Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act

Key Points

• Congress is considering a plan to let pilots show their licenses and medical records on a smartphone or tablet. Currently, pilots are often required to carry original physical documents to show safety inspectors during checks.
• The proposal would require the Federal Aviation Administration to accept digital copies stored on electronic devices or in cloud storage. This change is meant to make it easier for pilots to keep their required paperwork ready at all times.
• This rule would apply to all pilot certificates and medical clearances. It aims to modernize government record-keeping by allowing digital versions to carry the same weight as traditional plastic or paper cards.
• If this becomes law, the government would have one year to update its safety regulations. This would help prevent pilots from being penalized simply because they didn't have a physical copy of their license on hand.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.