Sat, Feb 13, 2010
Schedules A Week For Debate On FAA Reauthorization Bill
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Thursday that a
week in March would be set aside for debate on the FAA
reauthorization bill, which has been on hold in the U.S. Senate for
months.
The pledge to New York Senator Charles Schumer (D) came a day
before the first anniversary of the Colgan Air crash in Buffalo
which killed 50 people.
The Senate version of the bill contains language that would
increase and standardize pilot training, as well as requiring
airlines to establish minimum remedial training standards. The bill
would also address some of the concerns expressed by the NTSB
following the Colgan Air accident. It further calls for an
independent study of pilot fatigue, which would be included in the
FAA's planned flight and duty time rules.
The Buffalo News reports that Senator Schumer has asked for an
amendment to the bill that would require airline co-pilots to have
a minimum of 1,500 hours, rather than the 250 hours currently
required for the right seat. Another amendment pushed by Schumer
would require online travel sites to clearly identify which flights
are operated on a codeshare basis with regional airlines.
The bill cleared the Senate Commerce Committee last summer, but
it has been sitting in the Finance Committee ever since. That
committee has been focusing all of its efforts on Health Care
Reform. It is still not clear whether the Finance committee will
attempt to mark up the bill before it goes to the floor, or if it
will release it as it stands now.
The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed an FAA
reauthorization bill, along with a separate measure dealing with
safety issues that is far more stringent than the Senate
proposal.
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