# 119-s-697: Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act of 2025

119-s-697, Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] (R-ND); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-697
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-697
- Congress: 119
- Title: Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-24
- Sponsor: Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] (R-ND)
- Cosponsors: 11
- Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Expands air traffic control training and builds a clearer college-to-career path for new controllers.** The bill strengthens the Collegiate Training Initiative, funds Enhanced-CTI programs, and adds hiring, retention, instructor, mental-health, and radar reporting measures to shore up the workforce.

## Cosponsors (11)

- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-02-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS), 2025-02-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-02-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-05-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] (R-ID), 2025-05-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] (R-ID), 2025-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT), 2025-09-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-09-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS] (R-MS), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More federal money for ATC training: benefit, high. If enacted, the FAA would run a grant program for colleges in the Enhanced Collegiate Training Initiative. Grants could pay for curriculum, faculty, simulators, and FAA-required tests. The bill would authorize $20 million a year for fiscal years 2026–2031 for those grants. The bill would also autho…
- New hiring path and pay incentives: benefit, medium. If enacted, the FAA could hire CTI graduates noncompetitively into excepted service air traffic controller jobs. Those appointments could become career jobs once you reach full performance level. The Department would also set up a qualification incentive for trainees and a retention incentive for C…
- Retirement boost for Enhanced CTI faculty: benefit, low. If enacted, instructors and their supervisors at Enhanced-CTI colleges would become eligible for the federal annuity supplement. This would expand who may get that retirement supplement.
- Review and mental health training for ATC: benefit, low. If enacted, the FAA would convene a committee to review academy and CTI curricula and the ATSA exam and report to Congress within one year. Within 180 days after that report, FAA would start rulemaking or update policy or explain why not. The FAA would also set up a mental-health training course fo…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
- 119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.
- 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona.
- 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina.

## Sources
- [119-s-697 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/697)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1032)
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897)
- [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-697 (as of 2026-09-10).