[Senate Report 105-152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 290
105th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE

 1st Session                                                    105-152
_______________________________________________________________________


 
  FAA RESEARCH, ENGINEERING, AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION

                               __________

                              R E P O R T

                                 OF THE

           COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                                   on

                               H.R. 1271





                November 9, 1997.--Ordered to be printed


       SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                       one hundred fifth congress

                             first session

                     JOHN McCAIN, Arizona, Chairman

TED STEVENS, Alaska                  ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina
CONRAD BURNS, Montana                DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii
SLADE GORTON, Washington             WENDELL H. FORD, Kentucky
TRENT LOTT, Mississippi              JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West 
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas            Virginia
OLYMPIA SNOWE, Maine                 JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts
JOHN ASHCROFT, Missouri              JOHN B. BREAUX, Louisiana
BILL FRIST, Tennessee                RICHARD H. BRYAN, Nevada
SPENCER ABRAHAM, Michigan            BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota
SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas                RON WYDEN, Oregon

                       John Raidt, Staff Director

     Ivan A. Schlager, Democratic Chief Counsel and Staff Director

                                     

105th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE

 1st Session                                                    105-152
_______________________________________________________________________


   FAA RESEARCH, ENGINEERING, AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION
                                _______
                                

                November 9, 1997.--Ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


       Mr. McCain, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1271]

    The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to 
which was referred the bill (H.R. 1271) ``An Act to authorize 
the Federal Aviation Administration's research, engineering, 
and development programs for fiscal years 1998 through 2000, 
and for other purposes'', having considered the same, reports 
favorably thereon an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) 
and recommends that the bill (as amended) do pass.

                          Purpose of the Bill

  The legislation, as reported, would authorize $229,673,000 
for the activities of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
Research, Engineering, and Development (RE&D) account for 
fiscal year 1998.

                          Background and Needs

  The FAA RE&D account finances projects to improve the safety, 
security, capacity, and efficiency of the U.S. aviation system. 
Ongoing and planned FAA RE&D projects include those to 
determine how limited airport and airspace capacity can meet 
ever increasing demands, how aviation security can be improved, 
and how flight safety concerns can be addressed. This amendment 
would fund the RE&D account at $229,673,000 for fiscal year 
1998.
  The FAA groups its RE&D projects in nine areas. These areas 
include Capacity and Air Traffic Management Technology; 
Communications, Navigation and Surveillance Systems; Weather; 
Airport Technology; Aircraft Safety Technology; System Security 
Technology; Human Factors and Aviation Medicine; Environment 
and Energy; and Innovative/Cooperative Research.
  The FAA RE&D program includes partnerships with public and 
private entities. These partnerships enable the FAA to gain 
expertise in specialized areas of technology, and to leverage 
limited federal funds. The FAA, for example, now has more than 
250 agreements for research and development partnerships with 
research organizations, foreign governments, and industry 
consortia. The FAA has also established several university-
based research centers.
  The FAA is also facing the so-called Year 2000 problem. 
According to the General Accounting Office and the Department 
of Transportation Inspector General, the FAA is behind schedule 
in determining which of its systems, including air traffic 
control systems, are affected by the Year 2000 problem. 
Furthermore, the FAA may need about two years to make the 
necessary software modifications, and then test the 
modifications to ensure that they work correctly. The bill 
includes a Sense of Congress recommending that the FAA assess 
its Year 2000 problems immediately, and develop a plan and 
contingency plans for correcting these problems.

                          Legislative History

  H.R. 1271 (H. Rept. 105-70), the ``FAA Research, Engineering, 
and Development Authorization Act of 1997,'' was referred to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on April 
30, 1997.
  Senator Gorton, Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, 
introduced an amendment (Amendment 1544), in the form of a 
substitute to H.R. 1271 on October 31, 1997. Senators McCain, 
Hollings, and Ford cosponsored the amendment.
  Amendment 1544 was referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science and Transportation. On November 4, 1997, the Committee, 
without objection, ordered H.R. 1271 reported as amended by 
Amendment 1544.

