Bipartisan legislation offered by U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) to help address the nation’s shortage of qualified air traffic controllers (ATCs) has been included in a larger bill that Congress is set to send to the president to become law.
The ATC Hiring Reform Act of 2019, S. 1148, which Sen. Hoeven sponsored in April with lead cosponsor U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), would require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to give preferential consideration to ATC specialist applicants who have completed ATC training and graduated from an institution participating in the Collegiate Training Initiative program, or who are U.S. military veterans, according to the congressional record bill summary.
“Our nation is facing a real shortage of air traffic controllers, which undermines the safety and efficiency of our air transportation system,” Sen. Hoeven said. “Our legislation will help address this shortage, and at the same time, enable the FAA to hire more qualified air traffic controllers.”
Sen. Hoeven’s bill is now included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, S. 1790. The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 11 approved the conference report to accompany S. 1790, while the U.S. Senate on Dec. 16 voted to invoke cloture on the conference report by a 76-6 vote.
“We appreciate our colleagues for working with us to include our bill in the defense authorization legislation, which will allow us to cut the red tape and ensure the FAA can hire the most qualified candidates,” said Sen. Hoeven.
“Our nation’s air traffic controllers are essential to keeping our skies and passengers safe, so it’s critical that the Federal Aviation Administration has all of the tools necessary to build this dedicated workforce,” added Sen. Shaheen. “I’m glad to have helped secure this bipartisan provision in the NDAA and appreciate Senator Hoeven’s partnership.”