The New York City Council - File #: Res 0231-2004

• File #: Res 0231-2004
• Version: *
• Name: Require criminal background checks on all applicants for flight instruction, pilot licenses and the renewal of a pilot license.
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Adopted
• Committee: Committee on State and Federal Legislation
• On agenda: 3/24/2004
• Title: Resolution calling upon the Congress of the United States of America to enact legislation that requires criminal background checks on all applicants for flight instruction, pilot licenses and the renewal of a pilot license and to reject such applications if a felony conviction is revealed.
• Sponsors: Erik Martin Dilan, Tony Avella, Tracy L. Boyland, Lewis A. Fidler, Alan J. Gerson, Margarita Lopez, Miguel Martinez, Joel Rivera, James Sanders, Jr., Peter F. Vallone, Jr., Melinda R. Katz, Michael C. Nelson, James S. Oddo
• Council Member Sponsors: 13

Date	Ver.	Prime Sponsor	Action By	Action	Result
6/22/2004	*	Erik Martin Dilan	City Council	Approved, by Council	Pass
6/22/2004	*	Erik Martin Dilan	Committee on State and Federal Legislation	Approved by Committee	Pass
6/22/2004	*	Erik Martin Dilan	Committee on State and Federal Legislation	Hearing Held by Committee
3/24/2004	*	Erik Martin Dilan	City Council	Referred to Comm by Council
3/24/2004	*	Erik Martin Dilan	City Council	Introduced by Council

Res. No. 231

Resolution calling upon the Congress of the United States of America to enact legislation that requires criminal background checks on all applicants for flight instruction, pilot licenses and the renewal of a pilot license and to reject such applications if a felony conviction is revealed.

 By Council Members Dilan, Avella, Boyland, Fidler, Gerson, Lopez, Martinez, Rivera, Sanders, Vallone, Katz, Nelson and Oddo

                     Whereas, On September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked by terrorists who hijacked four commercial airplanes and used them as weapons of destruction; and

                     Whereas, Some of the terrorists from the September 11^th attacks received flight training in flight schools located within the United States; and

                     Whereas, On December 28, 2003, forty-seven year old Richard Langone flew a private single engine plane through restricted air-space over New York City during a “Code Orange” alert and buzzed the Statute of Liberty before being escorted back to Long Island by a police helicopter; and

                     Whereas, Richard Langone was a convicted murderer who had spent sixteen years in prison; and

Whereas, The Congress of the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration each have certain authority over the aviation industry in the United States of America; and

Whereas, There is currently no federal law, rule or regulation that requires criminal background checks on every person that applies for flight instruction, a pilot license or the renewal of a pilot license; and

Whereas, A federal requirement of criminal background checks for pilot licenses and their renewal could potentially reduce the amount of drug trafficking that takes place because, according to both the United States Customs and Border Control and Drug Enforcement Administration, private aircraft remains one of the vehicles for transporting illegal drugs into the United States; and

Whereas, In light of the September 11^th attacks, criminal background checks should be preformed on all applicants for flight instruction or a pilot license and before the renewal of a pilot license in order to reduce the likelihood of further terrorist attacks; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Congress of the United States of America to introduce and enact legislation that requires criminal background checks on all applicants for flight instruction, pilot licenses and the renewal of a pilot license and to reject such applications if a felony conviction is revealed.

LS # 201

3/5/04

AIS