Flight School Security Act of 2013

Flight School Security Act of 2013 - Revises requirements with respect to the training of aliens and other individuals designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) in the operation of certain aircraft.

Authorizes a flight instructor, pilot school, or aviation training center to provide training in the operation of an aircraft with a takeoff weight of more than 12,500 pounds to an individual who does not hold a valid Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman's certification only if: (1) that individual has been checked against the terrorist watchlist by the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration [TSA]) to determine if he or she poses a threat to aviation or national security or a threat of terrorism, and (2) the Assistant Secretary determines that the individual does not pose a threat that warrants denial of access to such training.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1245 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1245

  To amend title 49, United States Code, to require that individuals 
   seeking training in the operation of certain aircraft be checked 
  against the terrorist watchlist to ensure that such individuals are 
                        non-threats to aviation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 19, 2013

Mr. Thompson of Mississippi (for himself, Mr. Meehan, and Mr. Richmond) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 49, United States Code, to require that individuals 
   seeking training in the operation of certain aircraft be checked 
  against the terrorist watchlist to ensure that such individuals are 
                        non-threats to aviation.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Flight School Security Act of 
2013''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT THAT INDIVIDUALS SEEKING FLIGHT TRAINING ARE 
              CHECKED AGAINST THE TERRORIST WATCHLIST.

    (a) In General.--Section 44939 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (F) 
                of paragraph (1) as clauses (i) through (vi), 
                respectively;
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
                subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
                    (C) by striking ``12,500 pounds'' and inserting 
                ``12,500 pounds--'';
                    (D) by inserting before subparagraph (A), as 
                redesignated by paragraph (2) of this subsection, a new 
                paragraph (2);
                    (E) by moving the text beginning with ``to an'' and 
                all that follows through ``only if--'' to such 
                paragraph (2);
                    (F) by inserting before such paragraph (2) the 
                following new paragraph (1):
            ``(1) to an individual seeking such training who does not 
        hold a valid airman's certification issued by the Federal 
        Aviation Administration only upon receipt of information from 
        the Assistant Secretary that--
                    ``(A) the individual has been checked against the 
                terrorist watchlist to ascertain if the individual may 
                pose a threat to aviation or national security or a 
                threat of terrorism; and
                    ``(B) the Assistant Secretary has determined that 
                the individual does not pose a threat that warrants 
                denial of access to such training; and''; and
                    (G) in the subsection heading by striking ``Waiting 
                Period.--'' and inserting ``Requirements; Waiting 
                Period.--''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(j) Annual Report.--Not later than March 1 of each year, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report on the total number of 
individuals checked against the terrorist watchlist and total number of 
individuals denied access to flight training during the calendar year 
preceding the year in which the report is submitted, in accordance with 
this section.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of 
subsection (a) of section 44949, as redesignated by subsection (a), is 
amended by striking ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``subparagraph 
(A)''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
shall apply with respect to an individual seeking flight training on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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