mpier:
The revision of 2219 that I have is quite old, so I won't quote from the standard.
It is my understanding the D17.1 has superseeded SAE-AMS standards 2219 and 1595. This is according to Global Engineering Docs. who I don't have much faith in. Many of my friends in the aerospace industry are requalifying their welding personnel to the D17.1 specification just to keep current. This is often a company quality system requirement.
The weld classification (A, B or C) determines the requirement for procedure qualification under the D17.1
On a similar personnel qualification note, it used to be common practice to permit transfer of welder qualifications from one fabricator to the next, but only if they were within a 6 month period of the qualification date. Several of my former employers accepted my previous qualifications from another company, even when moving to a FAA repair station. The D17.1 specification does not permit this practice.