WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a member of the Senate General Aviation Caucus, reports his Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 (S.571) has surpassed 60 cosponsors in the Senate, making it “filibuster proof.”
Inhofe introduced the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 Feb. 26, which includes legislation that would expand the third class medical exemption for recreational pilots and broaden the protections provided in the original Pilot’s Bill of Rights signed into law in 2012.
As of Sept. 17, S.571 had 61 cosponsors, surpassing a filibuster-proof majority when Sens. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) signed on to the legislation.
“I appreciate the significant bipartisan support for the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, and I am committed to seeing this legislation to the finish line during the 114th Congress,” said Inhofe. “The Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 was authored by and for the general aviation community, and it is their persistency with their elected officials that has resulted in more than a majority of the Senate supporting this legislation. Together, we have been able to build off the success of the original Pilot’s Bill of Rights, and this second edition will continue to improve and streamline the antiquated regulatory system faced by GA pilots and industry alike.”
The 61 cosponsors include: U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), David Cassidy (R-La.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Thad Cochran (R- Miss.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jeff Flake (R-Ari.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Heidi Heitkamp (D-Mont.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Joe Manchin (D- W.Va.), John McCain (R-Ari.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), James Risch (R-Idaho), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Jeanne Shaheen (R-N.H.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), David Vitter (R-La.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
The Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2:
- Reforms FAA’s overly burdensome medical certification process by expanding an existing FAA medical standard to include more qualified, trained pilots.
- Extends the due process rights preserved in the first PBOR to individual FAA certificate holders, and enhances those rights by ensuring certificate holders have the right to appeal a FAA decision through a new, merit-based trial in Federal Court.
- Increases transparency for all FAA certificate holders subject to an investigation or enforcement action by holding FAA accountable for communicating with certificate holders. FAA is required to articulate a specific description of the incident or incidents under investigation to parties involved in the investigation, and provide specific documentation relevant to its investigation.
- Expedites updates to the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Improvement Program required in the first Pilot’s Bill of Rights and directs FAA to include the effective duration of temporary flight restrictions. This ensures the most relevant and important information reaches the pilot. The legislation also mandates that FAA certify the accuracy of posted NOTAMs.
- Ensures the accessibility of flight data such as air traffic communication tapes and radar information produced by contract towers, flight service stations and controller training programs, giving certificate holders the ability to use this information to defend themselves during an enforcement action proceeding.
- Extends liability protection to individuals designated by FAA, such as aviation medical examiners, pilot examiners or designated airworthiness representatives. This provision provides the protections enjoyed by federal employees to individuals performing a uniquely federal function, ensuring everyone has access to medical professionals and designees to sign off on check rides and the flightworthiness of experimental aircraft.
- Acts as a Good Samaritan Law for volunteer aviation pilots, protecting pilots from liability as long as they are following appropriate procedures. This is an important consideration for non-profit organizations dependent on volunteers that provide non-cost transportation for the public benefit.
So sad for CT THAT OUR SENATORS (Murphy and Blumenthal) have not signed on as co sponsors. One more example of how anti business CT is! They send standard form letters to all the pilots who write them that says “they understand the bill”.
I am a 73 year old pilot that has over 40,000 hrs and have had a FAA flight physical ever year for the pass 55 years ,four years ago I had bypass surgery and had to go through the FAA special issuance for a 3 class medical ( good for one year ) I have had a special issuance medical for the pass 2 years at a cost of over $8000.00 per year. To fly my Cessna 120 (gross weight 1450 lbs light sport FAA is 1320 land and 1420 sea plane 40 to 50 hours a year ) after spending $16,000.00 it is cost prohibitive for me to fly as Pilot in command.
As a flight instructor It is okay for me to give the FAA flight reviews to pilots which I give about 25 per year as long as I am not The PIC.
Kep the momentum going for the Pilots Bill of Rights.
This is all great for GA, but Senator Inhofe is still a morally devoid human being and complete ignoramus. His chairmanship of the Environment & Public works committee is embarrassing to our country. He is one of the foremost deniers of climate change, his reasoning being that humans can’t change “God’s climate” and that we are arrogant for thinking that we can. Its ironic because fracking in his home state has caused Oklahoma to be more earthquake prone than California, with hundreds of magnitude 3.0+ earthquakes per year currently versus only a handful per decade during the majority of the 20th century. History is not going to remember the new Pilot’s Bill of Rights, but it will judge him harshly.
It is pretty sad that “Stop Inhofe” is so full of hate that he cannot see straight. In a democracy the right to dissent is absolute fundamental and yet “Stop Inhofe” and his ilk has the audacity to simply label people who disagree with them “deniers” and accuse them of being ignorant and morally devoid.
And, he then launches right into the standard left-wing-fringe enviro-babble on “fracking” and climate change. I’d bet you anything that if you looked a bit under the hood of “Stop Inhofe” you would find a rather uneducated and unsuccessful individual with little actual knowledge of the world around him. All he can do is parrot the usual Sierra Club dumbed-down garbage created for “useful idiots”.
Senator Inhofe is doing a great job for general aviation and the least we can do is to show him some respect. He has earned it – and “Stop Inhofe” has earned the continued obscurity he lives in.
Why is it that commenters must always Poison The Well on topics like this?
What you should be saying is: this is yet another great step forward and any legislators who are still not on board will be contacted by me to encourage them to support or at least understand this legislation.
This is a public site, we pilots and those related to aviation should be representing ourselves in a positive manner. Not condemning others or insulting them.
By Jan 2017…..goodie….
Why wouldn’t our Senators and Representatives support this legislation??
It’s great that Sens. Bennet and McCain “finally” signed on. Both are just doing so for their images. Neither of them have ever really given a rat’s a** about GA. Better late than never I guess!! And with all the aviation here in Colorado, Sen. Bennet should of been at the head of the line to sign on!!