I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1964 
To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to revise 
hiring practices for air traffic controller positions, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 22, 2015 
Mr. HULTGREN (for himself, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mrs. BUSTOS, 
Mr. SALMON, Ms. ESTY, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, and Mr. ROTHFUS) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration to revise hiring practices for air traffic controller 
positions, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Air Traffic Controllers 
Hiring Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. HIRING OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS. 
Section 44506 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) REVISION OF HIRING PRACTICES.— 
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‘‘(1) CONSIDERATION OF APPLICANTS.— 
‘‘(A) ENSURING
SELECTION
OF
MOST 
QUALIFIED
APPLICANTS.—In appointing indi-
viduals to the position of air traffic controller, 
the Administrator shall give preferential consid-
eration to the following applicants: 
‘‘(i) An individual who— 
‘‘(I) has successfully completed 
air traffic controller training and 
graduated from an institution partici-
pating in the Collegiate Training Ini-
tiative program maintained under 
subsection (c)(1); and 
‘‘(II) has received from the insti-
tution— 
‘‘(aa) an appropriate rec-
ommendation; or 
‘‘(bb) an endorsement certi-
fying that the individual would 
have met the requirements in ef-
fect as of December 31, 2013, 
for an appropriate recommenda-
tion. 
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‘‘(ii) A qualified individual who is eli-
gible for a veterans recruitment appoint-
ment pursuant to section 4214 of title 38. 
‘‘(iii) A qualified individual who is an 
eligible veteran, as such term is defined in 
section 4211 of title 38, maintaining avia-
tion experience obtained in the course of 
the individual’s military experience. 
‘‘(iv) A preference eligible veteran, as 
defined in section 2108 of title 5. 
‘‘(v) A qualified individual maintain-
ing practical air traffic control experience 
obtained at— 
‘‘(I) civilian installations of the 
Department of Defense; 
‘‘(II) Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration air traffic control facilities; or 
‘‘(III) contract towers of Federal 
Aviation Administration. 
‘‘(B) CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONAL AP-
PLICANTS.—The Administrator may consider 
additional applicants for the position of air traf-
fic controller only after completing consider-
ation of the applicants described in subpara-
graph (A). 
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‘‘(2) ELIMINATION OF BIOGRAPHICAL ASSESS-
MENTS.— 
‘‘(A) PRIORITY
APPLICANTS.—An appli-
cant described in paragraph (1)(A) shall not be 
subject to any biographical assessment (includ-
ing a biographical assessment validated under 
subparagraph (B)) as part of the hiring prac-
tices of the Administration that apply to appli-
cants for the position of air traffic controller 
with the Department of Transportation. 
‘‘(B) REVISION OF HIRING PRACTICES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall revise the hiring practices of the Ad-
ministration referred to in subparagraph 
(A) to eliminate the use of any biographi-
cal assessment that unduly disqualifies ap-
plicants. 
‘‘(ii) 
VALIDATION.—Before 
imple-
menting any biographical assessment as 
part of the hiring practices of the Adminis-
tration referred to in subparagraph (A), 
the Administrator shall— 
‘‘(I) certify that the assessment 
or test was validated under the cri-
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teria set forth in clause (i) before im-
plementation; and 
‘‘(II) disclose to the public the 
methods used for the validation. 
‘‘(iii) 
PARTICIPATION
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—The revision under this subpara-
graph shall not be subject to paragraph 
(3). 
‘‘(C) RECONSIDERATION
OF
APPLICANTS 
DISQUALIFIED ON THE BASIS OF BIOGRAPHICAL 
ASSESSMENTS.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—If an individual 
applied for the position of air traffic con-
troller with the Department in response to 
the FG–01 Vacancy Announcement issued 
on February 10, 2014, and was disquali-
fied from the position as the result of a bi-
ographical assessment, the Administrator 
shall provide the applicant an opportunity 
to reapply as soon as practicable for the 
position under the revised hiring practices. 
‘‘(ii) WAIVER OF AGE RESTRICTION.— 
The Administrator shall waive any max-
imum age restriction for the position of air 
traffic controller with the Department that 
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would otherwise disqualify an individual 
from the position if the individual— 
‘‘(I) is reapplying for the position 
pursuant to clause (i) on or before 
December 31, 2017; and 
‘‘(II) met the maximum age re-
quirement on the date of the individ-
ual’s previous application for the posi-
tion during the interim hiring process. 
‘‘(3) PARTICIPATION OF CTI INSTITUTIONS IN 
REVISION
OF
HIRING
PRACTICES.—Before making 
any revision to the hiring practices that apply to ap-
plicants for the position of air traffic controller with 
the Department, the Administrator shall provide in-
stitutions of higher education participating in the 
Collegiate Training Initiative program with notice of 
the revision and an opportunity to comment.’’. 
SEC. 3. COLLEGIATE TRAINING INITIATIVE. 
Section 44506(c)(1) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended in the first sentence by striking ‘‘may main-
tain’’ and inserting ‘‘shall maintain’’. 
SEC. 4. BEST PRACTICES FOR TRAINING AIR TRAFFIC CON-
TROLLERS. 
Section 44506 of title 49, United States Code, is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(h) BEST PRACTICES FOR TRAINING.—The Admin-
istrator, in consultation with the Association of Collegiate 
Training Institutions, the National Air Traffic Controllers 
Association, and the University Aviation Association, shall 
take into consideration any training initiatives for air traf-
fic controllers that are locally developed at institutions of 
higher education participating in the Collegiate Training 
Initiative program for use in establishing best practices 
nationwide.’’. 
SEC. 5. VETERAN PREFERENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR FAA 
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. 
Section 40122(g)(2)(B) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘and sections 3330a– 
3330d’’ before ‘‘, relating to’’. 
Æ 
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