What's Being Proposed
The FAA is proposing to do away with the Inspection Authorization that A&P mechanics currently have to renew every two years. In its place, mechanics would receive a permanent inspection rating added directly to their certificate. The rating would cover the same work an IA does today — signing off annual and progressive inspections and returning aircraft to service after major repairs or alterations — but the March renewal cycle would go away.

How Currency Would Work
Instead of renewing, mechanics would need to show recent inspection experience within the past year and keep two years of records on hand. Anyone who lets that experience lapse could get back in good standing through a short training course or an oral evaluation with an FAA inspector. The FAA says the change would cut paperwork on both sides and save mechanics and the agency money over the next decade.

Where It Stands
The proposal appeared in the Federal Register on July 1, and the public comment period closed at the end of August. A final rule is the next step to watch.

From Jose
For aircraft owners, this changes nothing about what your annual requires the inspection standards stay the same. What it does change is how the FAA verifies that the person signing your logbook is staying current. I think that's the right focus. A rating tied to recent hands-on work says more about a mechanic's readiness than a form filed every other March. I'll be tracking the final rule and will post an update when it lands.

Source
Read the full story at AVweb: https://avweb.com/aviation-news/faa-proposes-new-inspection-rating/