[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 133 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H8830-H8834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2006
Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 5076) to amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal years 2007, 2008, and 2009, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 5076
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
[[Page H8831]]
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``National
Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2006''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Reports.
Sec. 3. Investigation services.
Sec. 4. Expenses of DOT Inspector General.
Sec. 5. Evaluation and audit of the National Transportation Safety
Board.
Sec. 6. Audit procedures.
Sec. 7. Implementation of NTSB's ``Most Wanted Transportation Safety
Improvements, 2006''.
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 9. Technical corrections.
Sec. 10. Safety review.
Sec. 11. DOT Inspector General oversight and investigations related to
Central Artery tunnel project.
SEC. 2. REPORTS.
(a) Annual Reports.--
(1) In general.--Section 1117 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended--
(A) in paragraph (2) by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (3) by striking ``State.'' and inserting
``State;''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) a description of the activities and operations of the
National Transportation Safety Board Academy during the prior
calendar year;
``(5) a list of accidents, during the prior calendar year,
that the Board was required to investigate under section 1131
but did not investigate and an explanation of why they were
not investigated; and
``(6) a list of ongoing investigations that have exceeded
the expected time allotted for completion by Board order and
an explanation for the additional time required to complete
each such investigation.''.
(2) Utilization plan.--
(A) Plan.--Within 90 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the National Transportation Safety Board shall--
(i) develop a plan to achieve, to the maximum extent
feasible, the self-sufficient operation of the National
Transportation Safety Board Academy and utilize the Academy's
facilities and resources;
(ii) submit a draft of the plan to the Comptroller General
for review and comment; and
(iii) submit a draft of the plan to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House
of Representatives.
(B) Plan development considerations.--The Board shall--
(i) give consideration in developing the plan under
subparagraph (A)(i) to other revenue-generating measures,
including subleasing the facility to another entity; and
(ii) include in the plan a detailed financial statement
that covers current Academy expenses and revenues and an
analysis of the projected impact of the plan on the Academy's
expenses and revenues.
(C) Report.--Within 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the National Transportation Safety Board shall
submit a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives that includes--
(i) an updated copy of the plan developed pursuant to
subparagraph (A)(i);
(ii) any comments and recommendations made by the
Comptroller General pursuant to the Government Accountability
Office's review of the draft plan; and
(iii) a response to the Comptroller General's comments and
recommendations, including a description of any modifications
made to the plan in response to those comments and
recommendations.
(D) Implementation.--The plan developed pursuant to
subparagraph (A)(i) shall be implemented within 2 years after
the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) DOT Report on Compliance With Recommendations.--Section
1135(d)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is amended to
read as follows:
``(3) Compliance report with recommendations.--Within 90
days after the date on which the Secretary submits a report
under this subsection, the Board shall review the Secretary's
report and transmit comments on the report to the Secretary,
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.''.
SEC. 3. INVESTIGATION SERVICES.
(a) In General.--Section 4(a) of the National
Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003
(Public Law 108-168; 49 U.S.C. 1113 note) is amended by
striking ``From the date of enactment of this Act through
September 30, 2006, the'' and inserting ``The''.
(b) Report.--Section 4(b) of such Act is amended--
(1) by striking ``On February 1, 2006,'' and inserting ``On
July 1 of each year, as part of the annual report required by
section 1117 of title 49, United States Code,''; and
(2) in paragraph (1) by striking ``for $25,000 or more''.
SEC. 4. EXPENSES OF DOT INSPECTOR GENERAL.
Section 1137(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended
to read as follows:
``(d) Authorizations of Appropriations.--
``(1) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Transportation for use by the Inspector
General of the Department of Transportation such sums as may
be necessary to cover expenses associated with activities
pursuant to the authority exercised under this section.
``(2) Reimbursable agreement.--In the absence of an
appropriation under this subsection for an expense referred
to in paragraph (1), the Inspector General and the Board
shall have a reimbursable agreement to cover such expense.''.
SEC. 5. EVALUATION AND AUDIT OF THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY BOARD.
(a) In General.--Subchapter III of chapter 11 of title 49,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``Sec. 1138. Evaluation and audit of National Transportation
Safety Board
``(a) In General.--To promote economy, efficiency, and
effectiveness in the administration of the programs,
operations, and activities of the National Transportation
Safety Board, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall evaluate and audit the programs and expenditures of the
National Transportation Safety Board. Such evaluation and
audit shall be conducted at least annually, but may be
conducted as determined necessary by the Comptroller General
or the appropriate congressional committees.
