    [House Report 108-405]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

    108th Congress                                            Rept. 108-405
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
     1st Session                                                     Part 1

    ======================================================================

           FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
                              REAUTHORIZATION ACT

                                    _______

    December 8, 2003.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
                  State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                    _______

      Mr. Boehlert, from the Committee on Science, submitted the following

                                  R E P O R T

                            [To accompany H.R. 2734]

          [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

      The Committee on Science, to whom was referred the bill (H.R.
    2734) to authorize appropriations for the civil aviation
    research and development projects and activities of the Federal
    Aviation Administration, and for other purposes, having
    considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment
    and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.

                                    CONTENTS

                                                                       Page
       I. Amendment.......................................................2
      II. Purpose of the Bill.............................................6
     III. Background and Need for the Legislation.........................6
      IV. Summary of Hearings.............................................6
       V. Committee Actions...............................................7
      VI. Summary of Major Provisions of the Bill.........................8
     VII. Section-by-Section Analysis (by Title and Section)..............9
    VIII. Committee Views................................................11
      IX. Cost Estimate..................................................14
       X. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate......................15
      XI. Compliance With Public Law 104-4 (Unfunded Mandates)...........16
     XII. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations...............16
    XIII. Statement on General Performance Goals and Objectives..........16
     XIV. Constitutional Authority Statement.............................17
      XV. Federal Advisory Committee Statement...........................17
     XVI. Congressional Accountability Act...............................17
    XVII. Statement on Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law.........17
    XVIII.Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported..........17

     XIX. Committee Recommendations......................................21
      XX. Proceedings of the Subcommittee Markup.........................23
     XXI. Proceedings of the Full Committee Markup.......................57

                                  I. Amendment

        The amendment is as follows:
      Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
    following:

    SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

      This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Aviation Administration
    Research and Development Reauthorization Act''.

    SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

      Section 48102(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
              (1) by striking ``to carry out sections 44504'' and inserting
            ``for conducting civil aviation research and development under
            sections 44504'';
              (2) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (7);
              (3) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (8) and
            inserting a semicolon; and
              (4) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
              ``(9) for fiscal year 2004, $371,317,000, including--
                      ``(A) $190,000,000 for Research, Engineering, and
                    Development, of which--
                              ``(i) $65,000,000 shall be for Improving
                            Aviation Safety;
                              ``(ii) $24,000,000 shall be for Weather
                            Safety Research;
                              ``(iii) $15,000,000 shall be made available
                            to the Next Generation Air Traffic Management
                            Research and Development Joint Program Office
                            established under section 3 of the Federal
                            Aviation Administration Research and
                            Development Reauthorization Act for the Next
                            Generation Air Traffic Management Research and
                            Development program under such section 3;
                              ``(iv) $27,500,000 shall be for Human Factors
                            and Aeromedical Research;
                              ``(v) $30,000,000 shall be for Environmental
                            Research and Development, of which $20,000,000
                            shall be for research activities related to
                            reducing community exposure to civilian
                            aircraft noise or emissions;
                              ``(vi) $7,000,000 shall be for Research
                            Mission Support;
                              ``(vii) $20,000,000 shall be for the Airport
                            Cooperative Research Program; and
                              ``(viii) $1,500,000 shall be for carrying out
                            subsection (h) of this section;
                      ``(B) $163,900,000 for Facilities and Equipment, of
                    which--
                              ``(i) $42,800,000 shall be for Advanced
                            Technology Development and Prototyping;
                              ``(ii) $30,300,000 shall be for Safe Flight
                            21; and
                              ``(iii) $90,800,000 shall be for the Center
                            for Advanced Aviation System Development; and
                      ``(C) $17,417,000 for Airport Improvement Program
                    Research and Development, of which--
                              ``(i) $9,667,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Safety; and
                              ``(ii) $7,750,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Efficiency;
              ``(10) for fiscal year 2005, $396,192,000, including--
                      ``(A) $206,600,000 for Research, Engineering, and
                    Development, of which--
                              ``(i) $65,705,000 shall be for Improving
                            Aviation Safety;
                              ``(ii) $24,260,000 shall be for Weather
                            Safety Research;
                              ``(iii) $30,000,000 shall be made available
                            to the Next Generation Air Traffic Management
                            Research and Development Joint Program Office
                            established under section 3 of the Federal
                            Aviation Administration Research and
                            Development Reauthorization Act for the Next
                            Generation Air Traffic Management Research and
                            Development program under such section 3;
                              ``(iv) $27,800,000 shall be for Human Factors
                            and Aeromedical Research;
                              ``(v) $30,109,000 shall be for Environmental
                            Research and Development, of which $20,000,000
                            shall be for research activities related to
                            reducing community exposure to civilian
                            aircraft noise or emissions;
                              ``(vi) $7,076,000 shall be for Research
                            Mission Support;
                              ``(vii) $20,000,000 shall be for the Airport
                            Cooperative Research Program; and
                              ``(viii) $1,650,000 shall be for carrying out
                            subsection (h) of this section;
                      ``(B) $172,000,000 for Facilities and Equipment, of
                    which--
                              ``(i) $43,300,000 shall be for Advanced
                            Technology Development and Prototyping;
                              ``(ii) $31,100,000 shall be for Safe Flight
                            21;
                              ``(iii) $95,400,000 shall be for the Center
                            for Advanced Aviation System Development; and
                              ``(iv) $2,200,000 shall be for Free Flight
                            Phase 2; and
                      ``(C) $17,592,000 for Airport Improvement Program
                    Research and Development, of which--
                              ``(i) $9,764,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Safety; and
                              ``(ii) $7,828,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Efficiency; and
              ``(11) for fiscal year 2006, $412,157,000, including--
                      ``(A) $228,289,000 for Research, Engineering, and
                    Development, of which--
                              ``(i) $66,447,000 shall be for Improving
                            Aviation Safety;
                              ``(ii) $24,534,000 shall be for Weather
                            Safety Research;
                              ``(iii) $50,000,000 shall be made available
                            to the Next Generation Air Traffic Management
                            Research and Development Joint Program Office
                            established under section 3 of the Federal
                            Aviation Administration Research and
                            Development Reauthorization Act for the Next
                            Generation Air Traffic Management Research and
                            Development program under such section 3;
                              ``(iv) $28,114,000 shall be for Human Factors
                            and Aeromedical Research;
                              ``(v) $30,223,000 shall be for Environmental
                            Research and Development, of which $20,000,000
                            shall be for research activities related to
                            reducing community exposure to civilian
                            aircraft noise or emissions;
                              ``(vi) $7,156,000 shall be for Research
                            Mission Support;
                              ``(vii) $20,000,000 shall be for the Airport
                            Cooperation Research Program; and
                              ``(viii) $1,815,000 shall be for carrying out
                            subsection (h) of this section;
                      ``(B) $166,100,000 for Facilities and Equipment, of
                    which--
                              ``(i) $42,200,000 shall be for Advanced
                            Technology Development and Prototyping;
                              ``(ii) $23,900,000 shall be for Safe Flight
                            21; and
                              ``(iii) $100,000,000 shall be for the Center
                            for Advanced Aviation System Development; and
                      ``(C) $17,768,000 for Airport Improvement Program
                    Research and Development, of which--
                              ``(i) $9,862,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Safety; and
                              ``(ii) $7,906,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Efficiency.''.

    SEC. 3. NEXT GENERATION AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
                        JOINT PROGRAM OFFICE.

      (a) Establishment.--There is established a Next Generation Air
    Traffic Management Research and Development Joint Program Office
    (referred to in this section as the ``Office''). The Office shall be
    jointly managed by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National
    Aeronautics and Space Administration. The objective of the Office shall
    be to carry out research and development of an air traffic management
    system designed to meet national long-term aviation security, safety,
    and capacity needs.
      (b) Director and Deputy Director.--The Office shall be headed by a
    Director who shall be a senior executive of the Federal Aviation
    Administration. The Deputy Director shall be a senior executive of the
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Not later than 120 days
    after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrators of the
    Federal Aviation Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space
    Administration shall jointly appoint the Director and Deputy Director
    of the Office.
      (c) Functions of the Office.--The Office shall manage air traffic
    management research and development programs and initiatives within the
    Federal Aviation Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space
    Administration. The responsibilities of the Office shall include--
              (1) establishing and managing a research and development
            program for a next generation air traffic management system
            capable of tripling capacity by the year 2025;
              (2) entering into grants, cooperative agreements or
            contracts, or otherwise awarding or using funds appropriated
            for air traffic management research and development to carry
            out paragraph (1);
              (3) utilizing the facilities, capabilities, expertise, and
            experience of Federal agencies, national laboratories,
            universities, nonprofit organizations, industrial entities, and
            other non-Federal entities to carry out paragraph (1);
              (4) coordinating with the Department of Defense, the
            Department of Commerce, the Under Secretary for Science and
            Technology at the Department of Homeland Security, the National
            Security Council, the Department of Transportation, and other
            Federal agencies; and
              (5) consulting with the private sector (including
            representatives of general aviation, commercial aviation, and
            the space industry), members of the public, and other
            interested parties on the program.
      (d) Next Generation Air Traffic Management Research and Development
    Plan.--
              (1) Requirement.--The Office shall develop a research and
            development plan to carry out this section.
              (2) Goal.--The goal of the plan shall be to enable the
            creation of a National Airspace System architecture that
            would--
                      (A) be based on emerging ground-based and space-based
                    communications, navigation, and surveillance
                    technologies;
                      (B) increase the level of safety, security, and
                    efficiency of the National Airspace System;
                      (C) integrate data and information flow effectively
                    with other Federal agencies responsible for providing
                    for our Nation's defense and security;
                      (D) be scalable to accommodate and encourage
                    substantial growth in domestic and international
                    transportation;
                      (E) anticipate and accommodate continuing technology
                    upgrades;
                      (F) accommodate a wide range of aircraft operations,
                    including airlines, air taxis, helicopters, general
                    aviation, and unmanned aerial vehicles; and
                      (G) incorporate noise pollution reduction concerns.
              (3) Contents.--The plan shall describe, at a minimum--
                      (A) the most significant technical hurdles that stand
                    in the way of achieving the goal described in paragraph
                    (2);
                      (B) the research and development projects that will
                    be carried out to overcome the technical hurdles
                    described in subparagraph (A), including, for each
                    project, whether it would be funded by the Federal
                    Aviation Administration, the National Aeronautics and
                    Space Administration, or both, and whether the work
                    would be carried by the Federal Government,
                    corporations, or universities, or a combination
                    thereof;
                      (C) the annual anticipated cost of carrying out the
                    plan;
                      (D) the technical milestones that will be used to
                    evaluate progress in carrying out the plan; and
                      (E) how the research and development activities will
                    be coordinated with other appropriate Federal agencies.
      (e) Reports.--The Director of the Office shall transmit to the
    Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and to the
    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate--
              (1) not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of
            this Act, the plan required under subsection (d); and
              (2) annually at the time of the President's budget request, a
            report describing the progress in carrying out the plan
            required under subsection (d) and any changes to that plan.

