[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4533 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4533

   To require the temporary reinstatement of contracts for large air 
    tankers that were canceled on May 10, 2004, by the Secretary of 
             Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 9, 2004

Mr. Flake (for himself and Mr. Shadegg) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to 
the Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the temporary reinstatement of contracts for large air 
    tankers that were canceled on May 10, 2004, by the Secretary of 
             Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior.

    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 ``Air Tanker Emergency Release Act of 
2004''.

SEC. 2. REINSTATEMENT OF CANCELED CONTRACTS FOR LARGE AIR TANKERS.

    (a) Owner Requirements.--At the request of the owner of a large air 
tanker whose contract to provide aerial firefighting services was 
canceled on May 10, 2004, by the Secretary of Agriculture or the 
Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary concerned shall reinstate the 
contract if an owner provides to such Secretary--
            (1) proof of a valid air worthiness certificate issued by 
        the Federal Aviation Administration;
            (2) proof of a valid supplemental certificate (or its 
        equivalent) for installation of retardant tank and gating 
        systems used for fire retardant drops issued by the Federal 
        Aviation Administration;
            (3) a completed form issued and approved by the Federal 
        Aviation Administration for major repair and alteration (such 
        as airframe, powerplant, propeller, or appliance);
            (4) an air tanker card issued by an aircraft inspector of 
        the Forest Service after January 1, 2004; and
            (5) a copy of a form described in subsection (b).
    (b) Department Requirements.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide to 
the owner of a large air tanker seeking contract reinstatement a copy 
of any form issued in 2004 by the Department of Agriculture, signed by 
the owner of a large tanker and the National Aviation Operations 
Officer for such Department, certifying that the large air tanker has 
been inspected, with no defects noted, in accordance with 
recommendations of the Forest Service large tanker inspection 
maintenance program which was developed by the Airworthiness Department 
of Sandia National Laboratories.
    (c) Contract Termination.--A contract reinstated under this section 
shall terminate on December 31, 2004, or such earlier date as an owner 
of a large air tanker may request from the Secretary of Agriculture.
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