Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act of 2019

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 3043 To modernize training programs at aviation maintenance technician schools, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES DECEMBER 12, 2019 Mr. INHOFE (for himself, Mr. MORAN, Ms. DUCKWORTH, and Mrs. CAPITO) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To modernize training programs at aviation maintenance technician schools, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting Aviation 4 Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act of 5 2019’’. 6 SEC. 2. NEW REGULATIONS REQUIRED. 7 (a) INTERIM FINAL REGULATIONS.—Not later than 8 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Ad- 9 ministrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (in 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Dec 17, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3043.IS S3043 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •S 3043 IS this Act referred to as the ‘‘Administrator’’) shall issue 1 interim final regulations to establish requirements for 2 issuing aviation maintenance technician school certificates 3 and associated ratings and the general operating rules for 4 the holders of those certificates and ratings in accordance 5 with the requirements of this Act. 6 (b) REPEAL OF CURRENT REGULATIONS.—Upon the 7 effective date of the interim final regulations required 8 under subsection (a), part 147 of title 14, Code of Federal 9 Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this 10 Act) and any regulations issued under section 624 of the 11 FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–254) 12 shall have no force or effect on or after the effective date 13 of such interim final regulations. 14 SEC. 3. AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN SCHOOL 15 CERTIFICATION REQUIRED. 16 No person may operate an aviation maintenance tech- 17 nician school without, or in violation of, an aviation main- 18 tenance technician school certificate and the operations 19 specifications issued under the interim final regulations 20 required under section 2(a). 21 SEC. 4. CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS. 22 (a) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—An application 23 for a certificate to operate an aviation maintenance techni- 24 cian school shall include the following: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Dec 17, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3043.IS S3043 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •S 3043 IS (1) A description of the facilities, including the 1 physical address of the certificate holder’s primary 2 location for operation of the school, any additional 3 fixed locations where training will be provided, and 4 the equipment and materials to be used at each loca- 5 tion. 6 (2) A description of the manner in which the 7 school’s curriculum will ensure students are capable 8 of attaining a mechanic certificate and associated 9 ratings under subpart D of part 65 of title 14, Code 10 of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation). 11 (3) A description of the manner in which the 12 school will ensure it provides the necessary qualified 13 personnel to meet the requirements of section 5(d). 14 (b) CHANGE APPLICATIONS.—An application for an 15 additional rating or amended certificate shall include only 16 the information necessary to substantiate the reason for 17 the requested additional rating or change. 18 (c) DURATION OF CERTIFICATE.—An aviation main- 19 tenance technician school certificate issued under the in- 20 terim final regulations required under section 2(a) shall 21 be effective from the date of issue until the certificate is 22 surrendered, suspended, or revoked. 23 (d) CERTIFICATE RATINGS.—An aviation mainte- 24 nance technician school certificate issued under the in- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Dec 17, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3043.IS S3043 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •S 3043 IS terim final regulations required under section 2(a) shall 1 specify which of the one or more following ratings apply 2 to the aviation maintenance technician school: 3 (1) Airframe. 4 (2) Powerplant. 5 (3) Airframe and Powerplant. 6 SEC. 5. OPERATIONS REQUIREMENTS. 7 (a) FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, AND MATERIAL RE- 8 QUIREMENTS.—Each aviation maintenance technician 9 school shall provide and maintain the facilities, equipment, 10 and materials that are appropriate to the one or more rat- 11 ings held by the school and the number of students taught. 12 (b) TRAINING PROVIDED AT ANOTHER LOCATION.— 13 An aviation maintenance technician school may provide 14 training at any additional location that meets the require- 15 ments of the interim final regulations required under sec- 16 tion 2(a) and is listed in the certificate holder’s operations 17 specifications. 18 (c) CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS.—Each aviation 19 maintenance technician school shall establish and main- 20 tain curriculum designed to continually align with me- 21 chanic testing standards and ensure students are eligible 22 for a mechanic certificate and associated ratings under 23 subpart D of part 65 of title 14, Code of Federal Regula- 24 tions (or any successor regulation). 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Dec 17, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3043.IS S3043 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •S 3043 IS (d) INSTRUCTOR REQUIREMENTS.—Each aviation 1 maintenance technician school shall— 2 (1) provide qualified personnel to teach in a 3 manner that ensures positive educational outcomes 4 are achieved; and 5 (2) ensure instructors hold a mechanic certifi- 6 cate with one or more appropriate ratings (or, with 7 respect to instructors who are not certified mechan- 8 ics, are otherwise specifically qualified to teach their 9 assigned content). 10 SEC. 6. QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM. 11 (a) ACCREDITATION.—Each aviation maintenance 12 technician school shall— 13 (1) be accredited as meeting the definition of an 14 institution of higher education provided for in sec- 15 tion 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 16 U.S.C. 1001); or 17 (2) establish and maintain a quality control sys- 18 tem that meets the requirements specified in sub- 19 section (b) and is approved by the Administrator. 20 (b) FAA-APPROVED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.—The 21 Administrator shall approve a quality control system that 22 provides procedures for recordkeeping, assessment, issuing 23 credit for experience, issuing of final course grades, ensur- 24 ing sufficient number of instructors, granting of gradua- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Dec 17, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3043.IS S3043 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 •S 3043 IS tion documentation, and corrective action for addressing 1 deficiencies. 2 SEC. 7. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS. 3 (a) MINIMUM PASSAGE RATE.—An aviation mainte- 4 nance technician school shall maintain a pass rate of at 5 least 70 percent of students that take the written, oral, 6 or practical (or any combination thereof) Federal Aviation 7 Administration mechanic tests within 60 days of gradua- 8 tion for the most recent 3-year period. 9 (b) FAA INSPECTION.—An aviation maintenance 10 technician school shall allow the Administrator such access 11 as the Administrator determines necessary to inspect the 12 one or more locations of the school for purposes of deter- 13 mining the school’s compliance with the interim final regu- 14 lations required under section 2(a) and the aviation main- 15 tenance technician school certificate issued for the school. 16 (c) EARLY TESTING.—An aviation maintenance tech- 17 nician school may issue authenticated documentation dem- 18 onstrating a student’s satisfactory progress, completion of 19 corresponding portions of the curriculum, and prepared- 20 ness to take the aviation mechanic written general knowl- 21 edge test, even if the student has not met the experience 22 requirements of section 65.77 of title 14, Code of Federal 23 Regulations (or any successor regulation). Any such docu- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Dec 17, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3043.IS S3043 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 7 •S 3043 IS mentation shall specify the curriculum the student com- 1 pleted and the completion date. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:50 Dec 17, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S3043.IS S3043 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS