[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4653 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4653

 To enable the United States to maintain its leadership in aeronautics 
and aviation by instituting an initiative to develop technologies that 
will enable future aircraft with significantly lower noise, emissions, 
  and fuel consumption; to reinvigorate basic and applied research in 
           aeronautics and aviation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 2, 2002

 Mr. Larson of Connecticut (for himself, Mr. Hall of Texas, Mr. Weldon 
  of Pennsylvania, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Dicks, Mr. Weiner, Mr. 
Moran of Virginia, Mr. Maloney of Connecticut, Mr. Honda, Ms. Woolsey, 
 Mr. Simmons, Mr. Towns, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Hall of Ohio, Mr. 
    Inslee, Mr. Baird, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Rivers, and Mrs. 
 Christensen) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To enable the United States to maintain its leadership in aeronautics 
and aviation by instituting an initiative to develop technologies that 
will enable future aircraft with significantly lower noise, emissions, 
  and fuel consumption; to reinvigorate basic and applied research in 
           aeronautics and aviation, 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 ``Aeronautics Research and Development 
Revitalization Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) It is in the national interest of the United States to 
        maintain international leadership in aeronautics and aviation.
            (2) The United States is in danger of losing its leadership 
        in aeronautics and aviation to international competitors.
            (3) Past Federal investments in aeronautics research and 
        development have benefited the economy and national security of 
        the United States, and the quality of life of its citizens.
            (4) Future growth in aviation increasingly will be 
        constrained by concerns related to aircraft noise, emissions, 
        fuel consumption, and air transportation system congestion.
            (5) Current and projected levels of Federal investment in 
        aeronautics research and development are not sufficient to 
        address concerns related to the growth of aviation.
            (6) International competitors have recognized the 
        importance of noise, emissions, fuel consumption, and air 
        transportation system congestion in limiting the future growth 
        of aviation and have established aggressive agendas for 
        addressing each of those concerns.
            (7) An aggressive initiative by the Federal Government to 
        develop technologies that would significantly reduce aircraft 
        noise, harmful emissions, and fuel consumption would benefit 
        the United States by--
                    (A) improving the competitiveness of the United 
                States aviation industry through the development of new 
                markets for aviation services and the development of 
                superior aircraft for existing markets;
                    (B) improving the quality of life for our citizens 
                by drastically reducing the level of noise due to 
                aircraft operations;
                    (C) reducing the congestion of the air 
                transportation system by allowing departures and 
                arrivals at currently underutilized airports through 
                the use of environmentally compatible aircraft;
                    (D) reducing the rate at which fossil fuels are 
                consumed;
                    (E) reducing the rate at which greenhouse gases and 
                other harmful gases and particulates are added to the 
                atmosphere by aircraft; and
                    (F) reinvigorating the human capital needed to 
                maintain international leadership in aeronautics and 
                aviation by providing a set of extremely challenging 
                and socially beneficial goals to the next generation of 
                engineers and scientists.
            (8) Long-term progress in aeronautics and aviation will 
        require continued Federal investment in fundamental 
        aeronautical research.
            (9) Continued research is needed into the flight crew and 
        controller training needed to accommodate new aircraft and air 
        transportation system technologies and procedures.
            (10) It is in the interest of the United States to maintain 
        a vigorous capability in basic and applied research and 
        development of technologies related to rotorcraft.
            (11) Maintenance of United States leadership in aeronautics 
        and aviation will require the productive collaboration of the 
        National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal 
        Aviation Administration, the aviation industry, and the 
        Nation's universities.
            (12) Improvements to our understanding of convective 
        weather phenomena and of aircraft wake turbulence would 
        significantly improve the performance of the Nation's air 
        transportation system.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``FAA'' means the Federal Aviation 
        Administration;
            (2) the term ``FAA Administrator'' means the Administrator 
        of the FAA;
            (3) the term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
        meaning given that term by section 101 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001);
            (4) the term ``NASA'' means the National Aeronautics and 
        Space Administration; and
            (5) the term ``NASA Administrator'' means the Administrator 
        of NASA.

           TITLE I--NASA AERONAUTICS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

SEC. 101. OFFICE OF AERONAUTICS.

    (a) Establishment.--The NASA Administrator shall establish an 
Office of Aeronautics, which shall be headed by an Associate 
Administrator reporting directly to the NASA Administrator.
    (b) Functions.--The Office of Aeronautics shall be responsible for 
planning, budgeting, and managing all aeronautics research, 
development, and demonstration activities undertaken by NASA.