    SEC. 4. BUDGET DESIGNATION FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.

      Section 48102 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by
    inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection:
      ``(g) Designation of Activities.--(1) The amounts appropriated under
    subsection (a) are for the support of all research and development
    activities carried out by the Federal Aviation Administration that fall
    within the categories of basic research, applied research, and
    development, including the design and development of prototypes, in
    accordance with the classifications of the Office of Management and
    Budget Circular A-11 (Budget Formulation/Submission Process).
      ``(2) The Department of Transportation's annual budget request for
    the Federal Aviation Administration shall identify all of the
    activities carried out by the Administration within the categories of
    basic research, applied research, and development, as classified by the
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-11. Each activity in the
    categories of basic research, applied research, and development shall
    be identified regardless of the budget category in which it appears in
    the budget request.''.

    SEC. 5. AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM.

      Section 44511 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding
    at the end the following new subsection:
      ``(f) Airport Cooperative Research Program.--
              ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
            establish an airport cooperative research program to--
                      ``(A) identify problems that are shared by airport
                    operating agencies and can be solved through applied
                    research but that are not being adequately addressed by
                    existing Federal research programs; and
                      ``(B) fund research to address those problems.
              ``(2) Governance.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
            appoint an independent governing board for the research program
            established under this subsection. The governing board shall be
            appointed from candidates nominated by national associations
            representing public airport operating agencies, airport
            executives, State aviation officials, and the scheduled
            airlines, and shall include representatives of appropriate
            Federal agencies. Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee
            Act shall not apply to the governing board.
              ``(3) Implementation.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
            enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences
            to provide staff support to the governing board established
            under paragraph (2) and to carry out projects proposed by the
            governing board that the Secretary considers appropriate.''.

    SEC. 6. DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYTICAL TOOLS AND CERTIFICATION METHODS.

      The Federal Aviation Administration shall conduct research to promote
    the development of analytical tools to improve existing certification
    methods and to reduce the overall costs for the certification of new
    products.

    SEC. 7. RESEARCH ON AVIATION TRAINING.

      Section 48102(h)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
              (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (B);
              (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C) and
            inserting ``; or''; and
              (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                      ``(D) research on the impact of new technologies and
                    procedures, particularly those related to aircraft
                    flight deck and air traffic management functions, on
                    training requirements for pilots and air traffic
                    controllers.''.

    SEC. 8. ROTORCRAFT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.

      (a) Objective.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
    Administration shall establish a rotorcraft initiative with the
    objective of developing, and demonstrating in a relevant environment,
    within 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act,
    technologies to enable rotorcraft with the following improvements
    relative to rotorcraft existing as of the date of the enactment of this
    Act:
              (1) 80 percent reduction in noise levels on takeoff and on
            approach and landing as perceived by a human observer.
              (2) Factor of 10 reduction in vibration.
              (3) 30 percent reduction in empty weight.
              (4) Predicted accident rate equivalent to that of fixed-wing
            aircraft in commercial service within 10 years after the date
            of the enactment of this Act.
              (5) Capability for zero-ceiling, zero-visibility operations.
      (b) Implementation.--Within 180 days after the date of the enactment
    of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration,
    in cooperation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and
    Space Administration, shall provide a plan to the Committee on Science
    of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce,
    Science, and Transportation of the Senate for the implementation of the
    initiative described in subsection (a). The implementation plan shall
    include--
              (1) technological roadmaps for achieving each of the
            improvements specified in subsection (a);
              (2) an estimate of the 10-year funding profile required to
            achieve the objective specified in subsection (a);
              (3) a plan for carrying out a formal quantification of the
            estimated costs and benefits of each technological option
            selected for development beyond the initial concept definition
            phase;
              (4) a plan for transferring the technologies to industry,
            including the identification of requirements for prototype
            demonstrations, as appropriate;
              (5) a plan to perform rotorcraft system architecture studies
            to identify revolutionary technologies for future investments
            in research and development; and
              (6) a plan to increase the use of vertical-take-off-and-
            landing vehicles to improve transportation service in urban
            areas.
      (c) Funding Agreements.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
    Administration shall enter into appropriate funding agreements with
    other Federal agencies and departments linked to national rotorcraft
    industry and academic research and development.
      (d) Center for Rotorcraft Technology.--The Federal Aviation
    Administration is authorized to contribute up to $5,000,000 for the
    operation of a center for rotorcraft technology to house a research,
    testing, and training facility and administrative center in the
    vicinity of existing helicopter manufacturing and research for the
    purpose of improving upon and developing new rotorcraft technologies,
    new design capabilities, and manufacturing techniques, including the
    objectives described in subsection (a), led by helicopter
    manufacturers, the maintenance industry, retrofitters, universities,
    and industry suppliers.
      (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to amounts
    authorized to be appropriated by the amendments made by this Act, there
    are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Federal
    Aviation Administration to carry out this section--
              (1) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
              (2) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
              (3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
              (4) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
              (5) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.

    SEC. 9. PILOT RETIREMENT AGE STUDY.

      The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall
    conduct a research study of whether commercial airline pilots between
    the ages of 60 and 64 who are employed by foreign air carriers pose a
    significant safety risk to United States passengers and airspace. The
    Administrator shall transmit the results of the study to the Congress
    not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

                            II. Purpose of the Bill

        The purpose of the bill is to authorize the Federal
    Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct research and
    development activities for Fiscal Years (FY) 2004, 2005, and
    2006. The funds authorized by this bill are aimed at improving
    the national airspace system by increasing its safety,
    security, capacity, and productivity to meet expected air
    traffic demands of the future.

                  III. Background and Need for the Legislation

        The FAA was created to develop air commerce and promote
    safety in the air. As part of the Airport Development and
    Airway Trust fund established by Congress in 1982, a
    comprehensive research and development program was put in place
    to maintain a safe, efficient air traffic control system.
        The 100th Congress, seeking to strengthen FAA's research
    and development programs, enacted the 1988 Aviation Safety
    Research Act (P.L. 100-591), creating the FAA Research Advisory
    Board. The terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 demonstrated
    the need for new technology to detect explosives, and Congress
    subsequently passed the Aviation Security Improvement Act of
    1990 (P.L. 101-604), which required FAA to support activities
    to accelerate the research and development of new technologies
    to protect against terrorism. Most of this program was later
    transferred to the Transportation Security Administration.
        Funding for FAA research and development activities was
    authorized for Fiscal Years 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 through
    P.L. 106-181.

                            IV. Summary of Hearings

        On March 6, 2003, the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
    held a hearing on civil aeronautics research and development
    budget requests for the Federal Aviation Administration (and
    the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) for Fiscal
    Year 2004, as well as their long-term plans for research and
    development.
        Mr. Charlie Keegan, Associate Administrator for Research
    and Acquisitions, Federal Aviation Administration, testified
    that the agency's major research and development programs and
    plans are described in the FAA's National Aviation Research
    Plan. He stated that FAA's research and development budget
    request for $100 million for the Research, Engineering and
    Development account for Fiscal Year 2004 was $24 million below
    the current fiscal year's level. He also noted that FAA's
    research and development program requested $73 million from the
    Facilities and Equipment account, and $17.4 million from the
    Airport Improvement Program account. He stated that one of the
    most valuable collaborations with industry is the Research,
    Engineering and Development Advisory Committee (REDAC),
    comprising industry, government and academic experts in the
    field of aviation. Mr. Keegan also highlighted two successful
    new safety technologies developed by the FAA, a fuel tank
    inerting system to make fuel tanks safer and a runway overrun
    arrestor bed material to aid in stopping runaway aircraft.
        Dr. John Hansman, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
    at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, testified that
    FAA's R&D funding was inadequate to meet projected demand in
    the National Airspace System (NAS). He stated that the current
    air traffic control system is ``on the edge of a capacity
    crisis,'' and that once the economy rebounds, the performance
    of our National Airspace System will degrade. He also stated
    that FAA (and NASA) need a stronger base research program in
    fundamental aspects of air traffic management, and that as a
    nation, we need to provide appropriate resources and
    coordination between various agencies.
        Mr. Malcolm Armstrong, Senior Vice President, Air Transport
    Association, highlighted the precarious financial condition of
    the commercial air carrier industry. He stated that safety
    remains the industry's number one goal, and noted that during
    the previous calendar year, scheduled domestic air carriers
    suffered no fatal accidents. He testified that FAA's current
    air traffic management program, the Operational Evolution Plan,
    will not provide sufficient capacity to meet projected demands.
    Mr. Armstrong expressed the industry's belief that the next air
    traffic management system will be highly automated. He also
    reiterated a recommendation made by the Commission on the
    Future of the United States Aerospace Industry that FAA should
    provide incentives to help the air carrier industry absorb the
    costs of re-equipping their fleets with new avionics systems
    that will be required to operate in the next generation air
    traffic management system.

