Inhofe's Pilots' Rights Bill Gains Momentum

General aviation advocates are encouraged that Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) has secured a filibuster-proof 67 co-sponsors for the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR 2) bill, S.571, clearing the way to proceed on the measure. Inhofe, who told an audience at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture in July that his goal was to reach 60 co-sponsors on the bill, appealed to his colleagues in the Senate in late September to back consideration of the legislation “in the next very short period of time.”

EAA and AOPA have called on their members in recent months to appeal to lawmakers to support the bill. As a result, the bill has reached a “supermajority” co-sponsorship, and the House version had garnered 145 co-sponsors by mid-October. Sens. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) were the three co-sponsors who pushed the bill over the 60 mark.

“The Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 was authored by and for the general aviation community, and it is their persistence with their elected officials that has resulted in more than a majority of the Senate supporting this legislation,” Inhofe said. “This second edition will continue to improve and streamline the antiquated regulatory system faced by GA pilots and industry alike.”

Third-class Medical a Top Concern

Building on the original PBOR enacted into law in 2012, PBOR 2 would expand the third-class medical exemption to recreational pilots. In addition, the bill would strengthen certificate-holder protections during investigations or enforcement procedures; expedite updates to the Notice to Airmen (Notam) Improvement Program that the original PBOR bill mandated; and provide further Good Samaritan protections, among other measures.

While the third-class medical exemption remains controversial, the certificate-holder protections have attracted support for the bill from a range of pilot groups, including the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP). Pedro Leroux, president of NJASAP, wrote in support of the bill earlier this year, saying Inhofe’s work is “highlighted by efforts to extend the due-process rights of all certificate holders facing FAA investigation or enforcement action as well as enhancing the Notice to Airmen Improvement Program.” The Allied Pilots Association and Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association have offered support too.

Senate backers Joe Manchin (D- W.Va.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) introduced PBOR 2 as an amendment to the Senate version of highway reauthorization legislation, but that effort faltered when the Senate failed to reach agreement with the House on the bill. It is still unclear whether PBOR 2 will be attached to another must-pass vehicle or stand alone. One other possibility is that the third-class medical provision moves forward separately, either as an amendment or standalone bill.

“There’s still a lot of work left to do before third-class medical reform becomes a reality, but we are closer than we’ve ever been before to getting this done,” said Jim Coon, AOPA senior vice president of government affairs. “We’ll keep working to build momentum for PBOR 2 and we’ll continue to look for opportunities to have medical reform language included in other types of legislation that are moving through Congress.”