SEC. 102. ENVIRONMENTAL AIRCRAFT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.

    (a) Objective.--The NASA Administrator shall establish an 
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 the following commercial aircraft 
performance characteristics:
            (1) Noise.--Noise levels on takeoff and on airport approach 
        and landing that do not exceed ambient noise levels in the 
        absence of flight operations in the vicinity of airports from 
        which such commercial aircraft would normally operate.
            (2) Fuel efficiency.--Ten percent improvement, compared to 
        aircraft in commercial service as of the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, in each of the following:
                    (A) Specific fuel consumption.
                    (B) Lift to drag ratio.
                    (C) Structural weight fraction.
            (3) Emissions.--Nitrogen oxides at less than five grams per 
        kilogram of fuel burned.
    (b) Implementation.--Within 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the NASA Administrator shall provide to the 
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a plan for the 
implementation of the initiative described in subsection (a). Such 
implementation plan shall include--
            (1) technological roadmaps for achieving each of the 
        performance characteristics specified in subsection (a);
            (2) an estimate of the ten-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; and
            (4) a plan for transferring the technologies to industry, 
        including the identification of requirements for prototype 
        demonstrations, as appropriate.
    (c) Review.--The NASA Administrator shall enter into an arrangement 
with the National Research Council for the review, within one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, of the adequacy of the 
implementation plan provided under subsection (b) to achieve the 
objective described in subsection (a). In addition, the NASA 
Administrator shall enter into an arrangement with the National 
Research Council for the review, every three years subsequent to the 
initial review under this subsection, of NASA's progress in achieving 
the objective described in subsection (a), including recommendations 
for changes to NASA's research and development program as needed. The 
results of each review shall be provided to the Committee on Science of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate within 30 days after completion of the 
review.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Except as provided in section 
108(b), there are authorized to be appropriated to the NASA 
Administrator to carry out this section--
            (1) $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (2) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            (3) $175,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
            (4) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
            (5) $225,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
Of these amounts, at least fifty percent of the annual funding shall be 
for research and development conducted at universities, industrial 
research entities, and not-for-profit research consortia.

SEC. 103. ROTORCRAFT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.

    (a) Objective.--The NASA Administrator shall establish a rotorcraft 
initiative with the objective of developing, and demonstrating in a 
relevant environment, within ten 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 ten 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 NASA Administrator 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 ten-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; and
            (4) a plan for transferring the technologies to industry, 
        including the identification of requirements for prototype 
        demonstrations, as appropriate.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Except as provided in section 
108(b), there are authorized to be appropriated to the NASA 
Administrator to carry out this section--
            (1) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (2) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            (3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
            (4) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
            (5) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.

SEC. 104. CIVIL SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
              INITIATIVE.

    (a) Objective.--The NASA Administrator shall establish an 
initiative with the objective of developing, and demonstrating in a 
relevant environment, within twenty years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, technologies to enable overland flight of 
supersonic civil transport aircraft with at least the following 
performance characteristics:
            (1) Mach number of at least 1.6.
            (2) Range of at least 4,000 nautical miles.
            (3) Payload of at least 150 passengers.
            (4) Lift to drag ratio of at least 9.0.
            (5) Noise levels on takeoff and on airport approach and 
        landing that meet community noise standards in place at 
        airports from which such commercial supersonic aircraft would 
        normally operate at the time the aircraft would enter 
        commercial service.
            (6) Shaped signature sonic boom overpressure of less than 
        1.0 pounds per square foot.
            (7) Nitrogen oxide emissions of less than 15 grams per 
        kilogram of fuel burned.
            (8) Water vapor emissions for stratospheric flight of no 
        greater than 1400 grams per kilogram of fuel burned.
    (b) Implementation.--Within 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the NASA Administrator shall provide to the 
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a plan 
for the implementation of the initiative described in subsection (a). 
Such implementation plan shall include--
            (1) technological roadmaps for achieving each of the 
        performance characteristics specified in subsection (a);
            (2) an estimate of the ten-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 for research to quantify, within 3 years after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the limits on sonic boom 
        parameters, such as overpressure and rise time, that would be 
        acceptable to the general public; and
            (6) a plan for adjusting the noise reduction research and 
        development activities as needed to accommodate changes in 
        community noise standards that may occur over the lifetime of 
        the initiative.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Except as provided in section 
108(b), there are authorized to be appropriated to the NASA 
Administrator to carry out this section--
            (1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (2) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            (3) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
            (4) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
            (5) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.