                              V. Committee Actions

        The Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee marked up the
    Committee Print of the ``Federal Aviation Administration
    Research and Development Reauthorization Act'' on June 26,
    2003. The legislation was adopted, as amended (by voice vote)
    and ordered reported to the full Committee. Amendments to the
    legislation were offered in the following order:
        1. Amendment offered by Mr. Gordon to update the Research
    Grants Program to highlight the importance of research on the
    impact of new technologies and procedures on the training
    requirements for pilots and air traffic controllers, and to
    authorize funding to support this research. The amendment also
    extends funding of the Research Grants Program for three years.
    The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
        2. Amendment offered by Mr. Weiner to authorize a $20
    million noise and emissions research funding program in the
    Research, Engineering and Development account, and to strike a
    provision in the Committee Print authorizing this activity from
    the Airport Improvement Program account. The amendment was
    adopted by voice vote.
        3. Amendment offered by Subcommittee Chairman Rohrabacher
    on behalf of Mr. Boehlert, to direct the National Academy of
    Sciences to provide staff and administrative support to the
    governing board of the Airport Cooperative Research Program.
    The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
        Following Subcommittee markup, Representative Randy Forbes
    introduced the bill with bipartisan support on July 15, 2003,
    which was designated H.R. 2734. The full Committee met on
    Tuesday, July 22, 2003, to consider H.R. 2734. The bill was
    adopted, as amended (by voice vote) and ordered reported to the
    House. Amendments were offered in the following order:
        1. Amendment offered by Mr. Matheson to add, as a new
    criterion, consideration of noise pollution reduction to the
    Next Generation Air Traffic Management--Joint Program Office
    research plan. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
        2. Amendment offered by Representative Curt Weldon to
    authorize a rotorcraft research and development program to:
    reduce rotorcraft noise levels on takeoff and approach and
    landing; to reduce vibration; to reduce empty weight; to reduce
    the accident rate; and to develop the capability of flying in
    instrument weather conditions. The amendment authorizes $240
    million over five years (FY04-FY08). The amendment was adopted
    by voice vote.
        3. Amendment offered by Ms. Jackson-Lee to require the FAA
    to conduct a research study on whether commercial airline
    pilots between the ages of 60 and 64, who fly for foreign
    commercial air carriers, pose a significant safety risk to U.S.
    passengers and airspace. The FAA is directed to transmit a
    report to Congress not later than six months after the date of
    enactment. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

                  VI. Summary of Major Provisions of the Bill

         Reauthorizes the FAA's Research and Development
    program for FY04, FY05, and FY06.
         Establishes an FAA-NASA Next Generation Air
    Traffic Management Joint Program Office. Requires a research
    and development plan that will enable development of an air
    traffic management system capable of tripling capacity by the
    year 2025. Authorizes a total of $95 million from FY04 through
    FY06 .
         Amends Section 48102 of Title 49, United States
    Code, to clarify that amounts appropriated under this
    subsection support all research and development activities
    carried out by FAA.
         Establishes an Airport Cooperative Research
    Program. Authorizes $20 million annually.
         Requires FAA to conduct research on development of
    analytical tools to held reduce the cost of certifying new
    aircraft, aircraft engines, and related systems.
         Establishes a research program to reduce community
    exposure to aircraft noise and emissions. Authorizes $20
    million annually.
         Authorizes FAA to establish a rotorcraft research
    and development program.

            VII. Section-by-Section Analysis (by Title and Section)

    Sec. 1. Short Title

        ``Federal Aviation Administration Research and Development
    Reauthorization Act.''

    Sec. 2. Authorization of Appropriations

        Authorizes appropriations for Federal Aviation
    Administration (FAA) Research and Development programs,
    projects and activities.

                                                [In millions of dollars]
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Program account                FY03 actual  FY04 request   FY04 auth.    FY05 auth.    FY06 auth.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Research, Engineering & Development.......        $147.5        $100.0        $190.0        $206.6        $228.3
    Facilities and Equipment*.................         177.5         163.9         163.9         172.0         166.1
    Airport Improvement Program*..............           0.0          17.4          17.4          17.6          17.7
                                               ---------------------------------------------------------------------
          Total...............................         325.0         281.3         371.3         396.2         412.1
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    *Research and development projects and activities only.

    Sec. 3. Next Generation Air Traffic Management Research and Development
            Joint Program Office

        Requires FAA and the National Aeronautics and Space
    Administration (NASA) to establish a Joint Program Office (JPO)
    to conduct Next Generation Air Traffic Management research and
    development. Requires the FAA and NASA Administrators to
    jointly appoint an FAA senior executive to be Director, and a
    NASA senior executive to be Deputy Director.
        Requires the JPO to establish and carry out, on behalf of
    FAA and NASA, long-term air traffic management research and
    development capable of tripling our domestic capacity by 2025.
    The JPO is authorized to spend agency funds dedicated to air
    traffic management research and development on behalf of NASA
    and FAA. Authorizes the JPO to use the facilities and expertise
    of other Federal agencies, national laboratories, universities,
    non-profit organizations, and private sector entities.
        Requires the JPO to develop a research and development plan
    with cost and schedule milestones. Requires the JPO to make an
    annual report to Congress on progress to date, and program
    plans for the following year.
        Authorizes a total of $95 million.

    Sec. 4. Budget Designation for Research and Development Activities

        Amends 49 USC 48102 (FAA Research and Development), to
    require future FAA budgets to identify all research and
    development activities that would be classified as basic
    research, applied research, or development under the guidelines
    established by the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-
    11, regardless of the budget category in which they appear in
    the budget request.

    Sec. 5. Airport Cooperative Research Program

        Requires the Secretary of Transportation to establish an
    airport cooperative research grant program to identify
    problems--shared by airport operating agencies--that can be
    solved through applied research, and to fund research
    addressing those problems.
        Requires the Secretary to appoint a governing board from
    candidates proposed by national associations representing
    airport executives, public airport operating agencies, State
    aviation officials, and the scheduled airlines. The board will
    solicit, review and propose airport research and development
    projects. The Secretary will review and approve projects for
    funding.
        Authorizes $20 million annually from the Research,
    Engineering and Development account.

    Sec. 6. Development of Analytical Tools and Certification Methods

        Directs FAA to conduct research to promote development of
    analytical tools to improve existing certification methods for
    new aircraft, engines, and aircraft systems, to reduce overall
    certification costs for new products.

    Sec. 7. Research Program to Reduce Community Exposure to Aircraft Noise
            and Emissions

        Establishes a program to fund research and development of
    noise and emissions reduction technologies. Authorizes $20
    million annually from the Airport Improvement Program.

    Sec. 8. Rotorcraft Research and Development Initiative

        Directs the FAA Administrator to establish a rotorcraft
    initiative with the objective of developing and demonstrating
    technologies, within ten years, to enable the following
    performance enhancements over state-of-the-art rotorcraft: an
    80 percent reduction in noise levels on take and on approach
    and landing; a factor of 10 reduction in vibration; a 30
    percent reduction in empty weight; a predicted accident rate to
    that of fixed-wing aircraft in commercial service; and the
    capability of operating in instrument meteorological
    conditions.
        Requires the FAA Administrator, in cooperation with NASA,
    to provide an implementation plan to the House Science
    Committee, and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
    Committee, within 180 days.
        Authorizes FAA to contribute up to $5 million for the
    operation of a center for rotorcraft technology.
        Authorizes a total of $240 million over five fiscal years
    (FY04-FY08).

    Sec. 9. Pilot Retirement Age Study

        Directs the FAA Administrator to conduct a research study
    of whether commercial airline pilots between the ages of 60 and
    64, who fly for foreign commercial air carriers, pose a
    significant safety risk to U.S. passengers and airspace. The
    report shall be transmitted to Congress not later than 180 days
    after the date of enactment.

