[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3752 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3752

To prohibit requiring a pilot of an unmanned aircraft to hold a medical 
 certificate as a condition for piloting such aircraft, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 7, 2024

    Mr. Cruz (for himself, Mr. Budd, and Mr. Warner) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To prohibit requiring a pilot of an unmanned aircraft to hold a medical 
 certificate as a condition for piloting such aircraft, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Fair Qualifications for Pilots 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Unmanned aircraft pilots do not use their feet for 
        things like rudder pedals to control their aircraft and 
        therefore, amputees might be qualified to serve as remote pilot 
        in command without special accommodation.
            (2) While flying, crewed aircraft pilots do not have ready 
        access to quality medical care, whereas unmanned aircraft 
        pilots and crew can directly and easily access both primary and 
        emergency medical care.
            (3) The growing degree of automation in unmanned aircraft 
        systems allows for differently abled persons to fully and 
        completely exercise the full range of system capabilities at 
        the same level as anyone else.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING A PILOT OF AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT TO 
              HOLD A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, neither the Secretary 
of Transportation nor the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall require (by regulation or other action) that a 
pilot of an unmanned aircraft (as defined in section 44801 of title 49, 
United States Code) hold a first-class, second-class, or third-class 
medical certificate issued under part 67 of title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations, as a condition for piloting such aircraft.

SEC. 4. MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS.

    In promulgating any rule establishing a regulatory pathway for 
certification or approval of unmanned aircraft systems (as defined in 
such section 44801) to enable commercial beyond visual line of sight 
operations and to the extent it is necessary to issue any new 
requirements pertaining to the medical qualifications of unmanned 
aircraft operators, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall consider the recommendations of the Beyond Visual 
Line of Sight Aviation Rulemaking Committee relating to the development 
of tailored medical qualifications for unmanned aircraft pilots and 
other crew members.
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