CALIFORNIA AVIATION RELATED LEGISLATION
BILL NUMBER: AJR 29 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 157
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 2, 2001
ADOPTED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 14, 2001
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 14, 2001
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 14, 2001
On September 13, the following California Assembly Joint Resolution was introduced, the first of its kind for this subject in California’s legislative history. Similar resolutions were drafted in Florida and New York immediately after the September 11th attacks.
Aviation has never known times like these. History is being written as we speak, and if ever there was a reason for pilots to become accutely aware of their rapdily evolving world, it’s in this document.
This resolution was drafted prior to the Tampa, Florida, incident, which only served to add fuel to the public’s fire.
We’ve bold-faced one section of the resolution for obvious reasons. CPA members have a clear perception of this section, maybe more than most pilots by virture of their very membership. You realize the importance of preserving airports and aviation. You recognize the fragility our world now faces, and you support proactive efforts to defend it.
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INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Florez, Frommer, and Maldonado
(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Cardenas and Horton)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist, Aroner, Ashburn, Bates, Bogh, Briggs, Calderon, Bill Campbell, John Campbell, Canciamilla, Cardoza, Cedillo, Chan, Chavez, Chu, Cogdill, Corbett, Correa, Cox, Daucher, Diaz, Dickerson, Dutra, Firebaugh, Harman, Havice, Hertzberg, Hollingsworth, Jackson, Keeley, Kehoe, Kelley, Koretz,Leach, Leonard, Leslie, Liu, Lowenthal, Maddox, Matthews, Migden, Nakano, Nation, NegreteMcleod, Oropeza, Robert Pacheco, Rod Pacheco,Papan, Pavley, Pescetti, Richman, Runner, Salinas, Shelley, Simitian,Steinberg, Strickland, Strom-Martin, Thomson, Vargas, Washington, Wayne, Wesson, Wiggins, Wright, Wyland, Wyman, and Zettel)
SEPTEMBER 13, 2001
Assembly Joint Resolution No. 29–Relative to flight training schools.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
AJR 29, Florez. Flight training schools.
This measure would memorialize the Congress of the United States to instruct the Federal Aviation Administration to implement security measures including, but not limited to, identification, fingerprinting, and domestic and international background checks for students and trainees at private or government operated flight training schools.
WHEREAS, The United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, by terrorists who hijacked four commercial airliners and flew three of them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to maximize the number of innocent victim deaths; and
WHEREAS, These terrorists took the lives of thousands of innocent individuals; and
WHEREAS, Investigations have revealed that some, if not all, of the hijackers trained at flight training schools in the United States in preparation for their terrorist attacks; and
WHEREAS, There are a number of flight training schools in California that provide training similar to that received by the above-mentioned terrorists; and
WHEREAS, The ability to pilot an aircraft gives the pilot an awesome power over the lives of not only passengers but persons on the ground; and
WHEREAS, Currently, these flight schools are not required to do any background checks, fingerprinting, or other confirmation of identification, allowing literally anyone with sufficient money to enroll in flight training; and
WHEREAS, The events of September 11, 2001, reveal the need for increased security in flight training schools to minimize the possibility of a repeat of the horrendous attacks against buildings and innocent civilians; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature of California respectfully memorializes the Congress of the United States to instruct the Federal Aviation Administration to implement security measures including, but not limited to, identification, fingerprinting, and domestic and international background checks for students and trainees at private or government operated flight training schools; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.
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As of this writing, pilots in the Washington, D.C. area flying out of College Park, Potomac Airfield, and Washington Executive were recently fingerprinted by the United States Secret Service. Cursory background checks were initiated as well. Forget $100 hamburgers; there’s something far more profound on the grill…
