[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2734 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 231
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2734
[Report No. 108-405, Part I]
To authorize appropriations for the civil aviation research and
development projects and activities of the Federal Aviation
Administration, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 15, 2003
Mr. Forbes (for himself, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Larson of Connecticut,
and Mr. Gordon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Science
December 8, 2003
Additional sponsor: Mr. Boehlert
December 8, 2003
Reported with an amendment and referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure for a period ending not later than
December 8, 2003, for consideration of such provisions of the bill and
amendment as fall within the jurisdiction of that committee pursuant to
clause 1(q), rule X
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
December 8, 2003
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure discharged;
committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union
and ordered to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July
15, 2003]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for the civil aviation research and
development projects and activities of the Federal Aviation
Administration, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Aviation Administration
Research and Development Reauthorization Act''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 48102(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``to carry out sections 44504'' and
inserting ``for conducting civil aviation research and
development under sections 44504'';
(2) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (7);
(3) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (8) and
inserting a semicolon; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
``(9) for fiscal year 2004, $371,317,000, including--
``(A) $190,000,000 for Research, Engineering, and
Development, of which--
``(i) $65,000,000 shall be for Improving
Aviation Safety;
``(ii) $24,000,000 shall be for Weather
Safety Research;
``(iii) $15,000,000 shall be made available
to the Next Generation Air Traffic Management
Research and Development Joint Program Office
established under section 3 of the Federal
Aviation Administration Research and
Development Reauthorization Act for the Next
Generation Air Traffic Management Research and
Development program under such section 3;
``(iv) $27,500,000 shall be for Human
Factors and Aeromedical Research;
``(v) $30,000,000 shall be for
Environmental Research and Development, of
which $20,000,000 shall be for research
activities related to reducing community
exposure to civilian aircraft noise or
emissions;
``(vi) $7,000,000 shall be for Research
Mission Support;
``(vii) $20,000,000 shall be for the
Airport Cooperative Research Program; and
``(viii) $1,500,000 shall be for carrying
out subsection (h) of this section;
``(B) $163,900,000 for Facilities and Equipment, of
which--
``(i) $42,800,000 shall be for Advanced
Technology Development and Prototyping;
``(ii) $30,300,000 shall be for Safe Flight
21; and
``(iii) $90,800,000 shall be for the Center
for Advanced Aviation System Development; and
``(C) $17,417,000 for Airport Improvement Program
Research and Development, of which--
``(i) $9,667,000 shall be for Airports
Technology-Safety; and
``(ii) $7,750,000 shall be for Airports
Technology-Efficiency;
``(10) for fiscal year 2005, $396,192,000, including--
``(A) $206,600,000 for Research, Engineering, and
Development, of which--
``(i) $65,705,000 shall be for Improving
Aviation Safety;
``(ii) $24,260,000 shall be for Weather
Safety Research;
``(iii) $30,000,000 shall be made available
to the Next Generation Air Traffic Management
Research and Development Joint Program Office
established under section 3 of the Federal
Aviation Administration Research and
Development Reauthorization Act for the Next
Generation Air Traffic Management Research and
Development program under such section 3;
``(iv) $27,800,000 shall be for Human
Factors and Aeromedical Research;
``(v) $30,109,000 shall be for
Environmental Research and Development, of
which $20,000,000 shall be for research
activities related to reducing community
exposure to civilian aircraft noise or
emissions;
``(vi) $7,076,000 shall be for Research
Mission Support;
``(vii) $20,000,000 shall be for the
Airport Cooperative Research Program; and
``(viii) $1,650,000 shall be for carrying
out subsection (h) of this section;
``(B) $172,000,000 for Facilities and Equipment, of
which--
``(i) $43,300,000 shall be for Advanced
Technology Development and Prototyping;
``(ii) $31,100,000 shall be for Safe Flight
21;
``(iii) $95,400,000 shall be for the Center
for Advanced Aviation System Development; and
``(iv) $2,200,000 shall be for Free Flight
Phase 2; and
``(C) $17,592,000 for Airport Improvement Program
Research and Development, of which--
``(i) $9,764,000 shall be for Airports
Technology-Safety; and
``(ii) $7,828,000 shall be for Airports
Technology-Efficiency; and
``(11) for fiscal year 2006, $412,157,000, including--
``(A) $228,289,000 for Research, Engineering, and
Development, of which--
``(i) $66,447,000 shall be for Improving
Aviation Safety;
``(ii) $24,534,000 shall be for Weather
Safety Research;
``(iii) $50,000,000 shall be made available
to the Next Generation Air Traffic Management
Research and Development Joint Program Office
established under section 3 of the Federal
Aviation Administration Research and
Development Reauthorization Act for the Next
Generation Air Traffic Management Research and
Development program under such section 3;
``(iv) $28,114,000 shall be for Human
Factors and Aeromedical Research;
``(v) $30,223,000 shall be for
Environmental Research and Development, of
which $20,000,000 shall be for research
activities related to reducing community
exposure to civilian aircraft noise or
emissions;
``(vi) $7,156,000 shall be for Research
Mission Support;
``(vii) $20,000,000 shall be for the
Airport Cooperation Research Program; and
``(viii) $1,815,000 shall be for carrying
out subsection (h) of this section;
``(B) $166,100,000 for Facilities and Equipment, of
which--
``(i) $42,200,000 shall be for Advanced
Technology Development and Prototyping;
``(ii) $23,900,000 shall be for Safe Flight
21; and
``(iii) $100,000,000 shall be for the
Center for Advanced Aviation System
Development; and
``(C) $17,768,000 for Airport Improvement Program
Research and Development, of which--
``(i) $9,862,000 shall be for Airports
Technology-Safety; and
``(ii) $7,906,000 shall be for Airports
Technology-Efficiency.''.
