1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Air Traffic Control Safe Operation and Readiness Act of 2019 . 2. Hiring of air traffic control specialists Section 44506(f)(1)(B) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting (including a facility of the National Guard) after Department of Defense ; and (2) in subparagraph (B)— (A) in clause (i), by striking referring and all that follows through 10 percent. and inserting giving preferential consideration to pool 1 applicants described in clause (ii) before considering pool 2 applicants described in clause (iii). .; and (B) by adding at the end the following new clause: (iv) Consideration of candidates The Administrator shall consider for the interview stage of the hiring process candidates in each applicant pool described in this subparagraph who— (I) score at or above a passing score as determined by the Administrator on the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (AT–SA)