[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 267 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 267

To amend title 49, United States Code, relating to the installation of 
              emergency locator transmitters on aircraft.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 1999

Mr. Shays (for himself, Mr. Gejdenson, Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut, Ms. 
   DeLauro, Mr. Maloney of Connecticut, Mr. Larson, and Mr. Neal of 
Massachusetts) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 49, United States Code, relating to the installation of 
              emergency locator transmitters on aircraft.

    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 ``Airplane Emergency Locator Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) On December 24, 1996, a plane piloted by Johan Schwartz 
        and Patrick Hayes disappeared near Lebanon, New Hampshire.
            (2) An extensive search was conducted by the States of New 
        Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, Maine, and 
        Massachusetts, in cooperation with the Federal Government, in 
        an unsuccessful effort to locate the plane and any survivors.
            (3) The plane was not required under law to carry an 
        emergency locator transmitter.
            (4) Emergency locator transmitters have been found to be 
        very helpful in locating downed aircraft and saving lives.

SEC. 3. AIRPLANE EMERGENCY LOCATORS.

    (a) Requirement.--Section 44712(b) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
    ``(b) Nonapplication.--Subsection (a) does not apply to aircraft 
when used in--
            ``(1) scheduled flights by scheduled air carriers holding 
        certificates issued by the Secretary of Transportation under 
        subpart II of this part;
            ``(2) training operations conducted entirely within a 50-
        mile radius of the airport from which the training operations 
        begin;
            ``(3) flight operations related to the design and testing, 
        manufacture, preparation, and delivery of aircraft;
            ``(4) showing compliance with regulations;
            ``(5) an exhibition or air racing; or
            ``(6) the aerial application of a substance for an 
        agricultural purpose.''.
    (b) Compliance.--Section 44712 is amended by redesignating 
subsection (c) as subsection (d) and by inserting after subsection (b) 
the following:
    ``(c) Compliance.--An aircraft is deemed to meet the requirement of 
subsection (a) if it is equipped with an emergency locator transmitter 
that transmits on the 121.5/243 megahertz frequency or the 406 
megahertz frequency, or with other equipment approved by the Secretary 
for meeting the requirement of subsection (a).''.
    (c) Effective Date; Regulations.--
            (1) Regulations.--The Secretary of Transportation shall 
        promulgate regulations to carry out section 44712(b) of title 
        49, United States Code, as amended by this section not later 
        than January 1, 2002.
            (2) Effective date.--Except as provided in paragraph (1), 
        the amendments made by this section shall take effect on 
        January 1, 2002.
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