To require reports on safety issues due to defective parts.

1. Adds SEC. 8124. REPORTS ON SAFETY ISSUES DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS after section 8123

   Adds a section

   Inserted: SEC. 8124. REPORTS ON SAFETY ISSUES DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS.

   Inserted: (a) Report from the Secretary.--The Secretary shall by March 31, 2004 examine and report back to the congressional defense committees on:

   Inserted: (1) how to implement a system for tracking safety-critical parts so that parts discovered to be defective, including due to faulty or fraudulent work by a contractor or subcontractor, can be identified and found;

   Inserted: (2) appropriate standards and procedures to ensure timely notification of contracting agencies and contractors about safety issues including parts that may be defective, and whether the Government Industry Data Exchange Program should be made mandatory;

   Inserted: (3) efforts to find and test airplane parts that have been heat treated by companies alleged to have done so improperly; and

   Inserted: (4) whether contracting agencies and contractors have been notified about alleged improper heat treatment of airplane parts.

   Inserted: (b) Report from the Comptroller General.--The Comptroller General shall examine and report back to the congressional defense committees on:

   Inserted: (1) the oversight of subcontractors by prime contractors, and testing and quality assurance of the work of the subcontractors; and

   Inserted: (2) the oversight of prime contractors by the Department, the accountability of prime contractors for overseeing subcontractors, and the use of enforcement mechanisms by the Department.

   Original wording

   Insert after section 8123 the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed