator or the interpretation of laws or regulations 
the Administrator carries out, but may consider the 
interpretation and guidance of the Administrator in 
its review in accordance with the general administra-
tive law principles of deference.’’. 
(d) APPEAL FROM CERTIFICATE ACTIONS.—Upon 
an order or final decision by the Administrator of the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration denying an airman certificate 
under section 44703(d) of title 49, United States Code, 
or imposing a punitive civil action or an emergency order 
of revocation under section 44709 (d) and (e) of title 49, 
United States Code, the individual adversely affected by 
the Administrator’s action may, at the individual’s elec-
tion, file an appeal in the United States district court in 
which the individual resides, in which the action in ques-
tion occurred, or in the district court for the District of 
Columbia. If the individual adversely affected by the Ad-
ministrator’s action elects not to file an appeal in a Fed-
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eral district court, the individual may file an appeal with 
the National Transportation Safety Board. 
(e) STANDARD OF REVIEW.—In an appeal filed under 
subsection (d), the district court or the National Trans-
portation Safety Board, as the case may be, shall give full 
independent review of a denial, suspension, or revocation 
ordered by the Administrator, including substantive inde-
pendent and expedited review of any decision by the Ad-
ministrator to make the order effective immediately. 
SEC. 3. NOTAMS PROVIDED TO AIRMEN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term 
‘‘NOTAM’’ means notices to airmen. 
(2) IMPROVEMENTS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Aviation Administration 
shall begin a Notice to Airmen Improvement Pro-
gram (in this section referred to as the ‘‘NOTAM 
Improvement Program’’) to— 
(A) improve the system of providing air-
men with pertinent and timely information re-
garding the national airspace system; 
(B) to archive, in a public central location, 
all notices to airmen, including the original con-
tent and form of the notices, the original date 
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of publication, and any amendments to such no-
tices with the date of each amendment; and 
(C) apply filters so that pilots can 
prioritize critical flight safety information from 
other airspace system information. 
(b) GOALS OF PROGRAM.—The goals of the NOTAM 
Improvement Program are to— 
(1) decrease the overwhelming volume of 
NOTAMS an airman receives when retrieving air-
man information prior to a flight in the national air-
space system; 
(2) make the NOTAMS more specific and rel-
evant to the airman’s route and in a format that is 
more useable to the airman; 
(3) provide both a full set of NOTAM results 
in addition to specific information requested by air-
men; 
(4) provide a document that is easily search-
able; and 
(5) provide a filtering mechanism similar to 
that provided by the Department of Defense Notices 
to Airmen. 
(c) ADVICE FROM PRIVATE SECTOR GROUPS.—The 
Administrator shall establish a NOTAM Improvement 
Panel, consisting of relevant nonprofit and not-for-profit 
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general aviation pilot groups, to advise the Administrator 
in carrying out the goals of the Program under this sec-
tion. 
(d) PHASE-IN
AND COMPLETION.—The improve-
ments required by this section shall be phased in as quick-
ly as practicable and shall be completed not later than the 
date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
SEC. 4. FLIGHT SERVICE STATION BRIEFINGS. 
The Flight Service Station briefings and other air 
traffic services performed by any government contractor 
shall be available to airmen under the section 522 of title 
5, United States Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Freedom 
of Information Act’’). 
SEC. 5. MEDICAL CERTIFICATION. 
(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 begin a review 
of the Administration’s medical certification standards 
and forms in order to— 
(1) revise the medical application form to pro-
vide greater clarity and guidance to applicants; and 
(2) align medical qualification policies with 
present-day qualified medical judgment and prac-
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(3) give medical standards greater meaning by 
ensuring the information requested aligns with 
present-day medical judgment and practices; and 
(4) provide that the application of those stand-
ards ensures an appropriate and fair evaluation of 
an individual’s qualifications, and that the individual 
understands the basis for determining medical quali-
fications. 
(c) ADVICE FROM PRIVATE SECTOR GROUPS.—The 
Administrator shall establish a panel, consisting of rel-
evant nonprofit and not-for-profit general aviation pilot 
groups, aviation medical examiners, and other qualified 
medical experts, to advise the Administrator in carrying 
out the goals of the review required by this section. 
(d) PHASE-IN AND COMPLETION.—The actions to re-
vise the medical application form, to align the medical 
qualification policies, and to publish objective medical 
standards shall be phased in as quickly as practicable and 
shall be completed not later than the date that is 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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