                             VIII. Committee Views

        Research and Development Funding. The bill authorizes
    appropriations for all of FAA's research and development
    activities. Currently, these activities are funded from two of
    the agency's four major appropriations accounts: the Research,
    Engineering and Development (R,E&D) account; and the Facilities
    and Equipment (F&E) account. For Fiscal Year 2004, FAA also
    proposed two airport R&D activities for funding through the
    Airport Improvement Program account,\1\ and proposed to fund a
    commercial space transportation safety project through the
    Operations Account.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ The two projects are: Airports Technology--Safety; and Airports
    Technology--Efficiency.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        FAA's annual plan for research and development, The
    National Aviation Research Plan (NARP), which is statutorily
    mandated and required to include all of FAA's research and
    development activities, was used by the Committee as the basis
    for this authorization. The Facilities and Equipment projects
    listed in the NARP, and authorized in the bill are: Safe Flight
    21; Free Flight Phase 2; the Center for Advanced Aviation
    System Development; and Advanced Technology Development and
    Prototyping. Advanced Technology Development and Prototyping is
    a collection of 13 distinct activities in the agency's FY04
    budget proposal that support air traffic services. They are:
    Runway Incursion; Aviation System Capacity Improvement;
    Separation Standards; Airspace Management Laboratory; General
    Aviation and Vertical Flight Technology Program; Operational
    Concept Validation; Software Engineering; National Airspace
    System (NAS) Requirements Development; Domestic Reduced
    Vertical Separation Minima; Cyber Security for NAS Development;
    Safer Skies; NAS Safety Assessment; and Required Navigation
    Performance.
        The dispersion of R&D projects and activities across FAA
    accounts is a recent change. Prior to FY99, agency research and
    development was funded primarily within the R,E&D account, one
    important exception being the Center for Advanced Aviation
    System Development. In FY99, the Congressional appropriations
    process resulted in a shifting of $52.6 million from the R,E&D
    account to the Facilities and Equipment account by creating the
    Advanced Technology Development and Prototyping program. Over
    time this migration of research and development funding has
    become more pronounced, with the FY04 budget proposing more
    funding out of F&E, Operations, and Airport Improvement
    accounts than out of R,E&D.
        The Committee believes that all research and development
    funding should be provided within the Research, Engineering and
    Development account. Until that goal is accomplished, the
    Committee will continue vigorous oversight and management of
    research and development programs, projects and activities
    wherever they may reside within the agency's budget. To that
    end, the Committee expects the NARP to describe all FAA
    research and development activities that fall within the
    categories of basic research, applied research, and
    development, including the design and development of
    prototypes, in accordance with the classifications of the
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-11 (Budget
    Formulation/Submission Process).
        Next Generation Air Traffic Management Research and
    Development Joint Program Office. The FAA serves a unique role
    in government as manager and operator of a highly integrated
    communications, navigation, and surveillance system that
    provides air traffic separation services 24 hours a day, 365
    days a year. Without FAA, our national airspace system could
    not function.
        The Committee is concerned that FAA is not moving
    aggressively to research and develop enabling technologies to
    address long-term (beyond the year 2015) air traffic management
    (ATM) demand. Further, the Committee is concerned that FAA
    alone does not have the research capabilities to undertake this
    effort.
        In testimony delivered before the Committee in this and
    previous Congresses, expert witnesses have raised concerns that
    the current air traffic management system will not be able to
    accommodate the level of traffic projected after the year 2015.
    Today, FAA has a capacity enhancement program in place, called
    the Operational Evolution Plan (OEP), that by most measures
    will result in a 30 percent gain in capacity, about enough to
    keep pace with predicted growth over the next decade. Traffic
    is then expected to outstrip capacity, and until a successor to
    the current air traffic management system is researched,
    developed, designed and built, the efficiency and financial
    health of the nation's system of airports and commercial air
    travel will be jeopardized.
        The Committee expects the Next Generation Air Traffic
    Management Research and Development Joint Program Office (JPO)
    to closely integrate FAA's expertise with NASA's capabilities
    to conduct research and development to lay the foundation for a
    new operating paradigm. Toward that end, the JPO leadership
    will be jointly selected by the Administrators of FAA and NASA.
    The JPO is expected to manage all research and development
    activities at FAA and NASA related to air traffic management
    research and development. The Joint Program Office is expected
    to draw upon the talents--and integrate the requirements--of
    other Federal agencies that play a role in providing for
    domestic safety and security, including the Under Secretary for
    Science and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security,
    the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, the
    Department of Transportation, the Department of Commerce, and
    other appropriate Federal agencies. Finally, the Joint Program
    Office must ensure that private industry, including air
    carriers, general aviation, and aerospace manufacturers, are
    consulted as it moves forward to develop its research agenda.
        The bill requires the JPO to develop a research plan, no
    later than 120 days following the date of enactment, that will
    provide the technologies to allow the Department of
    Transportation to request Congressional authorization for a
    future air traffic management system based on sound science,
    risk reduction, and technology validation. In developing the
    plan, the JPO should establish cost and schedule milestones
    against which progress can be measured.
        Airport Cooperative Research Program. The Committee is
    concerned that the research needs of airports are not being
    addressed by current federal programs. Airports are struggling
    in today's business environment to comply with regulations
    promulgated by a number of federal agencies. Most airports are
    owned and operated by local governments and are expected to be
    financially self-sufficient. Generally, airport sponsors make
    no provision for additional resources to finance comprehensive
    research and development programs. Consequently, many airports
    have no research capability and must improvise or consult
    informally with other airport operators to gain an
    understanding of best practices to comply with federal
    requirements.
        The Committee expects the Airport Cooperative Research
    Program to help airports comply with federal requirements
    through a well executed program of applied research. In
    establishing the Program, the Department of Transportation will
    appoint a governing board from representatives of airport
    operating agencies, airport executives, State aviation
    officials, scheduled air carriers, and appropriate federal
    agencies. The Department will enter into an arrangement with
    the National Academy of Sciences to staff and support the
    governing board. At a minimum, the Committee expects the
    Transportation Research Board (National Academy of Sciences) to
    annually issue a solicitation, on behalf of the governing
    board, for applied research proposals that will help large and
    small airports become more efficient and knowledgeable about
    compliance with federal safety, security, operating, and
    environmental requirements. Staff from the Transportation
    Research Board will evaluate each proposal and provide
    technical analysis on its relative merits and ensure that the
    proposal does not duplicate research that has been conducted--
    or is being conducted--in other venues. The Committee expects
    the governing board to make funding recommendations, based on
    staff analysis, to the Secretary for review. The Secretary will
    make final funding decisions. This cooperative research program
    model has been in use for 12 years at the Federal Transit
    Administration for the Transit Cooperative Research Program,
    and the Committee expects this same template to be applied to
    the airport community.
        Research on Aviation Training. The Committee is concerned
    that continuing dramatic changes in both cockpit technologies
    and in air traffic management technologies will put unique
    demands on future training requirements. Research into the
    impact of new technologies and procedures on training
    requirements for pilots and air traffic controllers would be of
    enormous value.
        The 1998 FAA R&D authorization bill created a research
    grants program for primarily undergraduate institutions of
    higher education. It directed the FAA Administrator to
    establish a program that would involve undergraduate and
    technical colleges in research on subjects relevant to the
    needs of the FAA. The Committee has updated this statute to
    highlight the importance of research on the impact of new
    technologies and procedures on the training requirements for
    pilots and air traffic controllers. In addition, the Committee
    extends the funding for the undergraduate research program for
    another three years.
        The Committee expects FAA to use its new authority to
    aggressively conduct undergraduate university-based research.
    It is anticipated that FAA will leverage its funding through
    universities with undergraduate research programs focused on
    developing curriculum, teaching techniques and standards for
    pilots-in-training and for existing pilots to help them
    transition to new technologies.
        Noise and Emissions Research. The Committee is concerned
    about the limited amount of Federal research investment
    dedicated to study quieter and cleaner turbine engine
    technologies, as well as airframe noise reduction. Today all
    aircraft flying in domestic airspace must be Stage 3 compliant.
    The FAA is now negotiating with our international aviation
    partners to develop even stricter noise and emissions
    standards, yet it spends no money in fundamental noise and
    emissions research. Private industry supports research in these
    areas, but does not have the financial capability to perform
    high-risk, long-term research. For Fiscal Year 2004, NASA is
    proposing to spend $60 million on its Quiet Aircraft Technology
    program.
        The Committee expects FAA to use its new noise and
    emissions research authorization to supplement ongoing research
    now being conducted by NASA, at university laboratories, and by
    industry. FAA plays a vigorous regulatory role in this arena
    and the Committee believes it appropriate that FAA should also
    underwrite some of the costs associated with developing
    technology solutions. The Committee also believes noise and
    emissions research can produce technologies that will enhance
    the competitiveness of U.S.-manufactured aircraft in the
    important international marketplace.
        Rotorcraft Research and Development Initiative. Rotorcraft
    represents a tremendous opportunity to solve airport and airway
    congestion. They can land and takeoff without having to rely on
    runways, and they can approach and depart airports independent
    of the flight paths used by fixed-wingaircraft. Rotorcraft can
    also operate from very small terminals (heliports) that would make them
    convenient to build in a number of urban settings.
        However, rotorcraft still have a number of technological
    hurdles that must be overcome before they could find their way
    in the mainstream of air transportation vehicles. They're noisy
    and they have much higher operating costs than similarly-sized
    fixed-wing aircraft.
        The Committee expects FAA to use this new R&D authority to
    aggressively pursue enabling technologies through in-house
    research facilities, or through contracts, grants or
    cooperative agreements with industry, university research
    facilities, and with other federal departments and agencies,
    including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

                               IX. Cost Estimate

        A cost estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of
    the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
    Congressional Budget Act of 1974 has been timely submitted to
    the Committee on Science prior to the filing of this report and
    is included in Section X of this report pursuant to House Rule
    XIII, clause 3(c)(3).
        H.R. 2734 does not contain new budget authority, credit
    authority, or changes in revenues or tax expenditures. Assuming
    that the sums authorized under the bill are appropriated, H.R.
    2734 does authorize additional discretionary spending, as
    described in the Congressional Budget Office report on the
    bill, which is contained in Section X of this report.

                  X. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

                                         U.S. Congress,
                                   Congressional Budget Office,
                                         Washington, DC, July 25, 2003.
    Hon. Sherwood L. Boehlert,
    Chairman, Committee on Science,
    House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
        Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
    prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2734, the Federal
    Aviation Administration Research and Development
    Reauthorization Act.
        If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
    pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan
    Carroll.
                Sincerely,
                                             Robert A. Sunshine
                                   (For Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director).
        Enclosure.

    H.R. 2734--Federal Aviation Administration Research and Development
            Reauthorization Act

        Summary: CBO estimates that H.R. 2734 would authorize the
    appropriation of about $1.5 billion over the 2004-2008 period
    for the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) civil
    aviation research and development programs. Assuming
    appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that
    implementing H.R. 2734 would cost nearly $1.5 billion over the
    2004-2008 period. The bill would not affect direct spending or
    revenues.
        H.R. 2734 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
    mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
    and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
    governments.
        Estimated cost to the Federal Government: For this
    estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 2734 will be enacted by the end
    of fiscal year 2003 and that the specified and estimated
    authorization amounts will be provided for each year. Estimates
    of outlays are based on historical spending patterns for
    similar activities. The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 2734
    is shown in the following table. The costs of this legislation
    fall within budget function 400 (transportation).

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                                               -----------------------------------------------------
                                                                  2003     2004     2005     2006     2007     2008
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

    Spending Under Current Law for FAA Research and
     Development:
        Budget Authority \1\..................................      147        0        0        0        0        0
        Estimated Outlays.....................................      180       80       26        5        0        0
    Proposed Changes:
        Estimated Authorization Level.........................        0      431      456      472       70       90
        Estimated Outlays.....................................        0      151      335      483      355      148
    Spending Under H.R. 2734 for FAA Research and Development:
        Estimated Authorization Level \1\.....................      147      431      456      472       70       90
        Estimated Outlays.....................................      180      231      361      488      355      148
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ The 2003 level is the amount appropriated for that year for the FAA's civil aviation research and
      development programs.

        Basis of estimate: H.R. 2734 would authorize the
    appropriation of $371 million in 2004 and about $1.2 billion
    over the 2004-2006 period for civil aviation research and
    development programs administered by the FAA. Those amounts
    include $15 million in 2004 and $95 million over the 2004-2006
    period for a new office to coordinate certain research and
    development projects carried out by the FAA and the National
    Aeronautics and Space Administration. Based on information from
    the FAA, CBO estimates that outlays for those programs would
    total $130 million in 2004 and roughly $1.2 billion over the
    next five years.
        The bill also would authorize the appropriation of $40
    million in 2004 and $240 million over the 2004-2008 period for
    a new program to enhance rotocraft technology. (A rotocraft is
    a type of aircraft that uses rotary wings to take off and land
    vertically.) Based on information from the FAA, CBO estimates
    the proposed program would cost $14 million in 2004 and $203
    million over the next five years.
        Finally, H.R. 2734 would require the Secretary of
    Transportation to establish a research program to identify and
    address problems faced by airport operators that are not
    sufficiently studied through FAA's existing research and
    development activities. Based on information from the FAA and
    assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates
    that the new program would cost $7 million in 2004 and $89
    million over the 2004-2008 period.
        Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 2734
    contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
    defined in UMRA, and would impose no costs on state, local, or
    tribal governments.
        Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Megan Carroll; Impact
    on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Theresa Gullo; and
    Impact on the Private Sector: Jean Talarico.
        Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant
    Director for Budget Analysis.

            XI. Compliance With Public Law 104-4 (Unfunded Mandates)

        H.R. 2734 contains no unfunded mandates.

             XII. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations

        The Committee on Science's oversight findings and
    recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

          XIII. Statement on General Performance Goals and Objectives

        Pursuant to clause 3(c) of House rule XIII, the goals of
    H.R. 2734 are to authorize appropriations for the research and
    development activities of the Federal Aviation Administration
    for fiscal years 2004 through 2006; to establish a Next
    Generation Air Traffic Management Research and Development
    Joint Program Office; to establish an Airport Cooperative
    Research Program; to establish a Rotorcraft Research and
    Development Initiative; to study of the age 60 retirement rule
    imposed on commercial airline pilots; and to study the impact
    of new technologies and procedures on training requirements for
    pilots and air traffic controllers.

