[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 20 (Monday, February 6, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S746-S747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. DAINES (for himself and Mr. Booker):
  S. 320. A bill to require the Federal Aviation Administration to 
establish annual performance objectives and to hold the Chief NextGen 
Officer accountable for meeting such objectives; to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, in 2003, Congress mandated the Next 
Generation Air Transportation System known as NextGen, transitioning 
our radar-based system with radio communication to a satellite-based 
one, to increase safety and efficiency. NextGen deployment has been 
bogged with delays and cost overruns, highlighted by Government 
Accountability Office reports. Final implementation is to be completed 
by 2025. This legislation

[[Page S747]]

would simply create measurable annual performance goals and hold 
Federal officials accountable to meeting these goals through the 
remainder of implementation.
  I want to thank Senator Booker for being an original cosponsor of 
this bill, and I ask my other Senate colleagues to join us in support 
of this legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.

                                 S. 320

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``NextGen Accountability 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. NEXTGEN ANNUAL PERFORMANCE GOALS.

       Section 214 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 
     (Public Law 112-95; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
       ``(d) Annual Performance Goals.--The Administrator shall 
     establish annual NextGen performance goals for each of the 
     performance metrics set forth in subsection (a) to meet the 
     performance metric baselines identified under subsection (b). 
     Such goals shall be established in consultation with public 
     and private NextGen stakeholders, including the NextGen 
     Advisory Committee.''.

     SEC. 3. NEXTGEN METRICS REPORT.

       Section 710(e)(2) of the Vision 100--Century of Aviation 
     Reauthorization Act (Public Law 108-176; 49 U.S.C. 40101 
     note) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(F) a description of the progress made in meeting the 
     annual NextGen performance goals relative to the performance 
     metrics established under section 214 of the FAA 
     Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-95; 49 
     U.S.C. 40101 note).''.

     SEC. 4. CHIEF NEXTGEN OFFICER.

       Section 106(s) of title 49, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2)(B), by adding at the end the 
     following: ``In evaluating the performance of the Chief 
     NextGen Officer for the purpose of awarding a bonus under 
     this subparagraph, the Administrator shall consider the 
     progress toward meeting the NextGen performance goals 
     established pursuant to section 214(d) of the FAA 
     Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-95; 49 
     U.S.C. 40101 note)''; and
       (2) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end the following: 
     ``The annual performance goals set forth in the agreement 
     shall include quantifiable NextGen airspace performance 
     objectives regarding efficiency, productivity, capacity, and 
     safety, which shall be established in consultation with 
     public and private NextGen stakeholders, including the 
     NextGen Advisory Committee.''.

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