S.Amdt. 4680

SA 4680. Ms. CANTWELL submitted, under authority of the order of the Senate of May 2, 2008, an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill H.R. 2881, to amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 2008 through 2011, to improve aviation safety and capacity, to provide stable funding for the national aviation system, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 118, strike line 18 and all that follows through page 120, line 21, and insert the following:

SEC. 508. INCREASING SAFETY FOR HELICOPTER AND FIXED WING EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE OPERATORS AND PATIENTS.

(a) Compliance Regulations.--(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, all pilots of a helicopter or fixed wing aircraft providing emergency medical services shall comply with part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, if there is a medical crew on board, without regard to whether there are patients on board. (2) Exception.--If an aircraft described in paragraph (1) is operating under instrument flight rules or is carrying out training therefor--(A) the weather minimums and duty and rest time regulations under such part 135 of such title shall apply; and (B) the weather reporting requirement at the destination shall not apply until such time as the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration determines that suitable, cost-effective, portable, and accurate ground-based weather measuring and reporting systems are available. (b) Implementation of Flight Risk Evaluation Program.--(1) Initiation.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall initiate a rulemaking--(A) to create a standardized checklist of risk evaluation factors based on Notice 8000.301, which was issued by the Administration on August 1, 2005; and (B) to require helicopter and fixed wing aircraft emergency medical service operators to use the checklist created under subparagraph (A) to determine whether a mission should be accepted. (2) Completion.--The rulemaking initiated under paragraph (1) shall be completed not later than 18 months after it such initiation. (c) Comprehensive Consistent Flight Dispatch Procedures.--(1) Initiation.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall initiate a rulemaking--(A) to require that helicopter and fixed wing emergency medical service operators formalize and implement performance based flight dispatch and flight-following procedures; and (B) to develop a method to assess and ensure that such operators comply with the requirements described in subparagraph (A). (2) Completion.--The rulemaking initiated under paragraph (1) shall be completed not later than 18 months after it such initiation. (d) Improving Situational Awareness.--Any helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft used for emergency medical service operations that is ordered after the date of the enactment of this Act shall have on board a device that performs the function of a terrain awareness and warning system that meets the requirements of the applicable Federal Aviation Administration Technical Standard Order or other guidance prescribed by the Administration. (e) Improving the Data Available to NTSB Investigators at Crash Sites.--(1) Study.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall complete a study that--(A) analyzes the feasibility of requiring devices that perform the function of recording voice communications and flight data information on helicopters and fixed wing aircraft used for emergency medical service operators; and (B) addresses issues related to survivability, weight, and financial considerations of the requirement described in subparagraph (A). (2) Rulemaking.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue regulations that require devices that perform the function of recording voice communications and flight data information on board aircraft described in paragraph (1)(A).