SEC. 3. NEXT GENERATION AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
JOINT PROGRAM OFFICE.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a Next Generation Air
Traffic Management Research and Development Joint Program Office
(referred to in this section as the ``Office''). The Office shall be
jointly managed by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. The objective of the Office shall
be to carry out research and development of an air traffic management
system designed to meet national long-term aviation security, safety,
and capacity needs.
(b) Director and Deputy Director.--The Office shall be headed by a
Director who shall be a senior executive of the Federal Aviation
Administration. The Deputy Director shall be a senior executive of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Not later than 120 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrators of the
Federal Aviation Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration shall jointly appoint the Director and Deputy Director
of the Office.
(c) Functions of the Office.--The Office shall manage air traffic
management research and development programs and initiatives within the
Federal Aviation Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration. The responsibilities of the Office shall include--
(1) establishing and managing a research and development
program for a next generation air traffic management system
capable of tripling capacity by the year 2025;
(2) entering into grants, cooperative agreements or
contracts, or otherwise awarding or using funds appropriated
for air traffic management research and development to carry
out paragraph (1);
(3) utilizing the facilities, capabilities, expertise, and
experience of Federal agencies, national laboratories,
universities, nonprofit organizations, industrial entities, and
other non-Federal entities to carry out paragraph (1);
(4) coordinating with the Department of Defense, the
Department of Commerce, the Under Secretary for Science and
Technology at the Department of Homeland Security, the National
Security Council, the Department of Transportation, and other
Federal agencies; and
(5) consulting with the private sector (including
representatives of general aviation, commercial aviation, and
the space industry), members of the public, and other
interested parties on the program.
(d) Next Generation Air Traffic Management Research and Development
Plan.--
(1) Requirement.--The Office shall develop a research and
development plan to carry out this section.
(2) Goal.--The goal of the plan shall be to enable the
creation of a National Airspace System architecture that
would--
(A) be based on emerging ground-based and space-
based communications, navigation, and surveillance
technologies;
(B) increase the level of safety, security, and
efficiency of the National Airspace System;
(C) integrate data and information flow effectively
with other Federal agencies responsible for providing
for our Nation's defense and security;
(D) be scalable to accommodate and encourage
substantial growth in domestic and international
transportation;
(E) anticipate and accommodate continuing
technology upgrades;
(F) accommodate a wide range of aircraft
operations, including airlines, air taxis, helicopters,
general aviation, and unmanned aerial vehicles; and
(G) incorporate noise pollution reduction concerns.
(3) Contents.--The plan shall describe, at a minimum--
(A) the most significant technical hurdles that
stand in the way of achieving the goal described in
paragraph (2);
(B) the research and development projects that will
be carried out to overcome the technical hurdles
described in subparagraph (A), including, for each
project, whether it would be funded by the Federal
Aviation Administration, the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, or both, and whether the work
would be carried by the Federal Government,
corporations, or universities, or a combination
thereof;
(C) the annual anticipated cost of carrying out the
plan;
(D) the technical milestones that will be used to
evaluate progress in carrying out the plan; and
(E) how the research and development activities
will be coordinated with other appropriate Federal
agencies.
(e) Reports.--The Director of the Office shall transmit to the
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate--
(1) not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the plan required under subsection (d); and
(2) annually at the time of the President's budget request,
a report describing the progress in carrying out the plan
required under subsection (d) and any changes to that plan.
SEC. 4. BUDGET DESIGNATION FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.
Section 48102 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection:
``(g) Designation of Activities.--(1) The amounts appropriated
under subsection (a) are for the support of all research and
development activities carried out by the Federal Aviation
Administration that fall within the categories of basic research,
applied research, and development, including the design and development
of prototypes, in accordance with the classifications of the Office of
Management and Budget Circular A-11 (Budget Formulation/Submission
Process).