                      Summary of Major Provisions

  H.R. 1271, as amended, would:
          1. Authorize the FAA RE&D account for fiscal year 
        1998 at a level of $229,673,000.
          2. Establish a $750,000 research grant program to 
        utilize undergraduate students at primarily 
        undergraduate and technical colleges.
          3. Disallow appropriation of funds that are not 
        specifically authorized by this legislation.
          4. Include a Sense of the Congress that the FAA 
        should assess immediately the extent that its computer 
        systems are affected by the Year 2000 problem, that it 
        should develop a plan and budget to make needed 
        corrections, and that it should develop contingency 
        plans for those systems the FAA is unable to correct in 
        time.

                            Estimated Costs

  In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the 
following cost estimate:
  The Report of the House Committee on Science (Report No. 105-
70) to accompany the Act H.R. 1271 provided an estimate of cost 
prepared by the Congressional Budget Office. The amendments 
made by the Committee to H.R. 1271 would reduce the costs 
associated with the Act, but an estimate of the reduced costs 
by the Congressional Budget Office was not available at the 
time the Act was reported.

                      Regulatory Impact Statement

  In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the 
following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the 
legislation, as reported.
  In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of Rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the 
following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the 
legislation:

                       NUMBER OF PERSONS COVERED

  This legislation provides an authorization of appropriations 
for the FAA RE&D program for fiscal year 1998. With the 
exception of authorizing additional grant funding, the 
legislation is simply reauthorizing the existing program. As 
such, the number of persons covered should be consistent with 
or only slightly above current levels.

                            ECONOMIC IMPACT

  As reported, the bill extends an existing program. The 
funding levels are modest and are not expected to have an 
inflationary impact on the nation's economy.

                                PRIVACY

  The legislation will not have any adverse impact on the 
personal privacy of the individuals affected.

                               PAPERWORK

  The Committee does not anticipate any increase in the 
paperwork burden resulting from the extension of the FAA RE&D 
program.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

Section 1. Short title
  This section cites the short title of the bill as the ``FAA 
Research, Engineering, and Development Act of 1997''.
Section 2. Authorization of appropriations
  This section authorizes $229,673,000 for the FAA RE&D program 
for fiscal year 1998. Of this total amount, the following sums 
are authorized for each of 10 categories:
          (1) $16,379,000 for system development and 
        infrastructure projects and activities;
          (2) $27,089,000 for capacity and air traffic 
        management technology projects and activities;
          (3) $23,362,000 for communications, navigation, and 
        surveillance projects and activities;
          (4) $16,600,000 for weather projects and activities;
          (5) $7,854,000 for airport technology projects and 
        activities;
          (6) $49,202,000 for aircraft safety technology 
        projects and activities;
          (7) $56,045,000 for system security technology 
        projects and activities;
          (8) $27,137,000 for human factors and aviation 
        medicine projects and activities;
          (9) $2,891,000 for environment and energy projects 
        and activities;
          (10) $3,114,000 for innovative/cooperative research 
        projects and activities.
Section 3. Research grants program involving undergraduate students
  This section establishes a program to utilize undergraduate 
and technical colleges in research on subjects of relevance to 
the FAA RE&D program. The program is to emphasize (1) research 
projects that combine research at primarily undergraduate 
institutions and technical colleges with research supported by 
the FAA, and (2) research on future training requirements on 
projected changes in regulatory requirements for aircraft 
maintenance and power plant licensees.
Section 4. Limitation on appropriations
  This section disallows the appropriation of funds that are 
not specifically authorized by this legislation.
Section 5. Notice of reprogramming
  This section requires the FAA to give notice to the House 
Committee on Science, the House Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastucture, and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation, if any funds authorized by this legislation 
are subject to a reprogramming action that requires notice to 
the Appropriations Committees.
Section 6. Sense of Congress on the year 2000 problem
  This section recommends that the FAA assess immediately the 
extent that its computer systems are affected by the Year 2000 
problem, develop a plan and budget to make needed corrections, 
and develop contingency plans for those systems the FAA is 
unable to correct in time.

                        Changes in Existing Law

  In the opinion of the Committee, it is necessary to dispense 
with the requirements of paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate to expedite the business of the 
Senate.

                                
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