``(b) Responsibility of Comptroller General.--The
Comptroller General shall evaluate and audit Board programs,
operations, and activities, including--
``(1) information management and security, including
privacy protection of personally identifiable information;
``(2) resource management;
``(3) workforce development;
``(4) procurement and contracting planning, practices and
policies;
``(5) the extent to which the Board follows leading
practices in selected management areas; and
``(6) the extent to which the Board addresses management
challenges in completing accident investigations.
``(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--For purposes
of this section the term `appropriate congressional
committees' means the Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for such chapter is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1137
the following:
``1138. Evaluation and audit of National Transportation Safety Board''.
SEC. 6. AUDIT PROCEDURES.
The National Transportation Safety Board, in consultation
with the Inspector General of the Department of
Transportation, shall continue to develop and implement
comprehensive internal audit controls for its operations. The
audit controls shall address, at a minimum, Board asset
management systems, including systems for accounting
management, debt collection, travel, and property and
inventory management and control.
SEC. 7. IMPLEMENTATION OF NTSB'S ``MOST WANTED TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, 2006''.
Within 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
shall submit a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives explaining why the Federal Aviation
Administration has not implemented the aviation
recommendations in the ``Most Wanted Transportation Safety
Improvements, 2006'' of the National Transportation Safety
Board.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 1118(a) of title 49, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' after ``2005,''; and
(2) by striking ``2006.'' and inserting ``2006, $81,594,000
for fiscal year 2007, and $92,625,000 for fiscal year
2008.''.
(b) Fees, Refunds, and Reimbursements.--
(1) In general.--Section 1118(c) of such title is amended
to read as follows:
``(c) Fees, Refunds, and Reimbursements.--
``(1) In general.--The Board may impose and collect such
fees, refunds, and reimbursements as it determines to be
appropriate for services provided by or through the Board.
``(2) Receipts credited as offsetting collections.--
Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, any fee, refund, or
reimbursement collected under this subsection--
``(A) shall be credited as offsetting collections to the
account that finances the activities and services for which
the fee is imposed or with which the refund or reimbursement
is associated;
``(B) shall be available for expenditure only to pay the
costs of activities and services for which the fee is imposed
or with which the refund or reimbursement is associated; and
``(C) shall remain available until expended.
``(3) Refunds.--The Board may refund any fee paid by
mistake or any amount paid in excess of that required.''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1)
shall take effect on October 1, 2005.
(c) Report.--Section 1118(d) of title 49, United States
Code, is repealed.
SEC. 9. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.
(a) Functional Unit for Marine Investigations.--Section
1111(g) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following:
[[Page H8832]]
``(5) marine.''.
(b) Marine Casualty Investigations.--Section 1131(a)(1)(E)
of such title is amended--
(1) by striking ``on the navigable waters or territorial
sea of the United States,'' and inserting ``on or under the
navigable waters, internal waters, or the territorial sea of
the United States as described in Presidential Proclamation
No. 5928 of December 27, 1988,''; and
(2) by inserting ``(as defined in section 2101(46) of title
46)'' after ``vessel of the United States''.
(c) Reference to Departmental Authority.--Section
1131(c)(1) of such title is amended by inserting ``or the
Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is
operating'' after ``Transportation''.
(d) Appointment of Staff.--Section 1111 of such title is
amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (1) of subsection (e) and
inserting the following:
``(1) appoint and supervise officers and employees, other
than regular and full-time employees in the immediate offices
of another member, necessary to carry out this chapter;'';
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection
(e) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively;
(3) by inserting after paragraph (1) of subsection (e) the
following:
``(2) fix the pay of officers and employees necessary to
carry out this chapter;'';
(4) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection (j); and
(5) by inserting after subsection (h) the following:
``(i) Board member staff.--Each member of the Board shall
select and supervise regular and full-time employees in his
or her immediate office as long as any such employee has been
approved for employment by the designated agency ethics
official under the same guidelines that apply to all
employees of the Board. Except for the Chairman, the
appointment authority provided by this subsection is limited
to the number of full-time equivalent positions, in addition
to 1 senior professional staff at a level not to exceed the
GS 15 level and 1 administrative staff, allocated to each
member through the Board's annual budget and allocation
process.''.
