Section 38-3-22.2. Establishment of Airport Antiterrorism Training Committee; annual training

   (a) As used in this Code section, the term:

   (1) "Airport Antiterrorism Training Committee" means a committee composed of five members: one appointed by and to serve at the pleasure of the Homeland Security Director; one appointed by and to serve at the pleasure of the director of emergency management; one appointed by and to serve at the pleasure of the commissioner of transportation; one appointed by and to serve at the pleasure of the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia; and one appointed by and to serve at the pleasure of the commissioner of public safety.

   (2) "Airport manager" means, with respect to each airport located in this state, the person who serves as manager, serves as general manager, or otherwise serves as the chief administrative officer of such airport. If for any airport, there is more than one person who may fit such definition, the local government, authority, or company operating such airport shall designate one such person as its airport manager for purposes of this Code section.

(b) The Airport Antiterrorism Training Committee shall establish and maintain an annual training program for persons who serve as airport managers. It shall be unlawful for any person to serve as an airport manager in this state unless such person is in compliance with rules and regulations of the Airport Antiterrorism Training Committee implementing this Code section. Such rules and regulations:

   (1) Shall require each airport manager in this state to complete 14 hours of initial training and eight hours of annual training thereafter, with the first training to be completed in calendar year 2004;

   (2) Shall establish the curriculum of such annual training;

   (3) May provide for exemption from or delay of the annual training otherwise required in cases of providential cause or hardship; and

   (4) May provide for exemption from the annual training otherwise required for airport managers who demonstrate that they have or will otherwise obtain the competencies taught in the annual training curriculum.

(c) The Airport Antiterrorism Training Committee shall by agreement or contract arrange for the annual training required under this Code section to be administered by the Georgia Aviation Technical College under the jurisdiction of the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia.

(d) The tuition costs of providing such training may be paid in whole or in part from funds appropriated or otherwise available to any department represented on the Airport Antiterrorism Training Committee or may be paid in whole or in part by the airport managers being trained or any combination thereof, as established by the Airport Antiterrorism Training Committee.

Code 1981, § 38-3-22.2, enacted by Ga. L. 2004, p. 743, § 2; Ga. L. 2011, p. 632, § 3/HB 49; Ga. L. 2012, p. 775, § 38/HB 942.