Text of Senate Amendment 6671

Quick facts

Record: Senate Floor
Section type: Amendments
Chamber: Senate
Date: July 14, 2026
Congress: 119th Congress
Why this source matters: This section came from the Senate floor portion of the record.

Linked context

People mentioned: Hoeven, John
Committees: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Readable version of the official text

SA 6671. Mr. HOEVEN (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Moran, and Ms. Duckworth) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in subtitle G of title X, insert

the following:

SEC. . AIR TRAFFIC-COLLEGIATE TRAINING INITIATIVE PROGRAM

IMPROVEMENTS.

(a) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) Administrator.—The term “Administrator” means the

Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

(2) Appropriate committees of congress.—The term

“appropriate committees of Congress” means the Committee on

Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House

of Representatives.

(3) Comptroller general.—The term “Comptroller General”

means the Comptroller General of the United States.

(4) FAA.—The term “FAA” means the Federal Aviation

Administration.

(b) Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative Program

Improvements.—

(1) In general.—Section 44506(c) of title 49, United

States Code, is amended to read as follows:

“(c) Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative and

Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative.—

“(1) In general.—The Administrator of the Federal

Aviation Administration shall maintain the Air Traffic-

Collegiate Training Initiative program and the Enhanced Air

Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative program (in this

section referred to as the `Enhanced Initiative') to support

the recruitment, education, and hiring of well-qualified

developmental air traffic controllers.

“(2) Special rules for the enhanced initiative.—

“(A) Requirements.—In maintaining the Enhanced Initiative

under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall, at a minimum—

“(i) select and coordinate with accredited institutions of

higher education (as defined in section 61.1 of title 14,

Code of Federal Regulations), as determined by the

Administrator, that administer an accredited air traffic

curriculum to undergraduate students, to prepare students for

the position of air traffic controller with the Department of

Transportation (as defined in section 2109 of title 5);

“(ii) establish standards for the entry and participation

of accredited institutions of higher education into the

program; and

“(iii) solicit applications from, and provide guidance to,

interested accredited institutions of higher education that

administer an accredited air traffic curriculum to

undergraduate students, including accredited institutions

that participate in the Air Traffic-Collegiate Training

Initiative, to foster participation of qualified accredited

institutions in the Enhanced Initiative.

“(B) Selection criteria.—Prior to selecting an accredited

institution of higher education for participation in the

Enhanced Initiative, the Administrator shall—

“(i) consider the air traffic curriculum of the

institution, including the institution's access to air

traffic educational resources and Federal Aviation

Administration air traffic facilities and equipment;

“(ii) certify that each accredited institution of higher

education seeking to participate in the Enhanced Initiative

has a qualified air traffic curriculum that provides, at a

minimum, an equivalent level of education and training for

air traffic controller trainees to that provided at the

Federal Aviation Administration Academy; and

“(iii) certify that all evaluations of students at

accredited institutions of higher education seeking to

participate in the Enhanced Initiative shall be conducted by

evaluators that are approved and certified by the Federal

Aviation Administration.

“(3) Appointment of program graduates.—The Administrator

may appoint an individual who has successfully completed a

course of training in a program described in paragraph (1) to

the position of air traffic controller noncompetitively in

the excepted service (as defined in section 2103 of title

5).”.

(2) FAA air traffic control training aviation rulemaking

committee.—

(A) In general.—The Administrator shall convene an

aviation rulemaking committee to—

(i) review the curricula of the air traffic technical

training academy of the FAA, including its use in the Air

Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative program and the

Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative program;

(ii) review the on-the-job training, development,

evaluation, and certification of certified professional

controllers;

(iii) develop findings and recommendations regarding the

improvement and modernization of such curricula and training;

and

(iv) provide to the Administrator a report on such findings

and recommendations and for other related purposes as

determined by the Administrator.