(e) Spelling Correction.--Section 1113(a) of such title is
amended in paragraphs (3) and (4) by striking ``subpena'' and
inserting ``subpoena''.
(f) Board Review.--Section 1113(c) of such title is amended
by inserting after the period at the end the following: ``The
Board shall develop and approve a process for the Board's
review and comment or approval of documents submitted to the
President, Director of the Office of Management and Budget,
or Congress under this subsection.''.
(g) Investigative Officers.--Section 1113 of such title is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(h) Investigative Officers.--The Board shall maintain at
least 1 full-time employee in each State located more than
1,000 miles from the nearest Board regional office to provide
initial investigative response to accidents the Board is
empowered to investigate under this chapter that occur in
that State.''.
SEC. 10. SAFETY REVIEW.
(a) Safety Area Alternatives.--With regard to an
environmental review of a project to improve runway safety
areas on Runway 8/26 at Juneau International Airport, the
Secretary of Transportation may only select as the preferred
alternative the least expensive runway safety area
alternative that meets the standards of the Federal Aviation
Administration and that maintains the length of the runway as
of the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Costs To Be Considered.--In determining what is the
least expensive runway safety area for purposes of subsection
(a), the Secretary shall consider, at a minimum, the initial
development costs and life cycle costs of the project.
(c) Satisfaction of Requirement.--With respect to the
project described in subsection (a), the requirements of
section 303(c)(1) of title 49, United States Code, shall be
considered to be satisfied by the selection of the least
expensive safety area alternative.
SEC. 11. DOT INSPECTOR GENERAL OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
RELATED TO CENTRAL ARTERY TUNNEL PROJECT.
(a) Oversight of Safety Review.--The Inspector General of
the Department of Transportation shall provide objective and
independent oversight of the activities performed by the
Federal Highway Administration, the Massachusetts Executive
Office of Transportation, and the Massachusetts Department of
Transportation for the project-wide safety review initiated
as a result of the July 10, 2006, accident in the Central
Artery tunnel project in Boston, Massachusetts. The Inspector
General shall ensure that such oversight is comprehensive,
complete, and carried out in a rigorous manner.
(b) Investigations of Criminal and Fraudulent Activities.--
In cooperation with the Attorney General of the United States
and the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, the Inspector General shall investigate
criminal or fraudulent acts committed in the design,
expenditure of funds, and construction of the Central Artery
tunnel project.
(c) Reports to Congress.--The Inspector General shall
submit to Congress periodically reports on the oversight and
investigative activities conducted pursuant to this section,
together with any recommendations and observations of the
Inspector General. If the Inspector General identifies any
safety issues of a time sensitive and critical nature in
carrying out this section, the Inspector General shall
promptly notify Congress.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Mica) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 5076.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am pleased to rise this afternoon in very strong support of this
timely and certainly needed legislation. This legislation is the
NTSB's, the National Transportation Safety Board's, authorization
legislation, and it is currently provided for under a continuing
resolution. The NTSB is a small but very important part of the Federal
Government, and it makes some very critical contributions to our
Nation's safety each year. The NTSB is charged with investigating civil
aviation accidents and significant transportation accidents in other
surface modes, including railroad, highway, marine, and pipeline
accidents.
In addition, the NTSB assists the victims of aviation accidents, and
where resources allow, Mr. Speaker, the NTSB also provides family
assistance for accidents in other transportation modes.
As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
and chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, I can tell Members that the
NTSB has provided tremendous service to this Nation and also to the
traveling public in all modes of transportation for many years.
In the United States the 3-year average commercial aviation accident
rate is .017 accidents per 100,000 departures, which means that the
accident rate is the equivalent of one fatal accident for every 15
million passenger-carrying flights, which is an absolutely amazing
record by any standard. I believe this unprecedented aviation safety
record is in part due to the outstanding work over the years by
hundreds and hundreds of NTSB professionals as well as the Federal
Aviation Administration and also our aviation industry. But even with
this outstanding safety record in commercial air transportation, we
must continue to work towards making the system even safer, especially
as we see increases in demand and also increases in congestion and
passengers.
