[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 66 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 282
118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 66

To establish a task force on improvements for notices to air missions, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 25, 2023

Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Moran, and Mrs. Capito) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

                           December 13, 2023

              Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a task force on improvements for notices to air missions, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``NOTAM Improvement Act of 
2023''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FAA TASK FORCE ON NOTAM IMPROVEMENT.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall establish a task force to be known as the FAA Task 
Force on NOTAM Improvement (in this section referred to as the ``Task 
Force'').</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Composition.--The Task Force shall consist of members 
appointed by the Administrator, including at least one member of each 
of the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Air carrier representatives.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Airport representatives.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Labor union representatives of airline 
        pilots.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Labor union representatives of aircraft 
        dispatchers.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) The labor union certified under section 7111 
        of title 5, United States Code, to represent FAA air traffic 
        control specialists assigned to the United States NOTAMs 
        Office.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) The labor union certified under section 7111 
        of title 5, United States Code, to represent FAA aeronautical 
        information specialists.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) General and business aviation 
        representatives.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) Aviation safety experts with knowledge of 
        NOTAMs.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) Human factors experts.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) Computer system architecture and 
        cybersecurity experts.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Duties.--The duties of the Task Force shall include--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) reviewing existing methods for presenting 
        NOTAMs and flight operations information to pilots;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) reviewing regulations and policies relating to 
        NOTAMs, including their content and presentation to 
        pilots;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) evaluating and determining best practices to 
        organize, prioritize, and present flight operations information 
        in a manner that optimizes pilot review and retention of 
        relevant information; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) providing recommendations for--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) improving the presentation of NOTAM 
                information in a manner that prioritizes or highlights 
                the most important information, and optimizes pilot 
                review and retention of relevant information;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) ways to ensure that NOTAMs are 
                complete, accurate, and contain the proper 
                information;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) any best practices that the FAA should 
                consider to improve the accuracy and understandability 
                of NOTAMs and the display of flight operations 
                information;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) ways to work with air carriers, other 
                airspace users, and aviation service providers to 
                implement solutions that are aligned with the 
                recommendations under this paragraph; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) ensuring the stability, resiliency, 
                and cybersecurity of the NOTAM computer 
                system.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
establishment of the Task Force, the Task Force shall submit to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report detailing--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the results of the reviews and evaluations of 
        the Task Force under paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection 
        (c);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the best practices identified and 
        recommendations provided by the Task Force under subsection 
        (c)(4);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) any recommendations of the Task Force for 
        additional regulatory or policy actions to improve the 
        presentation of NOTAMs; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the degree to which implementing the 
        recommendations of the Task Force described under paragraph (2) 
        will address National Transportation Safety Board Safety 
        Recommendation A-18-024.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Applicable Law.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Task Force.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Sunset.--The Task Force shall terminate on the later 
of--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the date on which the Task Force submits the 
        report required under subsection (d); or</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the date that is 18 months after the date on 
        which the Task Force is established under subsection 
        (a).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (g) Authority.--The Administrator shall have the authority 
to carry out the recommendations of the Task Force detailed in the 
report required under subsection (d).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (h) Definitions.--In this section:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) FAA.--The term ``FAA'' means the Federal 
        Aviation Administration.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) NOTAM.--The term ``NOTAM'' means notices to 
        air missions required by international or domestic regulation 
