Title: To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot program to assess the operational benefits of remote air traffic control towers, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a five-year pilot program under which DOT shall install, operate, and assess the operational benefits of remote air traffic control towers at public-use airports.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1386 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1386

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot program 
   to assess the operational benefits of remote air traffic control 
                    towers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 7, 2017

Mr. Katko (for himself, Mr. Lipinski, and Mrs. Comstock) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot program 
   to assess the operational benefits of remote air traffic control 
                    towers, 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. REMOTE TOWER PILOT PROGRAM FOR RURAL OR SMALL COMMUNITIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish 
a pilot program under which, upon approval of an application submitted 
by an operator of a public-use airport, the Secretary shall install and 
operate at the airport a remote air traffic control tower in order to 
assess the operational benefits of remote air traffic control towers.
    (b) Applications.--The operator of an airport seeking to 
participate in the pilot program shall submit to the Secretary for 
approval an application that is in such form and contains such 
information as the Secretary may require.
    (c) Selection Criteria.--
            (1) Selection of airports.--From among the applications 
        submitted under subsection (b), the Secretary, after 
        consultation with representatives of labor organizations 
        representing operators and employees of the air traffic control 
        system, shall select for participation in the pilot program 7 
        airports as follows:
                    (A) One nonhub, primary airport.
                    (B) Three nonprimary airports without existing air 
                traffic control towers.
                    (C) Two airports with air traffic control towers 
                participating in a program established under section 
                47124 of title 49, United States Code.
                    (D) One airport selected at the discretion of the 
                Secretary.
            (2) Priority selection.--In selecting from among the 
        applications submitted under subsection (b), the Secretary 
        shall give priority to applicants that can best demonstrate the 
        capabilities and potential of remote air traffic control 
        towers.
            (3) Authority to reallocate airport selection.--If the 
        Secretary receives an insufficient number of applications, the 
        Secretary may reallocate the distribution of airport sites 
        described in paragraph (1).
            (4) Multiple remote facilities.--If practicable and 
        necessary, the 3 remote air traffic control towers installed at 
        nonprimary airports pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) may co-locate 
        remote facilities to assess the benefits and efficiencies of 
        consolidating such facilities.
    (d) Asset Classification.--A remote air traffic control tower, 
including ancillary equipment, installed with Government funds pursuant 
to this section shall be considered to be an air navigation facility.
    (e) Safety Risk Management Panel.--
            (1) Safety risk management panel meeting.--Prior to the 
        operational use of a remote air traffic control tower, the 
        Secretary shall convene a safety risk management panel for the 
        tower to address any safety issues with respect to the tower.
            (2) Safety risk management panel best practices.--The 
        safety risk management panels shall be created and utilized in 
        a manner similar to that of safety risk management panels 
        previously established for remote air traffic control towers, 
        taking into account best practices that have been developed.
    (f) Definitions.--
            (1) In general.--In this section, the following definitions 
        apply:
                    (A) Air navigation facility.--The term ``air 
                navigation facility'' has the meaning given that term 
                in section 40102(a) of title 49, United States Code.
                    (B) Remote air traffic control tower.--The term 
                ``remote air traffic control tower'' means a remotely 
                operated air navigation facility, including all 
                necessary system components, that provides the 
                functions and capabilities of an air traffic control 
                tower.
            (2) Applicability of other definitions.--In this section, 
        the terms ``nonhub airport'', ``primary airport'', ``public-use 
        airport'', and ``reliever airport'' have the meanings given 
        such terms in section 47102 of title 49, United States Code.
    (g) Sunset.--The pilot program shall terminate on the day that is 5 
years after the date of enactment of this Act.
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