Aviation Weather Safety Improvement Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Aviation Weather Safety Improvement Act amends the aviation meteorological-services statute to add a staffing coordination duty for Center Weather Service Units. The Transportation Secretary, acting through FAA, must coordinate with the National Weather Service Director, FAA Administrator, exclusive bargaining representatives for air traffic control specialists, and certified representatives for National Weather Service employees to ensure each unit is adequately staffed for safe and efficient aircraft movement. The Secretary must report to House and Senate transportation, science, and commerce committees within 180 days and annually on implementation.
Who Benefits and How
Airline passengers, pilots, air carriers, and general aviation users benefit if Center Weather Service Units have enough meteorological staff to support safe and efficient traffic management during severe or complex weather. FAA air traffic control specialists benefit because staffing decisions must involve their exclusive bargaining representatives and should improve weather support in control centers. National Weather Service meteorologists benefit from formal recognition that staffing levels affect aviation safety and from union involvement in implementation discussions.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Transportation Secretary and FAA must coordinate staffing policy across FAA, the National Weather Service, and labor representatives and must produce recurring congressional reports. National Weather Service leadership must participate in staffing coordination for units embedded in aviation operations. FAA and NWS bargaining representatives must engage in the process. Agencies may face pressure to document staffing gaps, justify staffing levels, and respond to congressional oversight every year.
Key Provisions
- Adds a statutory duty to coordinate adequate Center Weather Service Unit staffing for safe and efficient aircraft movement.
- Requires coordination among FAA, the National Weather Service, and certified labor representatives for air traffic control and weather employees.
- Requires an implementation report to congressional committees within 180 days after enactment.
- Requires annual reports on Center Weather Service Unit staffing implementation after the first report.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires FAA, the National Weather Service, and certified labor representatives to ensure Center Weather Service Units are adequately staffed and requires the Transportation Secretary to report to Congress within 180 days and annually afterward.
Key Policy Areas
Transportation, Weather, Labor
Primary Purpose
Requires FAA, the National Weather Service, and certified labor representatives to ensure Center Weather Service Units are adequately staffed and requires the Transportation Secretary to report to Congress within 180 days and annually afterward.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Airline passengers
- Pilots
- Air carriers
- FAA air traffic control specialists
- National Weather Service meteorologists
Identified Costs
- Federal Aviation Administration
- National Weather Service
- Transportation Secretary
- Certified labor representatives
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and …
Introduced in House
Ms. Gillen (for herself and Mr. Begich) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
FAA air traffic control specialists, National Weather Service meteorologists
Federal Aviation Administration, National Weather Service
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology