[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6957 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6957

     To address the need for pilot development and encourage more 
  individuals to enter the field of aviation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 27, 2018

 Mr. Rokita (for himself, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Peterson, Mr. Russell, and 
 Mr. Abraham) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
    Committee on Natural 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 address the need for pilot development and encourage more 
  individuals to enter the field of 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 ``Securing and Revitalizing Aviation 
Act of 2018'' or the ``SARA Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. ENHANCING PROTECTIONS FOR THE AVIATION COMMUNITY.

    (a) NTSB Review of Application for Airman Certificate.--Section 
44703(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
        (3) and (4), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1), the following new 
        paragraph:
    ``(2) NTSB Review.--
            ``(A) In general.--In the case of an application for the 
        issuance of an airman medical certificate, the National 
        Transportation Safety Board may review a denial that may not be 
        considered a final denial by the Administrator when the 
        Administrator has twice reconsidered the application and 
        sustained a previous denial on that application.
            ``(B) Deemed denial.--The Administrator's failure to rule 
        upon an application to reconsider the denial of issuance of an 
        airman medical certificate within 60 days of the date on which 
        the application to reconsider is submitted to the Administrator 
        shall be deemed to be a denial of the application.''.
    (b) Voluntary Surrender of an Airman Medical Certificate.--Section 
44703 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection:
    ``(l) Voluntary Surrender of an Airman Medical Certificate.--An 
airman may voluntarily surrender an airman medical certificate issued 
under this section for cancellation at any time, unless the certificate 
is subject to a Federal Aviation Administration order at the time of 
the voluntary surrender.''.
    (c) Appeals.--Section 44703(d)(1) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ``holds a certificate that'' and all that 
follows through the period and inserting ``holds a certificate that is 
suspended at the time of denial.''.
    (d) Reapplications.--Section 44709 of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (e), the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(f) Reapplications.--Except as provided in section 44710, any 
person whose certificate has been revoked by an order of the 
Administrator or the National Transportation Safety Board may reapply 
for a certificate at any time following the revocation.''.
    (e) Appeal of Suspension or Termination of Delegation.--Section 
44702(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: ``Subsections (d), (e), and (f) of section 44709 
shall apply to a rescission of a delegation under this subsection in 
the same manner as those subsections apply to an order of the 
Administrator or the National Transportation Safety Board under that 
section.''.

SEC. 3. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION NUMBERS.

    The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall 
review the process of reserving aircraft registration numbers and enact 
appropriate changes to ensure the fair participation by the general 
public, including the implementation of readily available software to 
prevent any computer auto-fill systems from reserving aircraft 
registration numbers in bulk.

SEC. 4. MITIGATING THE SPREAD OF AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES BY AIRCRAFT.

    (a) In General.--Any person that holds a seaplane rating from the 
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and successfully 
completes a free online education course on aquatic invasive species 
mitigation that is acceptable to the Secretary of the Interior may hold 
themselves out to the public as qualified to inspect aircraft for 
aquatic invasive species and to take action to mitigate the spread of 
aquatic invasive species.
    (b) No Further Regulatory or Enforcement Action.--Any person that 
is qualified under subsection (a) or whose aircraft is inspected by a 
person qualified under subsection (a) and subject to the mitigation 
described in subsection (a) shall not be subject to any further 
regulatory or enforcement action by any Federal, State, local, or 
Tribal government for any action related to aquatic invasive species.
    (c) Courses.--The Secretary of the Interior shall publish, and 
periodically revise, a list of acceptable courses on mitigating the 
spread of aquatic invasive species by aircraft.
    (d) Aquatic Invasive Species.--For the purposes of this section, 
the term ``aquatic invasive species'' means aquatic organisms that 
invade ecosystems beyond their natural, historic range and whose 
presence may harm human health, native ecosystems, or commercial, 
agricultural, or recreational activities dependent on these ecosystems.

SEC. 5. MODIFICATION OF FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION TOWER MARKING 
              REQUIREMENTS.

    Section 2110(b)(1)(A)(ii) of the FAA Extension, Safety, and 
Security Act of 2016 (49 U.S.C. 44718(b)(1)(A)(ii) note) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subclauses (IX) and (X) as subclauses 
        (X) and (XI), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subclause (VIII) the following:
                                    ``(IX) is located in a State that 
                                has enacted tower marking requirements 
                                according to the Federal Aviation 
                                Administration's recommended guidance 
                                for the voluntary marking of 
                                Meteorological Evaluation Towers (METs) 
                                erected in remote and rural areas that 
                                are less than 200 feet above ground 
                                level to enhance the conspicuity of the 
                                towers for low level agricultural 
                                operations in the vicinity of those 
                                towers.''.

SEC. 6. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS DESIGNATED AS 
              REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) In General.--Any individual designated by the Administrator of 
the Federal Aviation Administration under subpart C of part 183 of 
title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to act as a representative of 
the Administrator, including an aviation medical examiner, pilot 
examiner, or designated airworthiness representative, shall, when 
carrying out duties pursuant to that designation and without regard to 
the individual's employer--
            (1) be considered to be performing an activity necessary to 
        safeguard a uniquely Federal interest; and
            (2) not be liable in a civil action for actions performed 
        with reasonable care in connection with those duties.
    (b) Fraudulent Misconduct.--This section does not relieve an 
individual described in subsection (a) that causes harm to any person 
through intentional or fraudulent misconduct while carrying out duties 
described under that subsection from any penalty applicable under any 
provision of law for that misconduct.
    (c) Activity Covered.--This section shall only apply to those 
individuals carrying out their duties within the United States or its 
territories.
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