``(2) The Department of Transportation's annual budget request for
the Federal Aviation Administration shall identify all of the
activities carried out by the Administration within the categories of
basic research, applied research, and development, as classified by the
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-11. Each activity in the
categories of basic research, applied research, and development shall
be identified regardless of the budget category in which it appears in
the budget request.''.
SEC. 5. AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM.
Section 44511 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following new subsection:
``(f) Airport Cooperative Research Program.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
establish an airport cooperative research program to--
``(A) identify problems that are shared by airport
operating agencies and can be solved through applied
research but that are not being adequately addressed by
existing Federal research programs; and
``(B) fund research to address those problems.
``(2) Governance.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
appoint an independent governing board for the research program
established under this subsection. The governing board shall be
appointed from candidates nominated by national associations
representing public airport operating agencies, airport
executives, State aviation officials, and the scheduled
airlines, and shall include representatives of appropriate
Federal agencies. Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee
Act shall not apply to the governing board.
``(3) Implementation.--The Secretary of Transportation
shall enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of
Sciences to provide staff support to the governing board
established under paragraph (2) and to carry out projects
proposed by the governing board that the Secretary considers
appropriate.''.
SEC. 6. DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYTICAL TOOLS AND CERTIFICATION METHODS.
The Federal Aviation Administration shall conduct research to
promote the development of analytical tools to improve existing
certification methods and to reduce the overall costs for the
certification of new products.
SEC. 7. RESEARCH ON AVIATION TRAINING.
Section 48102(h)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (B);
(2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C)
and inserting ``; or''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(D) research on the impact of new technologies
and procedures, particularly those related to aircraft
flight deck and air traffic management functions, on
training requirements for pilots and air traffic
controllers.''.
SEC. 8. ROTORCRAFT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.
(a) Objective.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall establish a rotorcraft initiative with the
objective of developing, and demonstrating in a relevant environment,
within 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act,
technologies to enable rotorcraft with the following improvements
relative to rotorcraft existing as of the date of the enactment of this
Act:
(1) 80 percent reduction in noise levels on takeoff and on
approach and landing as perceived by a human observer.
(2) Factor of 10 reduction in vibration.
(3) 30 percent reduction in empty weight.
(4) Predicted accident rate equivalent to that of fixed-
wing aircraft in commercial service within 10 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(5) Capability for zero-ceiling, zero-visibility
operations.
(b) Implementation.--Within 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration, in cooperation with the Administrator of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall provide a plan to the
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate for
the implementation of the initiative described in subsection (a). The
implementation plan shall include--
(1) technological roadmaps for achieving each of the
improvements specified in subsection (a);
(2) an estimate of the 10-year funding profile required to
achieve the objective specified in subsection (a);
(3) a plan for carrying out a formal quantification of the
estimated costs and benefits of each technological option
selected for development beyond the initial concept definition
phase;
(4) a plan for transferring the technologies to industry,
including the identification of requirements for prototype
demonstrations, as appropriate;
(5) a plan to perform rotorcraft system architecture
studies to identify revolutionary technologies for future
investments in research and development; and
(6) a plan to increase the use of vertical-take-off-and-
landing vehicles to improve transportation service in urban
areas.
(c) Funding Agreements.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall enter into appropriate funding agreements with
other Federal agencies and departments linked to national rotorcraft
industry and academic research and development.
(d) Center for Rotorcraft Technology.--The Federal Aviation
Administration is authorized to contribute up to $5,000,000 for the
operation of a center for rotorcraft technology to house a research,
testing, and training facility and administrative center in the
vicinity of existing helicopter manufacturing and research for the
purpose of improving upon and developing new rotorcraft technologies,
new design capabilities, and manufacturing techniques, including the
objectives described in subsection (a), led by helicopter
manufacturers, the maintenance industry, retrofitters, universities,
and industry suppliers.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to amounts
authorized to be appropriated by the amendments made by this Act, there
are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration to carry out this section--
(1) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(2) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
(4) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
(5) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.
SEC. 9. PILOT RETIREMENT AGE STUDY.
The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall
conduct a research study of whether commercial airline pilots between
the ages of 60 and 64 who are employed by foreign air carriers pose a
significant safety risk to United States passengers and airspace. The
Administrator shall transmit the results of the study to the Congress
not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Union Calendar No. 231
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2734
[Report No. 108-405, Part I]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for the civil aviation research and
development projects and activities of the Federal Aviation
Administration, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
December 8, 2003
Reported with an amendment and referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure for a period ending not later than
December 8, 2003, for consideration of such provisions of the bill and
amendment as fall within the jurisdiction of that committee pursuant to
clause 1(q), rule X
December 8, 2003
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure discharged;
committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union
and ordered to be printed