Since its creation in 1967, the NTSB has investigated more than
124,000 aviation accidents and at least 10,000 accidents in other modes
of transportation. As a result of these investigations, the board has
issued almost 12,000 safety recommendations, and over 82 percent of
those recommendations have been adopted. The NTSB also serves as the
``court of appeals'' for any airman, mechanic, or mariner who has a
problem with certificate action when it is taken by either the FAA
administrator or the U.S. Coast Guard commandant.
I would also like to point out that last year marked the board's 15th
anniversary of its ``Most Wanted'' list of transportation safety
improvements. I believe this is a tool that has served the public very
well. In fact, over the past 15 years, 85 percent of more than 260
recommendations that have been placed on the list have been accepted
and also have been implemented.
H.R. 5076 provides for a 2-year reauthorization for both the fiscal
years 2007 and 2008. This legislation would also provide for the hiring
of critically needed transportation accident investigations positions.
The board has determined through a human capital forecast which was
conducted earlier this year that additional full-time employees are
needed to effectively and efficiently meet the mission and support
efforts that are expected of the board, and understanding our current
[[Page H8833]]
budget constraints, H.R. 5076 allows for slight increases in personnel
to help address this important need.
{time} 1700
Finally, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5076 provides for changes such as
consolidating reporting requirements, clarifying that the board has
jurisdiction to investigate major marine accidents occurring on bodies
of water located entirely within the boundaries of a State. And also it
directs the NTSB to develop and implement a plan to achieve the self-
sufficient operation of the NTSB Academy.
Mr. Speaker, with those comments, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Mica. I would
like to thank Chairman Young, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Mica, for joining me in
introducing H.R. 5076, the National Transportation Safety Board
Reauthorization Act of 2006.
The NTSB makes safety recommendations to Federal, State and local
government agencies and to the transportation industry regarding
actions and recommendations that should be taken to prevent accidents
and improve safety.
Since its inception in 1967, the NTSB has issued almost 12,000 safety
recommendations in all modes of transportation. The regulatory and
transportation communities have accepted over 82 percent of these
recommendations.
This is significant, given the size of this agency: only 396
employees and 10 regional offices.
The NTSB's recommendations and its vigilance on safety issues result
in improvements in the way we conduct the business of transportation in
all modes of transportation.
Transportation accidents are increasingly complex, and the NTSB
maintains the highly qualified technical staff and necessary tools to
efficiently produce thorough and unbiased investigations and
recommendations for the public and policymakers.
I am pleased the reauthorization bill before us today authorizes $1.7
million more than the NTSB's current budget request for fiscal year
2007, which will allow for 11 more investigators to be hired by the
agency.
To maintain its position as the preeminent transportation
investigative agency, the NTSB must have the resources necessary to
handle increasingly complex accident investigations, as well as to
adequately train its staff.
Reauthorization is essential to ensuring this agency has the
necessary resources to conduct thorough safety investigations, and I
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5076.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as he may
wish to consume to the chairman of the full Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee, the distinguished gentleman from Alaska (Mr.
Young).
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the work
he has done on this legislation, and the ranking member on the other
side of the aisle.
This is a good piece of legislation. It should be passed. I urge my
colleagues to support it. It has been fairly vetted, and I am confident
that with the passage of this and on the President's desk, we will do
the job to make sure that not only are the flying industry safe, but
all other forms of transportation are safe.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify the intent of several provisions
that were added to H.R. 5076, as amended, since it was reported by the
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Section 5 of the bill as amended requires the General Accountability
Office (GAO) to evaluate and audit the programs and expenditures of the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) at least annually.
This provision will provide greater oversight of the NTSB without
risking any infringement on the Board's independence that could result
from having the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector
General perform this audit function.
When the NTSB was first established in 1967, it initially relied on
DOT for funding and administrative support. In 1975, under the
Independent Safety Board Act, all organizational ties to DOT were
severed.
The NTSB serves as an independent ``watchdog'' over the DOT, as well
as State transportation agencies, recommending actions these agencies
should take to improve safety. Therefore, maintaining NTSB's strict
independence from DOT is critically important to NTSB's mission.
Under H.R. 5076 as amended, the DOT Inspector General's current
authority under 49 U.S.C. 1137 to review the financial management,
property management, and business operations of the NTSB, including
internal accounting and administrative control systems, is unchanged.