                    XIV. Constitutional Authority Statement

        Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United
    States grants Congress the authority to enact H.R. 2734.

                    XV. Federal Advisory Committee Statement

        H.R. 2734 does not establish nor authorize the
    establishment of any advisory committee.

                     XVI. Congressional Accountability Act

        The Committee finds that H.R. 2734 does not relate to the
    terms and conditions of employment or access to public services
    or accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of
    the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 104-1).

          XVII. Statement on Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law

        This bill is not intended to preempt any state, local, or
    tribal law.

          XVIII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

      In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
    the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
    the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
    proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
    matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is
    proposed is shown in roman):

    TITLE 49, UNITED STATES CODE

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    SUBTITLE VII--AVIATION PROGRAMS

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    PART A--AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    SUBPART III--SAFETY

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                CHAPTER 445--FACILITIES, PERSONNEL, AND RESEARCH

    Sec. 44511. Aviation research grants

      (a) * * *

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

      (f) Airport Cooperative Research Program.--
              (1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Transportation
            shall establish an airport cooperative research program
            to--
                      (A) identify problems that are shared by
                    airport operating agencies and can be solved
                    through applied research but that are not being
                    adequately addressed by existing Federal
                    research programs; and
                      (B) fund research to address those problems.
              (2) Governance.--The Secretary of Transportation
            shall appoint an independent governing board for the
            research program established under this subsection. The
            governing board shall be appointed from candidates
            nominated by national associations representing public
            airport operating agencies, airport executives, State
            aviation officials, and the scheduled airlines, and
            shall include representatives of appropriate Federal
            agencies. Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee
            Act shall not apply to the governing board.
              (3) Implementation.--The Secretary of Transportation
            shall enter into an arrangement with the National
            Academy of Sciences to provide staff support to the
            governing board established under paragraph (2) and to
            carry out projects proposed by the governing board that
            the Secretary considers appropriate.

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                               PART C--FINANCING

    CHAPTER 481--AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND AUTHORIZATIONS

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    Sec. 48102. Research and development

      (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--Not more than the
    following amounts may be appropriated to the Secretary of
    Transportation out of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund
    established under section 9502 of the Internal Revenue Code of
    1986 (26 U.S.C. 9502) [to carry out sections 44504] for
    conducting civil aviation research and development under
    sections 44504, 44505, 44507, 44509, and 44511-44513 of this
    title:
              (1) * * *

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

              (7) for fiscal year 2001, $237,000,000; [and]
              (8) for fiscal year 2002, $249,000,000[.];
              (9) for fiscal year 2004, $371,317,000, including--
                      (A) $190,000,000 for Research, Engineering,
                    and Development, of which--
                              (i) $65,000,000 shall be for
                            Improving Aviation Safety;
                              (ii) $24,000,000 shall be for Weather
                            Safety Research;
                              (iii) $15,000,000 shall be made
                            available to the Next Generation Air
                            Traffic Management Research and
                            Development Joint Program Office
                            established under section 3 of the
                            Federal Aviation Administration
                            Research and Development
                            Reauthorization Act for the Next
                            Generation Air Traffic Management
                            Research and Development program under
                            such section 3;
                              (iv) $27,500,000 shall be for Human
                            Factors and Aeromedical Research;
                              (v) $30,000,000 shall be for
                            Environmental Research and Development,
                            of which $20,000,000 shall be for
                            research activities related to reducing
                            community exposure to civilian aircraft
                            noise or emissions;
                              (vi) $7,000,000 shall be for Research
                            Mission Support;
                              (vii) $20,000,000 shall be for the
                            Airport Cooperative Research Program;
                            and
                              (viii) $1,500,000 shall be for
                            carrying out subsection (h) of this
                            section;
                      (B) $163,900,000 for Facilities and
                    Equipment, of which--
                              (i) $42,800,000 shall be for Advanced
                            Technology Development and Prototyping;
                              (ii) $30,300,000 shall be for Safe
                            Flight 21; and
                              (iii) $90,800,000 shall be for the
                            Center for Advanced Aviation System
                            Development; and
                      (C) $17,417,000 for Airport Improvement
                    Program Research and Development, of which--
                              (i) $9,667,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Safety; and
                              (ii) $7,750,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Efficiency;
              (10) for fiscal year 2005, $396,192,000, including--
                      (A) $206,600,000 for Research, Engineering,
                    and Development, of which--
                              (i) $65,705,000 shall be for
                            Improving Aviation Safety;
                              (ii) $24,260,000 shall be for Weather
                            Safety Research;
                              (iii) $30,000,000 shall be made
                            available to the Next Generation Air
                            Traffic Management Research and
                            Development Joint Program Office
                            established under section 3 of the
                            Federal Aviation Administration
                            Research and Development
                            Reauthorization Act for the Next
                            Generation Air Traffic Management
                            Research and Development program under
                            such section 3;
                              (iv) $27,800,000 shall be for Human
                            Factors and Aeromedical Research;
                              (v) $30,109,000 shall be for
                            Environmental Research and Development,
                            of which $20,000,000 shall be for
                            research activities related to reducing
                            community exposure to civilian aircraft
                            noise or emissions;
                              (vi) $7,076,000 shall be for Research
                            Mission Support;
                              (vii) $20,000,000 shall be for the
                            Airport Cooperative Research Program;
                            and
                              (viii) $1,650,000 shall be for
                            carrying out subsection (h) of this
                            section;
                      (B) $172,000,000 for Facilities and
                    Equipment, of which--
                              (i) $43,300,000 shall be for Advanced
                            Technology Development and Prototyping;
                              (ii) $31,100,000 shall be for Safe
                            Flight 21;
                              (iii) $95,400,000 shall be for the
                            Center for Advanced Aviation System
                            Development; and
                              (iv) $2,200,000 shall be for Free
                            Flight Phase 2; and
                      (C) $17,592,000 for Airport Improvement
                    Program Research and Development, of which--
                              (i) $9,764,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Safety; and
                              (ii) $7,828,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Efficiency; and
              (11) for fiscal year 2006, $412,157,000, including--
                      (A) $228,289,000 for Research, Engineering,
                    and Development, of which--
                              (i) $66,447,000 shall be for
                            Improving Aviation Safety;
                              (ii) $24,534,000 shall be for Weather
                            Safety Research;
                              (iii) $50,000,000 shall be made
                            available to the Next Generation Air
                            Traffic Management Research and
                            Development Joint Program Office
                            established under section 3 of the
                            Federal Aviation Administration
                            Research and Development
                            Reauthorization Act for the Next
                            Generation Air Traffic Management
                            Research and Development program under
                            such section 3;
                              (iv) $28,114,000 shall be for Human
                            Factors and Aeromedical Research;
                              (v) $30,223,000 shall be for
                            Environmental Research and Development,
                            of which $20,000,000 shall be for
                            research activities related to reducing
                            community exposure to civilian aircraft
                            noise or emissions;
                              (vi) $7,156,000 shall be for Research
                            Mission Support;
                              (vii) $20,000,000 shall be for the
                            Airport Cooperation Research Program;
                            and
                              (viii) $1,815,000 shall be for
                            carrying out subsection (h) of this
                            section;
                      (B) $166,100,000 for Facilities and
                    Equipment, of which--
                              (i) $42,200,000 shall be for Advanced
                            Technology Development and Prototyping;
                              (ii) $23,900,000 shall be for Safe
                            Flight 21; and
                              (iii) $100,000,000 shall be for the
                            Center for Advanced Aviation System
                            Development; and
                      (C) $17,768,000 for Airport Improvement
                    Program Research and Development, of which--
                              (i) $9,862,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Safety; and
                              (ii) $7,906,000 shall be for Airports
                            Technology-Efficiency.

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

      (g) Designation of Activities.--(1) The amounts appropriated
    under subsection (a) are for the support of all research and
    development activities carried out by the Federal Aviation
    Administration that fall within the categories of basic
    research, applied research, and development, including the
    design and development of prototypes, in accordance with the
    classifications of the Office of Management and Budget Circular
    A-11 (Budget Formulation/Submission Process).
      (2) The Department of Transportation's annual budget request
    for the Federal Aviation Administration shall identify all of
    the activities carried out by the Administration within the
    categories of basic research, applied research, and
    development, as classified by the Office of Management and
    Budget Circular A-11. Each activity in the categories of basic
    research, applied research, and development shall be identified
    regardless of the budget category in which it appears in the
    budget request.
      (h) Research Grants Program Involving Undergraduate
    Students.--
              (1) Establishment.--The Administrator of the Federal
            Aviation Administration shall establish a program to
            utilize undergraduate and technical colleges, including
            Historically Black Colleges and Universities and
            Hispanic Serving Institutions, in research on subjects
            of relevance to the Federal Aviation Administration.
            Grants may be awarded under this subsection for--
                      (A) * * *
                      (B) research projects that combine research
                    at primarily undergraduate institutions and
                    technical colleges with other research
                    supported by the Federal Aviation
                    Administration; [or]
                      (C) research on future training requirements
                    on projected changes in regulatory requirements
                    for aircraft maintenance and power plant
                    licensees[.]; or
                      (D) research on the impact of new
                    technologies and procedures, particularly those
                    related to aircraft flight deck and air traffic
                    management functions, on training requirements
                    for pilots and air traffic controllers.

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                         XIX. Committee Recommendations

        On July 22, 2003, a quorum being present, the Committee on
    Science favorably reported H.R. 2734, The Federal Aviation
    Administration Research and Development Reauthorization Act by
    a voice vote, and recommended its enactment.
        XX. PROCEEDINGS OF THE MARKUP BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND
    AERONAUTICS ON H.R. 2734, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND
                        DEVELOPMENT REAUTHORIZATION ACT

                                  ----------

                            THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2003

                      House of Representatives,
                 Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics,
                                          Committee on Science,
                                                        Washington, DC.