(B) Composition.—The aviation rulemaking committee

established under subparagraph (A) shall consist of members

appointed by the Administrator, including representatives

of—

(i) institutions of higher education that are accredited by

the Aviation Accreditation Board International;

(ii) aviation industry organizations;

(iii) FAA subject matter experts;

(iv) military and commercial operators of aircraft,

helicopters, and powered-lift aircraft;

(v) the exclusive bargaining representative of the air

traffic controllers certified under section 7111 of title 5,

United States Code;

(vi) organizations representing certified collective

bargaining representatives of airline pilots;

(vii) representatives of accredited institutions of higher

education participating in the Air Traffic-Collegiate

Training Initiative program and the Enhanced Air Traffic-

Collegiate Training Initiative program;

(viii) aviation safety experts, including those from

outside the FAA; and

(ix) any other stakeholder determined appropriate by the

Administrator.

established under subparagraph (A) shall consider the

following:

(i) The advancements in education technology, including

digital resources and augmented reality or virtual reality

capabilities, that may be incorporated into a modern

curriculum and training.

(ii) The appropriate balance between the use of theoretical

knowledge and practical application.

(iii) A review of instructional techniques to improve the

effectiveness of learning outcomes.

(iv) The real-world applicability of air traffic operations

procedures included in the curriculum and training.

(v) Student success rates, including outcomes of air

traffic controller trainees when placed at facilities for on-

the-job training.

(vi) Methods for reducing the subjectivity of instructional

techniques.

(vii) Student success rates correlated with the completion

of the Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative program and

the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative

program described in section 44506(c) of title 49, United

States Code.

(viii) The appropriate method for ensuring the curriculum

and training incorporates new entrants into the national

airspace system.

(ix) Other considerations as determined appropriate by the

Administrator.

(D) Duties.—

(i) In general.—Not later than 18 months after the date of

enactment of this section, the Administrator shall submit to

the appropriate committees of Congress a copy of the aviation

rulemaking committee report provided to the Administrator

under subparagraph (A)(iii).

(ii) Implementation.—Not later than 180 days after the

date of submission of the report under clause (i), the

Administrator shall implement the recommendations of the

report, as determined appropriate by the Administrator.

(iii) Justification.—If the Administrator decides not to

implement a recommendation described in the report submitted

under clause (i), the Administrator shall submit to the

appropriate committees of Congress a justification for such

decision not later than 90 days after receiving such report.

(E) Prohibition on compensation.—The members of the

aviation rulemaking committee convened under this paragraph

shall not receive pay, allowances, or benefits from the

Federal Government by reason of their service on such

committee. This paragraph shall not be construed to affect

the pay, allowances, or benefits of any Federal employee who

serves as a member of the aviation rulemaking committee as

part of their official duties.

(3) Review of enhanced air traffic-collegiate training

initiative program.—

(A) In general.—Not later than 5 years after the date of

the enactment of this section, the Comptroller General shall

initiate a study to examine the effectiveness of the Enhanced

Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative program (in this

paragraph referred to as the “Enhanced Initiative”) in—

(i) increasing the education and training capacity of FAA

air traffic controllers; and

(ii) growing the FAA air traffic controller workforce.

(B) Contents.—In conducting the study under subparagraph

(A), the Comptroller General shall, at a minimum, evaluate

the effectiveness of the program in producing—

(i) students that score at least a well-qualified score on

the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (or a successor air traffic

entrance exam);

(ii) developmental controllers that enter en route and

terminal air traffic environments after completing the

Enhanced Initiative; and

(iii) developmental controllers that become certified

professional controllers.

subparagraph (A), the Comptroller General shall consult with

the Administrator and appropriate stakeholders involved in

overseeing, operating, and administering the Enhanced

Initiative.

(D) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which

the Comptroller General initiates the study under

subparagraph (A), the Comptroller General shall submit to the

appropriate committees of Congress and the Administrator a

report describing the results of the study, together with any

appropriate recommendations for legislative or administrative

action.

Official source

Download the official section PDF

Readable version of the official text

Linked Context

Official Record

Quick facts

Linked context

Readable version of the official text

Official source