eral flight deck officer under this section at no expense
to the pilot or the air carrier employing the pilot.
‘‘(d) DEPUTIZATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall
deputize, as a Federal flight deck officer under this
section, any qualified pilot who submits to the Under
Secretary a request to be such an officer.
‘‘(2) INITIAL DEPUTIZATION.—Not later than
120 days after the date of enactment this section,
the Under Secretary shall deputize not fewer than
500 qualified pilots who are former military or law
enforcement personnel as Federal flight deck officers
under this section.
‘‘(3) FULL IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than
24 months after the date of enactment of this sec-
tion, the Under Secretary shall deputize any quali-
fied pilot as a Federal flight deck officer under this
section.
‘‘(e) COMPENSATION.—Pilots participating in the
program under this section shall not be eligible for com-
pensation from the Federal Government for services pro-
vided as a Federal flight deck officer.
‘‘(f) AUTHORITY TO CARRY FIREARMS.—The Under
Secretary shall authorize a Federal flight deck officer
under this section to carry a firearm while engaged in pro-
viding air transportation or intrastate air transportation.
‘‘(g) AUTHORITY TO USE FORCE.—Notwithstanding
section 44903(d), a Federal flight deck officer may use
force (including lethal force) against an individual in the
defense of an aircraft in air transportation or intrastate
air transportation if the officer reasonably believes that
the security of the aircraft is at risk.
‘‘(h) LIMITATION ON LIABILITY.—
‘‘(1) LIABILITY OF AIR CARRIERS.—An air car-
rier shall not be liable for damages in any action
brought in a Federal or State court arising out of
the air carrier employing a pilot of aircraft who is
a Federal flight deck officer under this section or
out of the acts or omissions of the pilot in defending
an aircraft of the air carrier against acts of criminal
violence or air piracy.
‘‘(2) LIABILITY OF FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK OF-
FICERS.—A Federal flight deck officer shall not be
liable for damages in any action brought in a Fed-
eral or State court arising out of the acts or omis-
sions of the officer in defending an aircraft against
acts of criminal violence or air piracy unless the offi-
cer is guilty of gross negligence or willful mis-
conduct.
‘‘(i) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 90 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Firearms Training Unit of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, shall issue regulations to carry
out this section.
‘‘(j) PILOT DEFINED.—The term ‘pilot’ means an in-
dividual responsible for the operation of aircraft.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(1) CHAPTER ANALYSIS.—The analysis for such
chapter is amended by inserting after the item relat-
ing to section 44920 the following:
‘‘44921.
Federal flight deck officer program.’’.
(2) EMPLOYMENT
INVESTIGATIONS.—Section
44936(a)(1)(B) is amended—
(A) by aligning clause (iii) with clause (ii);
(B) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause
(iii);
(C) by striking the period at the end of
clause (iv) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(v) qualified pilots who are deputized as Fed-
eral flight deck officers under section 44921.’’.
(3) FLIGHT DECK SECURITY.—Section 128 of
the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (Pub-
lic Law 107–71) is repealed.
Æ