[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 516 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.516

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two


                                 An Act


 
 To plan for and coordinate efforts to integrate advanced air mobility 
   aircraft into the national airspace system, 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 ``Advanced Air Mobility Coordination 
and Leadership Act''
SEC. 2. ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY WORKING GROUP.
    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish 
an advanced air mobility interagency working group (in this section 
referred to as the ``working group'').
    (b) Purpose.--Advanced Air Mobility represents a key area of 
sustainable transportation and economic growth for the United States 
and it is imperative that the Federal Government foster leadership and 
interagency collaboration in the adoption and deployment of this 
technology. The purpose of the working group established under this 
section shall be to plan for and coordinate efforts related to safety, 
operations, infrastructure, physical security and cybersecurity, and 
Federal investment necessary for maturation of the AAM ecosystem in the 
United States, particularly passenger-carrying aircraft, in order to--
        (1) grow new transportation options;
        (2) amplify economic activity and jobs;
        (3) advance environmental sustainability and new technologies; 
    and
        (4) support emergency preparedness and competitiveness.
    (c) Membership.--Not later than 60 days after the establishment of 
the working group under subsection (a), the Secretary of Transportation 
shall--
        (1) appoint the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy to 
    chair the working group;
        (2) designate not less than 1 additional representative to 
    participate on the working group from each of--
            (A) the Department of Transportation; and
            (B) the Federal Aviation Administration; and
        (3) invite the heads of each of the following departments or 
    agencies to designate not less than 1 representative to participate 
    on the working group, including--
            (A) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
            (B) the Department of Commerce;
            (C) the Department of Defense;
            (D) the Department of Energy;
            (E) the Department of Homeland Security;
            (F) the Department of Agriculture;
            (G) the Department of Labor;
            (H) the Federal Communications Commission; and
            (I) such other departments or agencies as the Secretary of 
        Transportation determines appropriate.
    (d) Coordination.--
        (1) In general.--The working group shall engage with State, 
    local, and Tribal governments, aviation industry and labor 
    stakeholders, stakeholder associations, and others determined 
    appropriate by the Secretary of Transportation and the 
    Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, including--
            (A) manufacturers of aircraft, avionics, propulsion 
        systems, structures, and air traffic management systems;
            (B) commercial air carriers, commercial operators, unmanned 
        aircraft system operators, and general aviation operators, 
        including helicopter operators;
            (C) intended operators of AAM aircraft;
            (D) airports, heliports, fixed-base operators;
            (E) certified labor representatives for pilots 
        associations, air traffic control specialists employed by the 
        Federal Aviation Administration, aircraft mechanics, and 
        aviation safety inspectors;
            (F) State, local, and Tribal officials or public agencies, 
        with representation from both urban and rural areas;
            (G) first responders;
            (H) groups representing environmental interests;
            (I) electric utilities, energy providers and energy market 
        operators;
            (J) academia with experience working with industry on new 
        technology and commercialization;
            (K) groups representing the telecommunications industry; 
        and
            (L) aviation training and maintenance providers.
        (2) Advisory committees.--The Secretary of Transportation and 
    Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may use such 
    Federal advisory committees as may be appropriate to coordinate 
    with the entities listed in paragraph (1).
    (e) Review and Examination.--Not later than 1 year after the 
working group is established under subsection (a), the working group 
shall complete a review and examination of, at a minimum--
        (1) the steps that will mature AAM aircraft operations, 
    concepts, and regulatory frameworks beyond initial operations;
        (2) the air traffic management and safety concepts that might 
    be considered as part of evolving AAM to higher levels of traffic 
    density;
        (3) current Federal programs and policies that could be 
    leveraged to advance the maturation of the AAM industry;
        (4) infrastructure, including aviation, cybersecurity, 
    telecommunication, multimodal, and utility infrastructure, 
    necessary to accommodate and support expanded operations of AAM 
    after initial implementation;
        (5) steps needed to ensure a robust and secure domestic supply 
    chain;
        (6) anticipated benefits associated with AAM aircraft 
    operations, including economic, environmental, emergency and 
    natural disaster response, and transportation benefits;
        (7) the interests, roles, and responsibilities of Federal, 
    State, local, and Tribal governments affected by AAM aircraft 
    operations; and
        (8) other factors that may limit the full potential of the AAM 
    industry, including community acceptance or restrictions of such 
    operations.
    (f) AAM National Strategy.--Based on the review and examination 
performed under subsection (e), the working group shall develop an AAM 
National Strategy that includes--
        (1) recommendations regarding the safety, operations, security, 
    infrastructure, air traffic concepts, and other Federal investment 
    or actions necessary to support the evolution of early AAM to 
    higher levels of activity and societal benefit; and
        (2) a comprehensive plan detailing the roles and 
    responsibilities of each Federal department and agency, and of 
    State, local, and Tribal governments, necessary to facilitate or 
    implement the recommendations developed under paragraph (1).
    (g) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the completion of the 
review and examination performed under subsection (e), the working 
group shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report--
        (1) detailing findings from the review and examination 
    performed under subsection (e); and
        (2) providing the AAM National Strategy, including the plan and 
    associated recommendations developed under subsection (f).
    (h) Evaluation of Termination of Working Group.--Not later than 30 
days after the date on which the working group submits the report 
required under subsection (g), the Secretary of Transportation shall 
evaluate and decide whether to terminate the working group and shall 
notify the appropriate committees of Congress of such decision.
    (i) Definitions.--For purposes of this section and section 3:
        (1) Advanced air mobility; aam.--The terms ``advanced air 
    mobility'' and ``AAM'' mean a transportation system that transports 
    people and property by air between two points in the United States 
    using aircraft with advanced technologies, including electric 
    aircraft or electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, in 
    both controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
        (2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term ``appropriate 
    committees of Congress'' means--
            (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
        of the Senate; and
            (B) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
        the House of Representatives.
        (3) Electric aircraft.--The term ``electric aircraft'' means an 
    aircraft with a fully electric or hybrid (fuel and electric) driven 
    propulsion system used for flight.
        (4) Fixed-base operator.--The term ``fixed-base operator'' 
    means a business granted the right by an airport sponsor or 
    heliport sponsor to operate on an airport or heliport and provide 
    aeronautical services, including fueling and charging, aircraft 
    hangaring, tiedown and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft 
    maintenance, and flight instruction.
        (5) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such term 
    in section 47102 of title 49, United States Code.
        (6) Vertical take-off and landing.--The term ``vertical take-
    off and landing'' means an aircraft with lift/thrust units used to 
    generate powered lift and control and with two or more lift/thrust 
    units used to provide lift during vertical take-off or landing.
SEC. 3. GAO STUDY AND REPORT.
    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall--
        (1) conduct a study on the interests, roles, and 
    responsibilities of Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments 
    affected by AAM aircraft and operations; and
        (2) submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 
    on the study, including the Comptroller General's findings and 
    conclusions.
    (b) Requirements.--In conducting the study required under 
subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall review the following:
        (1) The state of the law as of the enactment of this Act with 
    respect to Federal authority over operations of AAM aircraft 
    systems in the national airspace system.
        (2) The state of the law as of the enactment of this Act with 
    respect to State, local, and Tribal authority over operations of 
    AAM aircraft in the national airspace system.
        (3) Potential gaps between authorities under paragraphs (1) and 
    (2).
        (4) Proposals to facilitate the safe and financially viable 
    growth and development of the AAM industry and integration of AAM 
    aircraft into the national airspace system.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.