        The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:05 a.m., in
    Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Dana
    Rohrabacher [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
        Chairman Rohrabacher. I now call the Subcommittee on Space
    and Aeronautics to order. Good morning. And pursuant to notice
    to the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics is that we are
    meeting today to consider the following measures: H.R. 1085,
    the NASA Flexibility Act of 2003, and then the Committee Print
    for the Federal Aviation Administration Research and
    Development Reauthorization Act.
        And I welcome everyone to this markup this morning. And
    this is the first markup of this subcommittee for the 108th
    Congress. Let me also be the first to thank Chairman Boehlert
    for his leadership. Is he here with us yet? He will be.
    Chairman Boehlert is on his way, and we appreciate his
    leadership for tackling a difficult, yet crucial, issue and
    that is NASA's workforce needs.
        Today's markup concerns H.R. 1085, the NASA Flexibility Act
    of 2003. NASA is facing a crisis regarding its workforce. A
    significant portion of the workforce will be eligible to retire
    soon, so action needs to be taken. H.R. 1085 is intended to
    provide NASA the flexibility necessary to attract the best of
    the brightest talent in the fields of engineering and science
    by helping NASA address the problems of recruiting and
    retaining highly skilled technical personnel. H.R. 1085
    provides NASA with the authority needed to ensure that our
    skilled workforce continues to be our greatest asset for
    pushing the boundaries of this great new frontier of space.
        We will also markup the Federal Aviation Administration
    Research and Development Reauthorization Act. This bill
    authorizes funding for civil aviation research and development.
    It also calls for a joint FAA and NASA initiative aimed at
    resolving the problems facing our national air traffic
    management system.
        This morning, I look forward to working with my colleagues
    on both sides of the aisle, and I am confident that our efforts
    will help maintain America's leadership role in aerospace.
        I also would like to thank Bart Gordon, the Ranking Member
    of the Subcommittee, for his hard work on this and his openness
    and willingness to work in a very bipartisan manner on this
    bill. And I know there were some rough edges we had to work
    out, and I appreciate that he did this with good will and went
    forward in trying to make sure that we could get this job done.
    And I certainly now would recognize you for any opening remarks
    that you would like to make.
        [The prepared statement of Chairman Rohrabacher follows:]
                Prepared Statement of Chairman Dana Rohrabacher
        I want to welcome everyone here this morning for the Space
    Subcommittee's first markup of the 108th Congress. Let me also be the
    first to thank Chairman Boehlert for his leadership in tackling a
    difficult, and yet, crucial issue--NASA's workforce needs.
        Today's markup concerns H.R. 1085, the NASA Flexibility Act of
    2003. NASA is facing a crisis regarding its workforce. A significant
    portion of the workforce will be eligible to retire soon. So action
    needs to be taken. H.R. 1085 is intended to provide NASA the
    flexibility necessary to attract the best and brightest talent in the
    fields of engineering and science.
        By helping NASA address the problem of recruiting and retaining
    highly skilled technical personnel, H.R. 1085 provides NASA with the
    authority needed to ensure that a skilled workforce continues to be our
    greatest asset for pushing the boundaries of new frontiers.
        We will also markup the Federal Aviation Administration
    Reauthorization Act. This bill authorizes funding for civil aviation
    research and development. It also calls for a joint FAA and NASA
    initiative aimed at solving the problems facing our national air
    traffic management system.
        This morning I look forward to working with my colleagues on both
    sides of the aisle. I am confident that our efforts today will help to
    maintain our leadership role in aerospace.

        Chairman Rohrabacher. We now turn our attention to the
    markup of the Committee Print of the Federal Aviation
    Administration Research and Development Reauthorization. And
    the--you don't think so? Okay. Oh, I thought it was going to be
    quick. Okay. Five minutes. This committee is in recess until
    five minutes after the last vote that we are going to on the
    Floor.
        [Recess.]
        Chairman Rohrabacher. This hearing will now come back to
    order. And we will now turn our attention to the markup of the
    Committee Print of the Federal Aviation Administration Research
    and Development Authorization Act. The FAA and NASA and
    industry have all worked together to develop air traffic
    control hardware and systems needed to meet near- and long-term
    challenges to America's airspace system. The bill, this bill,
    will help in this regard by calling for the establishment of a
    join program office between the FAA and NASA to conduct long-
    term air traffic management research and development. This bill
    also bolsters ongoing efforts to shore up deficiencies in civil
    aviation research and development as well by making research
    and development in the civil aviation area a higher priority.
        I now will recognize Mr. Gordon, Ranking Minority Member of
    the Subcommittee, to present his opening remarks.
        Mr. Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am very pleased to
    express my support for the FAA legislation that we are marking
    up today. We have had some amendments that we will be offering
    to perfect the bill, but in general, I think it is a very good
    piece of legislation. Chairman Rohrabacher has been--has
    already summarized the provisions of the bill, so I will
    confine my remarks to a few observations.
        First, I am pleased that Chairman Rohrabacher has taken a
    bipartisan approach to the crafting of this legislation. I am
    particularly heartened by the fact that it tracks in large part
    the FAA Title of Mr. Larson's ``Aeronautics Research and
    Development Revitalization Act.'' That bill was introduced in
    the last Congress and gained broad bipartisan sponsorship. It
    was reintroduced earlier this year as H.R. 586 and is again
    attracting bipartisan co-sponsorship. It is a good bill, and I
    am glad to see that much of the FAA Title has found its way
    into the legislation before us today. When we consider a NASA
    Authorization bill, I hope that the Committee will give equally
    serious consideration to the NASA aeronautics R&D provisions
    contained in Mr. Larson's bill.
        I am also pleased that Chairman Rohrabacher has
    incorporated Ms. Johnson's ``Airport Cooperative Research
    Program'' provisions to the bill. It is a constructive
    provision that, if enacted, will do much to bring innovative
    solutions to the challenges confronting our nation's airport
    operating authorities.
        The bill also focuses on R&D challenges facing our nation's
    air traffic management system. It proposes a coordinated effort
    to address the development of the next generation air traffic
    management system and delineates some clear objectives. It is
    an approach worth supporting.
        More broadly, the bill recognizes the importance of
    considering aviation-related R&D on a unified basis. Research
    priorities and plans should not be captive to budget
    categories. Instead, they need to be examined within the
    context of overall FAA R&D efforts.
        Mr. Chairman, we will have several amendments to the bill,
    and I believe they will prove non-controversial and acceptable
    to the Members. They will improve what is already a good bill,
    and I intend to support this legislation, and I hope that it
    will be speedily enacted into law.
        And thank you. I yield back the balance of my time.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Gordon follows:]
                Prepared Statement of Representative Bart Gordon
        I want to express my support for the FAA legislation that we are
    marking up today. We will have some amendments that we will offer to
    perfect the bill, but in general I think that it is a good piece of
    legislation. Chairman Rohrabacher has already summarized the provisions
    of the bill, so I will confine my remarks to a few observations.
        First, I am pleased that Chairman Rohrabacher has taken a
    bipartisan approach to the crafting of this legislation. I am
    particularly heartened by the fact that it tracks in large part the FAA
    Title of Mr. Larson's ``Aeronautics Research and Development
    Revitalization Act.'' That bill was introduced in the last Congress and
    gained broad bipartisan sponsorship. It was reintroduced earlier this
    year as H.R. 586 and is again attracting bipartisan co-sponsors. It is
    a good bill, and I am glad to see that much of the FAA Title has found
    its way into the legislation before us today. When we consider a NASA
    Authorization bill, I hope that the Committee will give equally serious
    consideration to the NASA aeronautics R&D provisions contained in Mr.
    Larson's bill.
        I also am pleased that Chairman Rohrabacher has incorporated Ms.
    Johnson's Airport Cooperative Research Program provision into the bill.
    It is a constructive provision that, if enacted, will do much to bring
    innovative solutions to the challenges confronting our nation's airport
    operating authorities.
        The bill also focuses on the R&D challenges facing our nation's air
    traffic management system. It proposes a coordinated effort to address
    the development of the next generation air traffic management system
    and delineates some clear objectives. It is an approach worth
    supporting.
        More broadly, the bill recognizes the importance of considering
    aviation-related R&D on a unified basis. Research priorities and plans
    should not be captive to budget categories--instead they need to be
    examined within the context of the overall FAA R&D effort.
        Mr. Chairman, we will have several amendments to the bill that I
    believe will prove non-controversial and acceptable to the Members.
    They will improve what is already a good bill. I intend to support this
    legislation and hope that it will be speedily enacted into law.
        Thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.

        Chairman Rohrabacher. Thank you very much.
        The Chairman notes that when we talk about research and
    development and how it is going to play an important role in
    shaping America's transportation system, we often think of it
    more in terms of research and development of aircraft, and this
    is going to make America more competitive, etcetera. But the
    Chair believes, and I certainly agree with Mr. Gordon, that the
    air traffic control system and focusing on the way air traffic
    is managed and the technology necessary to develop, perhaps, a
    revolutionary new concept of air traffic control in this
    country could well be more important than developing the
    airplanes themselves. And we can make the aviation industry
    here much more efficient and much more effective.
        Our airlines are not making a profit right now. One of the
    problems is the high cost of fuel, but perhaps the way we have
    organized the system and the technology on which that
    organization is based can actually play a major role in making
    our airlines profitable again. So that is why this is very
    important, and again demonstrating the bipartisan nature of the
    Subcommittee and the Committee that we all have those goals in
    mind.
        Without objection, all Members may place an opening
    statement on the Committee Print of the Federal Aviation
    Administration Research and Development Reauthorization Act in
    the record at this point.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Johnson follows:]
           Prepared Statement of Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson
        Thank you Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Gordon. I am pleased that
    the Majority has decided to include language that I provided to create
    an Airport Cooperative Research Program in this legislation.
        This research program will identify and sponsor research on
    problems that are shared by airport operating agencies and can be
    solved through applied research but that are not being adequately
    addressed by existing federal research programs.
        As a Member of both this committee and the Transportation and
    Infrastructure Committee, I believe an Airport Cooperative Research
    Program is necessary in order to coordinate the efforts of thousands
    off public and private airport operators, regulators, suppliers, and
    users at all levels of government and industry so that the aviation
    industry can provide a consumer friendly product that is safe, secure,
    and environmentally sound.
        Thank you again Mr. Chairman for including this research program--I
    appreciate the Committee's support in establishing this critical step
    towards coordination and cooperation in aviation research.

        [The prepared statement of Mr. Larson follows:]
                Prepared Statement of Representative John Larson
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First I want to thank for marking-up this
    important legislation.
        For the past two Congresses, along with my Science Committee
    colleague, Mr. Forbes, I have introduced bipartisan legislation to
    address the crisis affecting the aeronautics industry in this country.
    A broad range of non-partisan organizations that understand that this
    country is facing a crisis in our aviation industry has supported that
    bill, the Aeronautics Research and Development Revitalization act. We
    have all heard the figures. From reduced lost market share to greatly
    decreased R&D expenditures, the U.S. is lagging behind international
    competitors in manufacturing and innovation of commercial airplanes--
    and our economic and national security are, will continue to, suffer
    from it.
        The legislation I introduced would have established a comprehensive
    aeronautics R&D endeavor that would have cut across agency divisions
    between NASA and FAA and would have put forth a goal-oriented effort to
    take commercial aviation in this country to new heights.
        I am pleased that the legislation before us today closely mirrors
    the FAA portion of my bill and I am fully supportive of it. I am
    worried, however, that the authorization figures in the bill before us
    today may be a bit low, considering what is needed to reverse the
    decline in our aviation industry and to effectively compete with our
    global competitors. I hope we can work on this before Full Committee
    markup. But for now, I am pleased that my efforts for the past two
    years have borne fruit and that people have been listening.
        I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
        Thank you Mr. Chairman.

