,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #achf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #g1 #bjag,mr4 
,katko 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,lipinski1 and
 ,mrs4 ,comstock7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct  
the ,secretary of ,transportation to    
establish a pilot program to assess the 
operational benefits of remote air      
traffic control towers1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,remote tower pilot      
program for rural or small communities  
7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj    
days after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary of ,transportation
 shall establish a pilot program under  
which1 upon approval of an application  
submitted by an operator of a public-use
 airport1 the ,secretary shall install  
and operate at the airport a remote air 
traffic control tower in order to assess
 the operational benefits of remote air 
traffic control towers4  7b7            

,applications ,the operator of an       
airport seeking to participate in the   
pilot program shall submit to the       
,secretary for approval an application  
that is in such form and contains such  
information as the ,secretary may       
require4  7c7 ,selection criteria  7#a7 
,selection of airports ,from among the  
applications submitted under subsection 
7b71 the ,secretary1 after consultation 
with representatives of labor           
organizations representing operators and
 employees of the air traffic control   
system1 shall select for participation  
in the pilot program #g airports as     
follows3  7,a7 ,one nonhub1 primary     
airport4  7,b7 ,three nonprimary        
airports without existing air traffic   
control towers4  7,c7 ,two airports with
 air traffic control towers             
participating in a program established  
under section #dgabd of title #di1      
,united ,states ,code4  7,d7 ,one       
airport selected at the discretion of   
the ,secretary4  7#b7 ,priority         

selection ,in selecting from among the  
applications submitted under subsection 
7b71 the ,secretary shall give priority 
to applicants that can best demonstrate 
the capabilities and potential of remote
 air traffic control towers4  7#c7      
,authority to reallocate airport        
selection ,if the ,secretary receives an
 insufficient number of applications1   
the ,secretary may reallocate the       
distribution of airport sites described 
in paragraph 7#a74  7#d7 ,multiple      
remote facilities ,if practicable and   
necessary1 the #c remote air traffic    
control towers installed at nonprimary  
airports pursuant to paragraph 7#a77;,b7
 may co-locate remote facilities to     
assess the benefits and efficiencies of 
consolidating such facilities4  7d7     
,asset classification ,a remote air     
traffic control tower1 including        
ancillary equipment1 installed with     
,government funds pursuant to this      
section shall be considered to be an air
 navigation facility4  7e7 ,safety risk 

management panel  7#a7 ,safety risk     
management panel meeting ,prior to the  
operational use of a remote air traffic 
control tower1 the ,secretary shall     
convene a safety risk management panel  
for the tower to address any safety     
issues with respect to the tower4  7#b7 
,safety risk management panel best      
practices ,the safety risk management   
panels shall be created and utilized in 
a manner similar to that of safety risk 
management panels previously established
 for remote air traffic control towers1 
taking into account best practices that 
have been developed4  7f7 ,definitions  
7#a7 ,in general ,in this section1 the  
following definitions apply3 7,a7 ,air  
navigation facility ,the term air       
navigation facility has the meaning     
given that term in section #djajb7;a7 of
 title #di1 ,united ,states ,code4  7,b7
 ,remote air traffic control tower ,the 
term remote air traffic control tower   
means a remotely operated air navigation
 facility1 including all necessary      

system components1 that provides the    
functions and capabilities of an air    
traffic control tower4  7#b7            
,applicability of other definitions ,in 
this section1 the terms nonhub airport1 
primary airport1 public-use airport1 and
 reliever airport have the meanings     
given such terms in section #dgajb of   
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code4  7g7  
,sunset ,the pilot program shall        
terminate on the day that is #e years   
after the date of enactment of this     
,act4