Section 4 of the bill clarifies how these functions of the Inspector
General should be funded. Currently, the NTSB reimburses the Inspector
General for the costs incurred by the Inspector General in carrying out
49 USC 1137. H.R. 5076 clarifies that an appropriation of funds
directly to the Inspector General for these activities is preferable to
a reimbursable agreement, but if such an appropriation is not
available, then a reimbursable agreement should be used instead.
It is not Congress' intent that GAO and the DOT IG will in any way
duplicate each others' work. Rather, Congress intends for GAO and the
DOT IG to continue their current practice of coordinating their audit
planning for the NTSB such that there is no duplication of effort
between the two agencies as the GAO undertakes the specific
responsibilities assigned by Congress under this bill.
Section 2(a)(1) of the bill requires the Board to submit to Congress
a list of accidents the Board was required to investigate, as well as a
list of ongoing investigations exceeding the time allotted by Board
order. This reporting requirement would not apply to accident types
which the NTSB may voluntarily elect to investigate, but is not
required to investigate, under current law, such as railroad grade-
crossing or highway accidents.
Section 2(a)(2) of the bill requires NTSB to develop and implement a
plan to achieve, to the maximum extent feasible, the self-sufficient
operation of the NTSB Academy. This facility has in the past consumed
too large a portion of NTSB's budget resources, to the detriment of the
NTSB's core accident investigation mission. I encourage the NTSB to
develop a plan to make better use of this facility and reduce the
burden it imposes on the NTSB's budget.
Section 11 instructs the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of
Transportation to conduct oversight of the reviews currently underway
at the Federal Highway Administration and the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts of the tragic July 10, 2006, fatal accident in the
Central Artery tunnel project in Boston, Massachusetts. The section
also instructs the Inspector General to investigate, in cooperation
with the U.S. Attorney General and the Attorney General of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, any criminal or fraudulent acts
committed in the execution of the project. I do not intend for the
Inspector General to duplicate the current reviews. The purpose of this
section is to evaluate the reviews to ensure that the aforementioned
public agency oversight underway of this past summer's accident is
thorough and rigorous so the lessons learned will prevent future
tragedies.
Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend and
colleague from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important agency of the
Federal Government in terms of consumer health and safety: the National
Transportation Safety Board. And one of the things for a number of
years that has concerned me about the National Transportation Safety
Board is they approach issues of public safety from a fairly pure
standpoint in terms of what is needed to better protect the traveling
public and to prevent loss of life. And unfortunately, when it gets
over to the agencies of jurisdiction, particularly the FAA, they have
put a value on your life. Now, I once asked an FAA individual, I said,
so what do you think your life is worth? And the particular value at
that time I think was around $200,000 per life, or soul as they call
it. I said, don't you think you are worth more than that? At that point
we were arguing about moving seats further apart so people could access
the over-wing exits. And the airlines were complaining about the
revenue that would be lost. It took, actually, 8 years after a tragic
accident, with people stacked up like cord wood in Manchester, England,
to get that rule passed here. The Brits did it in 6 months.
So often the NTSB recommends what they see as needed changes to
protect safety, and all too often those things are ignored. They
disappear in the black hole over there at the FAA. This bill will
change that.
[[Page H8834]]
The most wanted transportation safety improvements, which are
available and published on an annual basis by the NTSB in all modes of
transportation, are now going to have to be responded to by the FAA.
Within 90 days of the date of enactment of this bill, we will get a
report which will explain why they have not implemented these most
wanted regulations here to better protect the traveling public. This
will be an improvement. It will now at least require meaningful
response from the agency, and perhaps move us forward in better
protecting life and safety.
Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COSTELLO. I would ask the gentleman if he has other speakers.
Mr. MICA. No other speakers, but I would like to reserve the
opportunity to close.
Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests on our side,
so I would yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to also add, for the record, that
beyond the NTSB, this particular piece of legislation also includes a
provision requiring the Department of Transportation Inspector General
to provide an independent oversight of the project-wide safety review
of the central artery tunnel project in Boston, Massachusetts,
otherwise known as the Big Dig. This safety review was initiated as a
result of the July 10, 2006 accident that resulted in the tragic loss
of life by a motorist there.