        Chairman Rohrabacher. Okay. The bill is now open for
    discussion. And I ask unanimous consent that the bill--should
    we have the first reading of the bill? Okay. So I ask unanimous
    consent that the bill is considered as read and open to
    amendment at any point and that Members may proceed with
    amendments in order of the roster. And without any objections,
    so ordered.
        [Note: The Committee Print, Section-By-Section Analysis,
    and Summary are located in the Appendix.]
        Chairman Rohrabacher. So the bill is now open for
    amendment. And the first amendment will be an amendment by Mr.
    Gordon. Mr. Gordon, you are recognized.
        Mr. Gordon. Okay. I have an amendment at the desk.
        Chairman Rohrabacher. The Clerk will read the--report the
    amendment.
        The Clerk. Amendment to the Committee Print, offered by Mr.
    Gordon, page 2, line 13, strike ``$349,817,000'' and insert----
        Mr. Gordon. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the
    amendment be dispensed with.
        Chairman Rohrabacher. So ordered without objection. The
    gentleman is recognized for five minutes to offer his
    amendment.
        Mr. Gordon. Mr. Chairman, I believe that the amendment I am
    offering is straightforward. The 1998 FAA R&D Authorization
    bill created the Research Grants Program involving
    undergraduate students and directed the FAA Administrator to
    establish a program that would involve undergraduate and
    technical colleges, including historically black colleges and
    universities, and Hispanic-serving institutions, in research on
    subjects relevant to the needs of the FAA. My amendment would
    update the statute to highlight the importance of research on
    the impact of new technologies and procedures on the training
    requirements for pilots and air traffic controllers.
        There continue to be dramatic changes in both cockpit
    technologies and in air traffic management technologies. These
    technologies will put unique demands on future training
    requirements. Research in this area would be of enormous value,
    and I think we should encourage it. In addition, my amendment
    would extend the funding of the undergraduate research program
    for another three years. Although the amounts requested are
    modest, the benefits of the program will be significant.
        I hope the Members will support this amendment, and I yield
    back the balance of my time.
        [Note: The amendment is located in the Appendix.]
        Chairman Rohrabacher. Thank you very much.
        The Chairman would like to note that he will support the
    amendment, gladly. And is there any further discussion on this
    amendment? Hearing none, all in favor of this amendment, say
    aye. All opposed, say no. The ayes seem to have it, and it is
    agreed to.
        We have a second amendment. It is an amendment by Mr.
    Weiner from New York. Are you ready to proceed with your
    amendment? You have an amendment at the desk, and the Clerk
    will report the amendment.
        The Clerk. [No response.]
        Chairman Rohrabacher. You are--that is--hearing no
    objection, you may proceed with your statement.
        Mr. Weiner. [No response.]
        Chairman Rohrabacher. I would ask Mr. Weiner if he could
    turn on the microphone that we could all hear you better.
        Mr. Weiner. Let me be--let me start again. No, I am just
    kidding.
        The problem became once we had phased in stage three
    aircraft there was no longer any benchmark for aircraft
    manufacturers and airlines to meet. So-called stage four hadn't
    been created. That changed this year in the reauthorization
    bill that we just did in the Transportation Committee. We have
    essentially said that now we have to start hitting even quieter
    benchmarks for the next generation of aircraft.
        As with so many areas of research, research into quieter
    aircraft engines has always been started on the federal level.
    We heard testimony in the Transportation Committee and in this
    committee saying that essentially the money that we provide for
    research, whether it be via NASA or the Federal Aviation
    Administration, provides the benchmark for technology that is
    eventually used in commercial aircraft.
        The problem that I found is that the money that we added
    for this new program to do more research was taken from the
    FAA's noise abatement program. That noise abatement program
    benefits all of our Districts. And it is a program that does
    things like makes--replaces windows in schools, that does noise
    monitoring around airports all around the country. And what my
    amendment would do is say, ``Let us create this environmental
    research and development account, but let us not cannibalize
    the noise abatement program.'' So my amendment would take that
    $20 million that was identified in the Committee Print and
    simply move it to create, essentially, a $20 million increase
    in the environmental research and development account and
    restore the noise abatement program, creating, essentially, the
    same effect but would not take the funds any longer, if my
    amendment were passed, from the noise abatement program.
        I would hope that the Chairman and my colleagues would
    support it. I think it gets us where we need to go without
    reducing a program that I think benefits all of our Districts
    already.
        And I yield back the balance of my time.
        [Note: The amendment is located in the Appendix.]
        Chairman Rohrabacher. The Chair would like to announce that
    he will favor the amendment and commends Mr. Weiner, because
    let me just recognize that I remember one of your first
    speeches on--in this committee dealt with aircraft noise. And
    you really focused on that and made that a really important
    part of your agenda. So the Chairman gladly accepts this
    amendment and supports it. Does anyone else have any
    discussion?
        Mr. Gordon.
        Mr. Gordon. I have, but I better not. I don't want to mess
    it up, so let me just quickly say I concur with this common
    sense amendment.
        Chairman Rohrabacher. Okay. With that said, if there is no
    other discussion, all those in favor of this amendment, say
    aye. All opposed, say no. Well, the ayes appear to have it. The
    amendment is agreed to.
        We have another amendment. Ms. Jackson Lee is not here for
    her amendment yet, but we do have an amendment by myself, on
    behalf of Mr. Boehlert. The next amendment on the roster is
    amendment number three, offered, as I say, by myself, on behalf
    of Mr. Boehlert. And I have an amendment at the desk. Will the
    Clerk please report the amendment?
        The Clerk. The amendment to the Committee Print, offered by
    Mr. Boehlert, page 14, line 11, insert ``to provide staff
    support to the governing board established under paragraph (2)
    and'' after ``National Academy of Sciences''.
        Chairman Rohrabacher. I ask unanimous consent to dispense
    with any further reading of the amendment. So ordered.
        And I now recognize myself to discuss the amendment. In
    brief, the amendment specifies that the National Academy of
    Sciences shall provide staff support for the cooperative
    research program governing board. So it is as simple as that.
    And this is a very simple amendment, and it clarifies how the
    airport cooperative research program will work. This program is
    based on existing highway and transit research programs. The
    amendment simply makes clearer that the National Academy of
    Sciences will provide staff support for the governing board
    that will guide the program as well as manage the actual
    research projects that the Secretary selects.
        I believe that this is a non-controversial amendment, and I
    would urge its adoption.
        [Note: The amendment is located in the Appendix.]
        Chairman Rohrabacher. So with that said, is there any
    further discussion? If not, all in favor of this amendment, say
    aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes seem to have it. The
    amendment is agreed to.
        We have one further amendment, if Ms. Jackson Lee is here,
    or is there someone who would like to--all right. Ms. Jackson
    Lee will be free to submit her amendment at Full Committee.
        And with that said, I think that we now will move on to the
    adoption of the bill. Are there any further amendments? Hearing
    none, the question is on the bill. The Committee Print of the
    Federal Aviation Administration Research and Development
    Reauthorization Act, as amended. All those in favor will say
    aye. All those opposed, say no. It appears that the ayes have
    it.
        I now recognize Mr. Gordon to offer a motion.
        Mr. Gordon. Mr. Chairman, I move the Subcommittee to
    favorably report the bill, the Federal Aviation Administration
    Research and Development Reauthorization Act, as amended, to
    the Full Committee. Furthermore, I ask unanimous consent that
    the Staff be instructed to make all necessary technical and
    conforming changes to the bill, as amended, in accordance with
    the recommendations of the Subcommittee.
        Chairman Rohrabacher. The Chair notes the presence of a
    reporting quorum. The question is on the motion to report the
    bill favorably. Those in favor of the motion will signify by
    saying aye. All opposed, no. The ayes appear to have it. The
    bill is favorably reported.
        Mr. Larson. Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Rohrabacher. Yes.
        Mr. Larson. Mr. Chairman, I would----
        Chairman Rohrabacher. Well, wait a minute. Without
    objection, the motion will be--to reconsider is laid upon the
    table. Yes.
        Mr. Larson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to thank you personally and the
    Staff and Mr. Gordon for their help and assistance and my
    colleague, Mr. Forbes from Virginia, for working on a matter
    that is of crucial importance to the aeronautical industry and
    commend you for your continued support and efforts in this
    area. I am concerned that the monies are a bit low and hope
    that we can continue to work on that as the bill moves forward
    to the Floor.
        Chairman Rohrabacher. Thank you very much.
        And this concludes our Committee markup. And without any
    objection, we will declare this committee adjourned. So I do
    declare this committee meeting adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 11:25 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
                                    Appendix

                                  ----------

       Roster, Amendments, Committee Print, Section-By-Section Analysis,
                           Summary of Committee Print

                         Section-By-Section Analysis of
       H.R. 2734, Federal Aviation Administration R&D Reauthorization Act

    Sec. 1. Short Title

        ``Federal Aviation Administration Research and Development
    Reauthorization Act.''

    Sec. 2. Authorization of Appropriations

        Authorizes appropriations for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
    Research and Development programs, projects and activities.

    Sec. 3. Next Generation Air Traffic Management Research and Development
    Joint Program Office

        Requires FAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    (NASA) to establish a Joint Program Office (JPO) to conduct Next
    Generation Air Traffic Management research and development. Requires
    the FAA and NASA Administrators to jointly appoint an FAA senior
    executive to be Director, and a NASA senior executive to be Deputy
    Director.
        Requires the JPO to establish and carry out, on behalf of FAA and
    NASA, long-term air traffic management R&D capable of tripling our
    domestic capacity by 2025. The JPO is authorized to spend agency funds
    dedicated to air traffic management R&D on behalf of NASA and FAA.
    Authorizes the JPO to use the facilities and expertise of other Federal
    agencies, national laboratories, universities, non-profit
    organizations, and private sector entities.
        Requires the JPO to develop a research and development plan with
    cost and schedule milestones. Requires the JPO to make an annual report
    to Congress on progress to date, and program plans for the following
    year.
        Authorizes a total of $95 million over five years.

