Do you fly on regional airlines – what we used to call the “commuters”? Chances are you do, since these airlines now operate more than 50% of the nation’s commercial flight schedules. So maybe you’ll feel a little safer now.

That’s because a bill funding the FAA to the tune of more than $34 billion has passed the senate (and still must be reconciled with the earlier House-passed bill); it calls for raising the number cockpit training hours for regional carrier pilots (as well as remedial training as needed).

But the centerpiece of the legislation is all about bringing the nation’s antiquated Air Traffic Control system into the modern era with GPS technology (you know, the stuff we’ve had in our phones for years).

How bad is the current ATC system? Pretty bad. According to the AP, bill sponsor Sen. Jay Rockefeller, said even Mongolia is further along than we are. “It’s embarrassing,” he noted. Amen.

The bill could reach the President’s desk for signing by the end of next month.