[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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