The Pilots Bill of Rights 2 took another step forward with yesterday’s passage by the full Senate. The Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent less than a week after the Senate Commerce Committee approved a compromise version of the bill, S.571, which addresses concerns of Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and other committee members. The Senate passed the bill as the number of co-sponsors had grown to 70. The legislation still must receive consideration by the House, where the number of co-sponsors has reached 152.

General aviation groups lauded the passage of the bill, saying it provides important pilot protections in enforcement cases and will make flying more accessible by reforming third-class medical requirements.

“This is an enormous step toward getting long-awaited third-class medical reforms, and we’re excited that the Senate has moved so decisively to get this done,” said AOPA president Mark Baker. “These reforms are vital to the future of general aviation.”

“With this bill, pilots are assured every opportunity to protect their airman certificate, which is often tied to their livelihood,” added Brian Koester, NBAA’s manager of operations. NBAA pointed to provisions calling for the FAA to provide timely notification of the start of an enforcement investigation and to hand over enforcement investigative reports when serving emergency orders.