Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act

Floor Speech

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2247, the Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act, as amended.

Current law requires airmen to carry physical versions of their pilot license in case a representative of the FAA ever needs to verify the airman's status. This is despite other important paper documents pilots are required to carry, such as their flight bags or flight books, now being allowed to be carried in a digitized form.

The option for airmen to now carry their certificate in a readily accessible digital format is a priority for the aviation community. We have heard them on this issue.

H.R. 2247, as amended, combines the necessary safeguards to provide the option for a digital airmen certificate that is issued by the FAA so long as that certificate can be authenticated and verified by an inspector.

This digital certificate may be uploaded to a device on the airman's person or, if in the presence of a stable internet connection, be stored and accessed through the cloud.

This bill would direct the FAA into rulemaking to ensure these digital certificates are just as secure as their physical originals and establish guidelines for their authentication and verification. By allowing airmen to use a digital certificate in this way, we will continue our efforts to safely and securely modernize the FAA.

Madam Speaker, I support this legislation. I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) for his leadership here, and I urge my colleagues to support this, as well.

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

Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleague from Tennessee. This should not take an act of Congress to do, but nevertheless, we are here and we have to do it.

I appreciate his work on this issue in making sure that we can balance a long-asked-for convenience to our pilots with the necessary safeguards. That is why I support H.R. 2247, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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