SEC. 105. UNIVERSITY-BASED CENTERS FOR RESEARCH ON AVIATION TRAINING.

    (a) In General.--The NASA Administrator shall award grants to 
institutions of higher education (or consortia thereof) to establish 
one or more Centers for Research on Aviation Training.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Centers shall be to investigate 
the impact of new technologies and procedures, particularly those 
related to the aircraft flight deck and to the air traffic management 
functions, on training requirements for pilots and air traffic 
controllers.
    (c) Application.--An institution of higher education (or a 
consortium of such institutions) seeking funding under this section 
shall submit an application to the NASA Administrator at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the NASA Administrator 
may require, including, at a minimum, a five-year research plan.
    (d) Award Duration.--An award made by the NASA Administrator under 
this section shall be for a period of five years and may be renewed on 
the basis of--
            (1) satisfactory performance in meeting the goals of the 
        research plan proposed by the Center in its application under 
        subsection (c); and
            (2) other requirements as specified by the Administrator.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--Except as provided in section 
108(b), there are authorized to be appropriated to the NASA 
Administrator to carry out this section--
            (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (2) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            (3) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
            (4) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
            (5) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.

SEC. 106. NASA AERONAUTICS SCHOLARSHIPS.

    (a) Objective.--The NASA Administrator shall establish a program of 
scholarships for full-time graduate students who are United States 
citizens and are enrolled in, or have been accepted by and have 
indicated their intention to enroll in, accredited Masters degree 
programs in aeronautical engineering at institutions of higher 
education. Each such scholarship shall cover the costs of room, board, 
tuition, and fees, and may be provided for a maximum of two years.
    (b) Implementation.--Within 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the NASA Administrator shall publish regulations 
governing the scholarship program.
    (c) Cooperative Training Opportunities.--Students who have been 
awarded a scholarship under this section shall have the opportunity for 
paid employment at one of the NASA Centers engaged in aeronautics 
research and development during the summer prior to the first year of 
the student's Masters program, and between the first and second year, 
if applicable.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Except as provided in section 
108(b), there are authorized to be appropriated to the NASA 
Administrator to carry out this section--
            (1) $500,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (2) $750,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            (3) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
            (4) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
            (5) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.

SEC. 107. AVIATION WEATHER RESEARCH.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the NASA Administrator 
$10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2007 for 
collaborative research with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration on convective weather events, with the goal of improving 
the reliability of two to six hour aviation weather forecasts to a 
level of at least 0.75.

SEC. 108. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Total Authorization.--The total amounts authorized to be 
appropriated for aeronautics research, development, and demonstration 
activities at NASA, including the amounts authorized by sections 102 
through 108 of this Act, are--
            (1) $675,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (2) $750,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            (3) $900,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
            (4) $1,050,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
            (5) $1,150,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
    (b) Limitation.--All amounts authorized to be appropriated by this 
title are for research and development activities and do not include 
amounts required to support the labor, travel, research operations 
support, environmental compliance, and nonprogrammatic construction of 
facilities activities of the Office of Aeronautics.

   TITLE II--FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

SEC. 201. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Amounts Authorized.--Section 48102(a) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (7);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (8) and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) for fiscal year 2003, $366,100,000, including--
                    ``(A) $25,500,000 for weather projects and 
                activities;
                    ``(B) $81,600,000 for aircraft safety technology 
                projects and activities;
                    ``(C) $27,300,000 for human factors and aviation 
                medicine projects and activities; and
                    ``(D) $30,000,000 for environment and energy 
                projects and activities;
            ``(10) for fiscal year 2004, $410,000,000, including--
                    ``(A) $30,600,000 for weather projects and 
                activities;
                    ``(B) $90,100,000 for aircraft safety technology 
                projects and activities;
                    ``(C) $30,200,000 for human factors and aviation 
                medicine projects and activities; and
                    ``(D) $37,500,000 for environment and energy 
                projects and activities;
            ``(11) for fiscal year 2005, $462,000,000, including--
                    ``(A) $37,000,000 for weather projects and 
                activities;
                    ``(B) $99,800,000 for aircraft safety technology 
                projects and activities;
                    ``(C) $33,500,000 for human factors and aviation 
                medicine projects and activities; and
                    ``(D) $47,000,000 for environment and energy 
                projects and activities;
            ``(12) for fiscal year 2006, $520,000,000: and
            ``(13) for fiscal year 2007, $550,000,000.''.
    (b) Research Priorities.--Section 48102(b) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs:
    ``(4) Of the amount authorized under subsection (a)(9)--
            ``(A) $2,000,000 shall be made available for wake 
        turbulence research; and
            ``(B) $10,000,000 shall be made available for information 
        security research.
    ``(5) Of the amount authorized under subsection (a)(10)--
            ``(A) $3,000,000 shall be made available for wake 
        turbulence research; and
            ``(B) $12,000,000 shall be made available for information 
        security research.
    ``(6) Of the amount authorized under subsection (a)(11)--
            ``(A) $4,000,000 shall be made available for wake 
        turbulence research; and
            ``(B) $13,200,000 shall be made available for information 
        security research.
    ``(7) The Administrator is authorized to use amounts authorized 
under subsection (a), regardless of the appropriations account through 
which the amounts may be provided, for making grant awards for support 
of research and development activities.''.

