There is a lot more to the new bill than is mentioned by AOPA:
Section 1 – Title. Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2
Section 2 – Language expands the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 3rd class medical exemption for light sport aircraft to cover most small general aviation (GA) aircraft. It would also prohibit enforcement of violations if FAA has not complied with these provisions within 180 days of enactment.
Section 3 – Language reigns in Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) stops and searches of GA by requiring CBP to follow general law enforcement standards when exercising its powers.
Section 4 – Language provides local airport offices to manage the use of private hangars at airports. Current law gives federal officials and Washington the ability to dictate what does and doesn’t happen inside a hangar; this section changes that problem.
Section 5 – Opens a dialogue on language that will make it easier to install new, safety enhancing equipment on existing aircraft without going through a lengthy, expensive certification process.
Section 6 – Language expands on the Pilot’s Bill of Rights by:
a. Subsections a-b. - Explicitly states that pilots facing an investigation by FAA can appeal the issue directly to a federal district court for a de novo trial. This provision of the original Pilot’s Bill of Rights has not operated as intended.
c. Subsection c. - Expands the protections of the Pilot’s Bill of Rights to other certificate holders in the aviation community, such as charter operators or repair stations.
d. Subsection d. - Requires FAA to provide notification to an individual once they become subject to an FAA investigation; if FAA does not provide notification, they cannot press charges.
e. Subsection e. - Limits scope of FAA’s document requests of certificate holders to the pertinent issues being investigated.
f. Subsection f. - Reinstates FAA’s expungement policy, preventing the agency from retaining records of enforcement against an airmen certificate holder after retaining it for 5 years. Also prohibits the retention of records beyond 90 days if the agency does not take enforcement action. Further prevents the FAA from publicizing pending enforcement actions against a covered certificate holder.
Section 7 – Prohibits enforcement of NOTAM violations if FAA has not finished its NOTAM improvement program by the end of the year.
Section 8 – Language requires contract towers and other outsourced FAA programs to be subject to FOIA requests.
Section 9 – Language provides civil liability protection to aviation medical examiners and other FAA reps, treating them as government employees as the proscribed duties are carried out.
http://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsro...ofe-seeks-comments-on-pilots-bill-of-rights-2
