WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress has passed a bill boosting pilots' rights in Federal Aviation Administration disciplinary proceedings.

The measure was written by a senator who was ordered to take remedial flying lessons by the agency after he landed his plane on a closed runway.

The House approved the bill Monday by voice vote. The Senate approved the measure last month. The bill now goes to the president for his signature.

The bill was sponsored by Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe (IN-hoff), who sent workers on the ground scrambling when he landed his plane on a closed runway marked with a giant yellow X in 2010.

The bill requires the FAA to provide pilots with timely notice of disciplinary actions that might affect their license. Pilots also could appeal FAA decisions in federal court.