[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 105 (Wednesday, August 3, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              GENERAL AVIATION REVITALIZATION ACT OF 1994

  Mr. BROOKS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 1458) to amend the Federal Aviation 
Act of 1958 to establish time limitations on certain civil actions 
against aircraft manufacturers, and for other purposes, with a Senate 
amendment to the House amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate 
amendment to the House amendment.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The text of the Senate amendment to the House amendment is as 
follows:

       Senate amendment to House amendment: Page 4 strike out all 
     after line 14 over to and including line 3 on page 5 and 
     insert:
       (3) the term ``limitation period'' means 18 years with 
     respect to general aviation aircraft and the components, 
     systems, subassemblies, and other parts of such aircraft; and

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McNulty). Is there objection of the 
request of the gentleman from Texas?
  Mr. FISH. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I will not 
object. Could the gentleman from Texas, the distinguished chairman of 
the Committee on the Judiciary, explain to the Members of the House the 
change made in S. 1458 by the other body? It is my understanding that 
the only change made in the General Aviation bill by the other body 
deals with the limitation period and sets that statute of repose 
limitation period at 18 years for all categories of general aviation.
  Am I correct, sir?
  Mr. BROOKS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. FISH. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. BROOKS. To my distinguished friend, the gentleman from New York 
[Mr. Fish], I want to say that the purpose of my request is to agree to 
the Senate amendment to the bill which would enable it to go to the 
President for signature. What the Senate did was make it 18 years 
across the board as a repose for piston planes, helicopters, and jets, 
and it seemed like a very responsible accord and had been very close to 
the original language introduced in the House. I personally am 
delighted that we could reach an appropriate resolution of this matter, 
and I would want to especially commend the gentleman from Kansas [Mr. 
Glickman], the chief sponsor and champion of the legislation, and hope 
that the gentleman would yield to him for a discussion as well.
  Mr. FISH. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield 
to the gentleman from Kansas [Mr. Glickman], the chief sponsor of the 
bill.
  Mr. GLICKMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Fish].
  Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from New York and the chairman are 
correct. The only change in this bill is that it goes to a straight 18-
year statute of repose for all general aviation aircraft. Otherwise all 
of the provisions in the House bill previously adopted are exactly the 
same as they were before.
  I want to thank especially, if I may just quickly, the gentleman from 
Texas [Mr. Brooks] and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Fish] for their 
tremendous work, especially the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen], my 
colleague. Without it this would not have been done, and I also thank 
the gentleman from California [Mr. Mineta], the gentleman from 
Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar], the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. 
Shuster], the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Clinger] and my 
colleagues from Kansas, Senators Kassebaum and Dole, for their help.

                              {time}  1530

  We have worked on this bill for 8 years. This is going to put 
thousands of people back to work, but it does not cost the Federal 
Treasury one cent. So this is a great day for Kansas, a great day for 
wherever airplanes are made in this country, and a great day for 
America as well. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. FISH. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, the 
gentleman from Kansas spoke of the great contribution without which 
this bill would not be here today of our colleague, the gentleman from 
Utah [Mr. Hansen].
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from Utah [Mr. 
Hansen].
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate so much of the work of my friend from 
Kansas [Mr. Glickman]. As pointed out, there has been a tremendous 
amount of work that has gone into this particular piece of legislation. 
Nothing really changed. We agreed on this originally. I really 
appreciate the great work of Chairman Brooks and the gentleman from New 
York. I hope people realize, this is a jobs bill. We are not having one 
red cent of Federal money going into this. I thank the gentleman so 
much. I am glad to see the culmination of this particular issue.
  Mr. FISH. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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