What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act This bill allows a pilot to present a digital copy of certain certificates (e.g., an airman certificate or a medical certificate) when required to present such documentation by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector or other official. Under current FAA regulations, a pilot must present for inspection a physical copy of an airman certificate and other paperwork upon a request from the FAA; a federal, state, or local law enforcement officer; or an authorized representative of the Transportation Security Administration or the National Transportation Safety Board. This bill allows a pilot to present a certificate such as an airman certificate or a medical certificate as (1) a physical, original copy; or (2) a digital copy stored on an electronic device or cloud storage platform. The FAA must update current regulations to implement this change.
Action Timeline
2026-03-25
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
2026-03-24
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2026-03-24
Mr. Taylor moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
2026-03-24
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
2026-03-24
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2247.
2026-03-24
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2660-2661)
2026-03-24
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2660)
2026-03-16
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H. Rept. 119-551.
2026-03-16
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 474.
2026-03-16
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H. Rept. 119-551.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HR.2247 pass?
HR.2247 is still alive. Current stage: PASSED_ONE. Pass likelihood: 32%.
What does HR.2247 do?
Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act This bill allows a pilot to present a digital copy of certain certificates (e.g., an airman certificate or a medical certificate) when required to present such documentation by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector or other official. Under current FAA regulations, a pilot must present for inspection a physical copy of an airman certificate and other paperwork upon a request from the FAA; a federal, state, or local law enforcement officer; or an authorized representative of the Transportation Security Administration or the National Transportation …
Who sponsored HR.2247?
HR.2247 was sponsored by Tim Burchett (R-Tennessee).
Full Bill Text
119 HR 2247 EH: Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act U.S. House of Representatives text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. IB 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 2247 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize the use of physical or digital copies of certain certificates for certain Federal Aviation Administration inspections, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act . 2. Acceptable forms of certification (a) In general Section 44703 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (m) Sufficiency of digital and physical airman certificates An individual issued a certificate pursuant to this section (including a medical certificate) may present such certificate to an inspector of the Federal Aviation Administration in any of the following formats: (1) A physical certificate issued by the Administrator (or his or her designee). (2) A digital certificate issued by the Administrator that is stored on an electronic device or, in areas where there is sufficient connectivity to do so, a cloud-based system, and presented in accordance with authentication and verification requirements established by the Administrator. . (b) Rulemaking Not later than November 30, 2028, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue a final rule to update regulations in parts 61, 63, 65, 67, and 107 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to implement the amendments made by this section, and any applicable guidance and policies. Passed the House of Representatives March 24, 2026. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.
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