The San Diego County Board of Supervisors threw their support behind a House Resolution requiring that all foreign flight schools make sure their students are in compliance with federal requirements.
All members of the board voted in favor of drafting a letter of support for House Resolution designed to prevent potential terrorists from training in the United States.
The resolution, also known as Flight School Security Act of 2012, requires foreign national flight students to be checked against a terrorist watch list.
Foreign nationals who pose a security risk could be allowed to receive flight training in the U.S. due to loopholes in the vetting process of foreign pilots, according to a report by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The county intends to draft a letter to Congress indicating San Diego's support. It will also work with the County Counsel to draft an ordinance that would require San Diego County flight instructors to comply with the U.S. government's screening and vetting requirements for all foreign flight students.
Supervisors said the vote was especially significant on the the 11th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
“While this is a federal issue, we also need to develop a local ordinance that basically requires all flight schools and independent flight instructors at county airports to comply with all foreign flight screening and vetting requirements," said Supervisor Dianne Jacob.