                           TITLE III--STUDIES

SEC. 301. STUDY OF AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES.

    (a) Objective.--The NASA Administrator and the FAA Administrator, 
in consultation with other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall 
undertake a joint study that identifies and assesses national air 
traffic management system architectures that would be enabled by 
commercial aircraft with the performance characteristics specified in 
section 102(a).
    (b) Implementation.--In carrying out subsection (a), the NASA 
Administrator and FAA Administrator shall seek comments from industry 
and academia during the study, and shall enter into an arrangement to 
have the results of the study reviewed by the National Research 
Council.
    (c) Report.--A report containing the results of the study and the 
results of the review conducted by the National Research Council shall 
be provided to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives 
and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate within two years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for fiscal year 2003 for carrying out this section--
            (1) to the NASA Administrator, $1,500,000; and
            (2) to the FAA Administrator, $1,500,000.

SEC. 302. STUDY OF MARKETS ENABLED BY ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR 
              FUTURE AIRCRAFT.

    (a) Objective.--The NASA Administrator shall conduct a study to 
identify and quantify new markets that would be created, as well as 
existing markets that would be expanded, by the incorporation of the 
technologies developed pursuant to section 102 into future commercial 
aircraft. As part of the study, the NASA Administrator shall identify 
whether any of the performance characteristics specified in section 
102(a) would need to be made more stringent in order to create new 
markets or expand existing markets. The NASA Administrator shall seek 
input from at least the aircraft manufacturing industry, academia, and 
the airlines in carrying out the study.
    (b) Report.--A report containing the results of the study shall be 
provided to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives 
and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate within eighteen months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the NASA Administrator $500,000 for carrying out this 
section.

SEC. 303. ASSESSMENT OF WAKE TURBULENCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Assessment.--The FAA Administrator shall enter into an 
arrangement with the National Research Council for an assessment of the 
FAA's proposed wake turbulence research and development program. The 
assessment shall address at least the following questions:
            (1) Are the research and development goals and objectives 
        well defined?
            (2) Are there any research and development objectives that 
        are not part of FAA's proposed program that should be?
            (3) Will the proposed research and development program 
        enable the achievement of the goals and objectives of the FAA, 
        and of the National Research Council, on schedule and for the 
        proposed level of resources? If not, what adjustments would 
        need to be made?
            (4) What roles should be played by other Federal agencies, 
        such as NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration, in wake turbulence research and development, 
        and how should those efforts be coordinated with FAA's program?
    (b) Report.--A report containing the results of the assessment 
shall be provided to the Committee on Science of the House of 
Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate within one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the FAA Administrator for fiscal year 2003 $500,000 to 
carry out this section.

SEC. 304. ASSESSMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL AERONAUTICS RESEARCH CAPABILITIES.

    (a) Assessment.--In order to ensure that the Nation retains needed 
capabilities in fundamental aerodynamics and other areas of fundamental 
aeronautics research, the NASA Administrator shall enter into an 
arrangement with the National Research Council for an assessment of the 
Nation's future requirements for fundamental aeronautics research and 
whether the Nation will have a skilled research workforce and research 
facilities commensurate with those requirements. The assessment shall 
include an identification of any projected gaps, and recommendations 
for what steps should be taken by the Federal Government to eliminate 
those gaps.
    (b) Report.--The NASA Administrator shall transmit the assessment, 
along with NASA's response to the assessment, to the Committee on 
Science of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate within 2 years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the NASA Administrator $500,000 for fiscal year 2003 to 
carry out this section.
                                 <all>