Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
The Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act amends 49 U.S.C. §44703 to allow airmen (including holders of medical certificates) to present either original physical certificates or digital copies (on devices or cloud storage, including FAA-issued mobile certificates) to FAA inspectors. The FAA Administrator must update Part 61 regulations as needed, and the changes must be applied beginning one year after enactment.
Libs stress privacy, equity, and protections for vulnerable pilots
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a straightforward statutory amendment that clearly authorizes physical originals and digital copies of airman certificates and requires the FAA to update part 61 to implement the change.
The Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act amends 49 U.S.C. §44703 to allow airmen (including holders of medical certificates) to present either original physical certificates or digital copies (on devices or cloud storage, including FAA-issued mobile certificates) to FAA inspectors.
The FAA Administrator must update Part 61 regulations as needed, and the changes must be applied beginning one year after enactment.
Small, administrative modernization with limited fiscal impact typically attracts bipartisan support and passes more easily.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a straightforward statutory amendment that clearly authorizes physical originals and digital copies of airman certificates and requires the FAA to update part 61 to implement the change. It identifies the implementing official and a one-year applicability timeframe.
Libs stress privacy, equity, and protections for vulnerable pilots
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Libs stress privacy, equity, and protections for vulnerable pilots
Overall supportive of the bill's modernization and accessibility aims, while cautious about privacy, equity, and enforcement safeguards.
Sees potential benefits for disabled pilots and low-friction compliance, but wants assurances on data privacy and protections for those without reliable electronic access.
Generally favorable as a pragmatic modernization that reduces regulatory friction, while demanding careful, evidence-based rulemaking.
Will look for clear FAA standards, transition timelines, and cost estimates during implementation.
Favorable as a sensible deregulation/modernization measure that reduces red tape and embraces digital solutions.
May still want minimal federal mandates on technology choices and attention to fraud prevention.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Small, administrative modernization with limited fiscal impact typically attracts bipartisan support and passes more easily.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Libs stress privacy, equity, and protections for vulnerable pilots
Small, administrative modernization with limited fiscal impact typically attracts bipartisan support and passes more easily.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a straightforward statutory amendment that clearly authorizes physical originals and digital copies of airman certificates and requires the FAA to update part 61 t…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.