Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2247) to amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize the use of physical or digital copies of certain certificates for certain Federal Aviation Administration inspections, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 2247

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 ``Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act''. SEC. 2. ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF CERTIFICATION.

(a) In General.--Section 44703 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``(m) Sufficiency of Digital and Physical Airman Certificates.--An individual issued a certificate pursuant to this section (including a medical certificate) may present such certificate to an inspector of the Federal Aviation Administration in any of the following formats:

``(1) A physical certificate issued by the Administrator (or his or her designee).

``(2) A digital certificate issued by the Administrator that is stored on an electronic device or, in areas where there is sufficient connectivity to do so, a cloud-based system, and presented in accordance with authentication and verification requirements established by the Administrator.''.

(b) Rulemaking.--Not later than November 30, 2028, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue a final rule to update regulations in parts 61, 63, 65, 67, and 107 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to implement the amendments made by this section, and any applicable guidance and policies.

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Mr. TAYLOR. 2247.

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Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 2247, the Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act, is commonsense legislation that would bring the Federal Aviation Administration into the digital age.

In today's digital age, it is past time for the FAA to join the 21st century and allow digital options for airmen certificates. I am supportive of any initiative that safely lowers barriers and ultimately allows more Americans to exercise their freedom to fly. Allowing pilots the option to carry digital copies of their certifications in lieu of paper copies accomplishes that.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directed the agency to holistically review and digitize processes. The Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act builds upon those efforts and represents an incremental step toward digitization that benefits all users.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of this legislation and reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), the author of this legislation.

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Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I thank Representative Burchett again for his leadership in introducing this commonsense legislation.

For decades, pilots have been required to carry physical copies of their certificates, even as aviation has entered the digital age. Allowing pilots the option to carry digital certificates is a simple, safe, and practical step that reduces unnecessary barriers and makes it easier to exercise the freedom to fly.

This legislation represents a reasonable, incremental move toward fully digitized systems that benefit all users.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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