The bill also requires the Inspector General to investigate criminal
or fraudulent acts committed in the design and construction of the
project and report to Congress on its oversight of this project.
Because of the NTSB's broad jurisdiction over all modes of
transportation, this bill required the coordinated efforts of many
people. So, in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank Chairman
Young, who has done an incredible job leading the T&I Committee, I have
had the honor to be one of his subcommittee chairs for the past 6
years; Ranking Member Oberstar, Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member
Mr. Costello, and for all of his staff and their efforts on behalf of
this legislation.
Then I also want to thank, this is probably our last piece of
legislation, my last piece as chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, a
difficult task over some difficult 6 years now in America's history and
the history of aviation in this country. But I want to personally thank
our staff director Jim Coon, who has helped lead that effort;
professional staffer Sharon Barkeloo; Holly Woodruff Lyons; Chris
Brown; and our clerk, Jason Rosa; and two people who aren't with us,
Mr. David Schaeffer, who was the staff director during 9/11 and some of
the very trying times we experienced; and also Sharon Pinkerton, my
chief legislative transportation counsel. They are no longer with us.
So I want to thank everyone for their work on this important piece of
legislation.
This version of the bill currently before the House has been
negotiated with our counterparts in the Senate to expedite its
consideration in the other body in the hope that this important
legislation can and will be enacted before the 109th Congress adjourns
sine die later this week. To that end, I urge my colleagues to support
H.R. 5076, as amended.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5076, the
National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2006.
This Agency's roots go back to 1926 when the Air Commerce Act vested
the Department of Commerce with the authority to investigative aircraft
accidents. During the 1966 consolidation of various transportation
agencies into the Department of Transportation (DOT), the National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was created as an independent agency
within DOT to investigate accidents in all transportation modes. In
1974, Congress further demonstrated its resolve to ensure that NTSB
would retain its independence by re-establishing the Board as a totally
separate entity, distinct from DOT.
Since its inception in 1967, the NTSB has investigated more than
124,000 aviation accidents and over 10,000 surface transportation
accidents, making it the world's premier accident investigation agency.
In the last six years alone, the NTSB has investigated, or caused to be
investigated, over 11,000 aviation accidents, 205 highway accidents, 91
railroad accidents, 33 pipeline accidents, 38 marine accidents; and a
total of 1129 safety recommendations have been issued. This is no small
feat, given the size of this agency: only 396 employees in 10 regional
offices.
While the NTSB gets perhaps its greatest visibility when there is an
aviation tragedy, that should not overshadow the very significant and
important work the agency performs in pipelines, maritime, rail, truck,
and automotive transportation.
To maintain its position as the world's preeminent investigative
agency, it is imperative that the NTSB has the resources necessary to
handle increasingly complex accident investigations. The NTSB needs
sufficient funding to sustain budget and personnel for both its
headquarters operations as well as the Academy. Accordingly, this bill
authorizes increased funding over the next two years: $81.6 million in
FY2007 and $92.6 million in FY2008.
H.R. 5076 provides an extra $1.7 million in FY2007 to hire an
additional 11 investigators that the Agency needs to fulfill its
critical mission. Moreover, the bill provides funding for an additional
20 full-time equivalent employees in 2008 to enable NTSB to meet its
core mission of accident investigation.
The bill also clarifies that the Board has jurisdiction to
investigate major marine casualties occurring on all bodies of water
``on or under the navigable waters, internal waters, or the territorial
sea of the United States, such as the Ethan Allen accident on Lake
George, New York, that occurred on October 2, 2005, killing 20
passengers. Further, the bill ensures that each member of the Safety
Board, not the Chairman, retains the authority to appoint employees on
their own personal staff. The bill also requires the Government
Accountability Office to conduct an annual audit of the NTSB's programs
and expenditures.
Finally, H.R. 5076 permits the agency to use funds that it collects
as refunds or reimbursements associated with its direct mission costs
even if the funds are collected in a subsequent fiscal year, as well as
extends the expedited contracting procedures that were authorized in
the Board's 2003 authorization.
Having a well-funded, well-trained NTSB workforce is of the utmost
importance for the American traveling public, and I urge my colleagues
to support passage of this bill.
Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 5076, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds of those voting having
responded in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as
amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read:
``A Bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal years 2007 and 2008, and for other
purposes''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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