        or law, as described in FAA Order 7930.2S.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``NOTAM Improvement Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. FAA TASK FORCE ON NOTAM IMPROVEMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall establish a task force to be known as the FAA Task 
Force on NOTAM Improvement (in this section referred to as the ``Task 
Force'').
    (b) Composition.--The Task Force shall consist of members appointed 
by the Administrator, including at least one member of each of the 
following:
            (1) Air carrier representatives.
            (2) Airport representatives.
            (3) Labor union representatives of airline pilots.
            (4) Labor union representatives of aircraft dispatchers.
            (5) The labor union certified under section 7111 of title 
        5, United States Code, to represent FAA air traffic control 
        specialists assigned to the United States NOTAMs Office.
            (6) The labor union certified under section 7111 of title 
        5, United States Code, to represent FAA aeronautical 
        information specialists.
            (7) General and business aviation representatives.
            (8) Aviation safety experts with knowledge of NOTAMs.
            (9) Human factors experts.
            (10) Computer system architecture and cybersecurity 
        experts.
    (c) Duties.--The duties of the Task Force shall include--
            (1) reviewing existing methods for publishing NOTAMs and 
        flight operations information to pilots;
            (2) reviewing regulations, policies, systems, and 
        international standards relating to NOTAMs, including their 
        content and presentation to pilots;
            (3) evaluating and determining best practices to organize, 
        prioritize, and present flight operations information in a 
        manner that optimizes pilot review and retention of relevant 
        information; and
            (4) providing recommendations for--
                    (A) improving the publication and delivery of NOTAM 
                information in a manner that prioritizes or highlights 
                the most important information, and optimizes pilot 
                review and retention of relevant information;
                    (B) ways to ensure that NOTAMs are complete, 
                accurate, timely, relevant to safe flight operations, 
                and contain pertinent information;
                    (C) any best practices that the FAA should consider 
                to improve the accuracy and understandability of NOTAMs 
                and the display of flight operations information;
                    (D) ways to work with air carriers, other airspace 
                users, and aviation service providers to implement 
                solutions that are aligned with the recommendations 
                under this paragraph; and
                    (E) ways to ensure the stability, resiliency, and 
                cybersecurity of the NOTAM computer system.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
establishment of the Task Force, the Task Force shall submit to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report detailing--
            (1) the results of the reviews and evaluations of the Task 
        Force under paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (c);
            (2) the best practices identified and recommendations 
        provided by the Task Force under subsection (c)(4);
            (3) any recommendations of the Task Force for additional 
        regulatory or policy actions to improve the publication of 
        NOTAMs; and
            (4) the degree to which implementing the recommendations of 
        the Task Force described under paragraph (2) will address 
        National Transportation Safety Board Safety Recommendation A-
        18-024.
    (e) Applicable Law.--Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, 
shall not apply to the Task Force.
    (f) Sunset.--The Task Force shall terminate on the later of--
            (1) the date on which the Task Force submits the report 
        required under subsection (d); or
            (2) the date that is 18 months after the date on which the 
        Task Force is established under subsection (a).
    (g) Authority.--The Administrator shall have the authority to carry 
out the recommendations of the Task Force detailed in the report 
required under subsection (d).
    (h) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
to require the FAA to duplicate any prior, ongoing, or planned efforts 
related to the improvement of NOTAMs, including any efforts related to 
implementing any previously enacted requirements.
    (i) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) FAA.--The term ``FAA'' means the Federal Aviation 
        Administration.
            (2) NOTAM.--The term ``NOTAM'' means a notice containing 
        information (which is not known sufficiently in advance to 
        publicize by other means) concerning the establishment, 
        condition, or change in any component (including a facility, 
        service, or procedure thereof) or hazard in the National 
        Airspace System, the timely knowledge of which is essential to 
        personnel concerned with flight operations.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.

    Not later than September 30, 2024, the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration shall make the following improvements:
            (1) Complete implementation of a Federal NOTAM System (in 
        this section referred to as a ``FNS'').
            (2) Implement a back-up system to the FNS.
            (3) Brief the Committee on Transportation and 
        Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
        Senate on a plan to enhance the capability to deliver 
        information through the FNS that is machine-readable, 
        filterable, and in the format used by the International Civil 
        Aviation Organization (ICAO) to promote further global 
        harmonization among neighboring Air Navigation Service 
        Providers (ANSPs) and provide users of the National Airspace 
        System with one consistent format for domestic and 
        international operations.
                                                       Calendar No. 282

118th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 66

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To establish a task force on improvements for notices to air missions, 
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           December 13, 2023

                       Reported with an amendment