    Sec. 4. Budget Designation for Research and Development Activities

        Amends 49 USC 48102 (FAA Research and Development), to require
    future FAA budgets to identify all research and development activities
    that would be classified as basic research, applied research, or
    development under the guidelines established by the Office of
    Management and Budget Circular A-11, regardless of the budget category
    in which it appears in the budget request.

    Sec. 5. Airport Cooperative Research Program

        Requires the Secretary of Transportation to establish an airport
    cooperative research grant program to identify problems--shared by
    airport operating agencies--that can be solved through applied
    research, and to fund research addressing those problems.
        Requires the Secretary to appoint a governing board from candidates
    proposed by national associations representing airport executives,
    public airport operating agencies, State aviation officials, and the
    scheduled airlines. The board will solicit, review and propose airport
    R&D projects. The Secretary will review and approve projects for
    funding.
        Authorizes $20 million annually from the Research, Engineering and
    Development account.

    Sec. 6. Development of Analytical Tools and Certification Methods

        Directs FAA to conduct research to promote development of
    analytical tools to improve existing certification methods for new
    aircraft, engines, and aircraft systems, to reduce overall
    certification costs for new products.

    Sec. 7. Research Program to Reduce Community Exposure to Aircraft Noise
    and Emissions

        Establishes a program to fund research and development of noise and
    emissions reduction technologies. Authorizes up to $20 million annually
    using noise mitigation funds from the Airport Improvement Program.
                           Summary of Committee Print

         The Federal Aviation Administration Research and Development
                              Reauthorization Act

             LReauthorizes the FAA's Research and Development
            program for FY04, FY05, and FY06.

             LEstablishes an FAA-NASA Next Generation Air Traffic
            Management Joint Program Office. Requires a research and
            development plan that will enable development of an air traffic
            management system capable of tripling capacity by the year
            2025. Authorizes $95 million (aggregate) over the life of the
            bill.

             LAmends Section 48102 of Title 49, United States Code,
            to clarify that amounts appropriated under this subsection
            support all research and development activities carried out by
            FAA.

             LEstablishes an Airport Cooperative Research Program.
            Authorizes $20 million annually.

             LRequires FAA to conduct research on development of
            analytical tools to help reduce the cost of certifying new
            aircraft, aircraft engines, and related systems.

             LEstablishes a research program to reduce community
            exposure to aircraft noise and emissions. Authorizes $20
            million annually.

      XXI. PROCEEDINGS OF THE FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP ON H.R. 2734, FEDERAL
      AVIATION ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT REAUTHORIZATION ACT

                                  ----------

                             TUESDAY, JULY 22, 2003

                      House of Representatives,
                                          Committee on Science,
                                                        Washington, DC.

        The Committee met, pursuant to other business, in Room 2318
    of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Sherwood D. Boehlert
    [Chairman of the Committee] presiding.
        Mr. Forbes. [Presiding] We will now consider the bill H.R.
    2734, the Federal Aviation Administration Research and
    Development Reauthorization Act, as amended.
        [The prepared statement of Chairman Rohrabacher follows:]
                Prepared Statement of Chairman Dana Rohrabacher
        I am pleased that the House Science Committee is considering H.R.
    2734 today because of its support for a vital governmental agency--the
    Federal Aviation Administration. H.R. 2734, through its authorization
    of appropriations for civil aviation research and development projects,
    will assist the agency in accomplishing its mission to ensure safe air
    travel within the United States. This bill emphasizes (a) aviation
    safety by authorizing funds to improve aviation safety and weather
    safety research, and (b) the development of next-generation technology
    through the development of more modern air traffic management equipment
    and noise emission reduction concepts.
        I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of
    legislation.
        I yield back the balance of my time.

        Mr. Forbes. I would like to first make some opening remarks
    as to this bill. The Federal Aviation Administration plays a
    unique and critical role in our economy. The FAA provides air
    traffic control services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and
    ensures that the aircraft we fly are safe. We have all heard
    the expression that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
    cure. In essence, that is why the Government spends money on
    R&D. Every dollar we spend a day on curing diseases or
    protecting our homeland is money saved down the road in health
    care costs and more importantly, save lives.
        Without FAA, commercial air transportation, a huge source
    of high paying, high quality jobs, could not operate. To carry
    out its mission, FAA must build, maintain and operate a complex
    system of communications, navigation and surveillance systems
    to monitor and separate aircraft. It must also stay current on
    new designs and technologies that are constantly emerging from
    aerospace industry manufacturers and suppliers.
        I am troubled that FAA's research and development budget is
    relatively modest compared to the Agency's overall spending
    profile. FAA must perform research and development to increase
    the capacity of our air traffic management system at a rate
    equal to projected growth, otherwise our national air
    transportation system will suffer and so will our economy.
        FAA's research and development program must also keep pace
    with the introduction of new products, designs and technologies
    that manufacturers are bringing to market and certify their
    safety and performance. I believe the FAA must be provided with
    a much more robust research and development program.
        H.R. 2734 is a start. This bill provides the Agency with
    increased authorization levels for FAA's research and
    development program. It establishes a joint program office to
    manage research and development for the next generation air
    traffic management system. It continues important research
    programs to address aging aircraft, fire safety and air traffic
    control technology, and it authorizes new spending for aircraft
    noise and emissions reductions research. I now recognize Mr.
    Hall for five minutes.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Forbes follows:]
              Prepared Statement of Representative J. Randy Forbes
        Mr. Chairman, the Federal Aviation Administration plays a unique
    and critical role in our economy. The FAA provides air traffic control
    services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and ensures that the aircraft
    we fly in are safe. Without FAA, commercial air transportation--a huge
    source of high-paying, high quality jobs--could not operate.
        To carry out its mission, FAA must build, maintain, and operate a
    complex system of communications, navigation and surveillance systems
    to monitor and separate aircraft. It must also stay current on new
    designs and technologies that are constantly emerging from aerospace
    industry manufacturers and suppliers.
        I am troubled that FAA's research and development budget is
    relatively modest compared to the agency's overall spending profile.
    FAA must perform research and development to increase the capacity of
    our air traffic management system at a rate equal to projected growth,
    otherwise our national air transportation system will suffer, and so
    will our economy. FAA's research and development program must also keep
    pace with the introduction of new products, designs, and technologies
    that manufacturers are bringing to market, and certify their safety and
    performance.
        I believe FAA must be provided with a much more robust research and
    development program. H.R. 2734 is a start. This bill provides the
    agency with increased authorization levels for FAA's research and
    development program, it establishes a Joint Program Office to manage
    research and development for the next generation air traffic management
    system, it continues important research programs to address aging
    aircraft, fire safety, and air traffic control technology, and it
    authorizes new spending for aircraft noise and emissions reduction
    research.
        I urge all Members to support this worthwhile legislation. Thank
    you.

        Mr. Hall. Mr. Chairman, I won't use the five minutes. I am
    pleased to support this bill, the FAA Research and Development
    Reauthorization Act. It is a good bill. It reflects the
    Committee's long-held interest in ensuring that the Nation's
    aviation system is safe and efficient. Now, we have several
    members, I think two from this side of the aisle, who intend to
    offer some very constructive amendments to the bill, and I hope
    the Chairman will give these amendments careful consideration.
    With that, I yield back my time.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Hall follows:]
               Prepared Statement of Representative Ralph M. Hall
        Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to support H.R. 2734, the FAA Research
    And Development Reauthorization Act. It is a good bill, and it reflects
    this Committee's long-held interest in ensuring that the Nation's
    aviation system is safe and efficient. It also is a bill that
    incorporates good ideas from both sides of the aisle.
        The specific features of the bill have already been described, so I
    will be brief in my comments. I would just note that the bill takes an
    important step in pulling together the resources of the government to
    meet the challenge of designing the next generation air traffic
    management system. Our air traffic management system is critical to the
    continued viability of our aviation sector, and R&D has an important
    role to play in ensuring that it keeps up with the future demands on
    it.
        I would also note that the bill takes a unified approach to the
    FAA's R&D activities. Such an approach is necessary if we are to make
    sure that resources are wisely applied and critical research issues are
    addressed.
        Mr. Chairman, a number of Members from this side of the aisle
    intend to offer some constructive amendments to the bill, and I hope
    that the Chairman will give those amendments careful consideration.
        In closing, I would once again say that I think this is a good
    bill, and I hope that the Committee will report it out favorably.
        Thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.

        Mr. Forbes. Thank you. Without objection, all Members may
    place opening statements in the record at this point in time.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Costello follows:]
             Prepared Statement of Representative Jerry F. Costello
        Good morning. Today, the House Science Committee is considering six
    bills for markup. Most are non-controversial and receive wide
    bipartisan support.
        However, I have strong reservations regarding H.R. 1085, the NASA
    Flexibility Act of 2003. I believe we must wait for recommendations and
    guidance from the Gehman Commission that will address management
    issues. If we are going to address the problems concerning NASA, we
    need to take into account the goals and vision of NASA and manned space
    flight. I understand that NASA needs to do more to attract and retain
    the best possible workforce; however, I believe we can assist NASA by
    waiting to hear what recommendations the Gehman Commission makes so we
    can address all the management problems affecting NASA and its
    workforce. I believe we must also continue to review NASA's existing
    workforce authority and why it is underutilized.
        Mr. Chairman, instead of rushing to complete this significant
    legislation, I believe we must take a step back and review all our
    options before moving forward on legislation that does not address the
    problem.
        Aside from H.R. 1085, I believe the other pieces of legislation
    have been considered in a bipartisan fashion and expand programs in
    numerous agencies. For example, H.R. 2692, the United States Fire
    Administration (USFA) Authorization Act of 2003, authorizes funding for
    USFA activities, such as training, fire research and public education
    over the next three years. Over the last three decades, America's fire
    safety record has significantly improved. However, there are still
    opportunities for further improvements in our fire safety record, such
    as encouraging. the use of sprinkler systems in homes. H.R. 2692 will
    lead us in the right direction. As a member of the Congressional Fire
    Services Caucus, I am proud to support this legislation.
        Further, I am glad the House Science Committee is moving forward on
    the FAA Research and Development Reauthorization Act of 2003. As a
    conferee to the FAA bill for the Science Committee, I look forward to
    working with my colleagues to enhance the research and development
    programs as laid out in the legislation before this committee.
        Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the Committee for all their hard work
    on these important issues and look forward to today's proceedings.

        Mr. Forbes. I ask unanimous consent that the bill is
    considered as read and opened to amendment at any point, and
    that the Members proceed with the amendments in the order of
    the roster. Without objection, so ordered. The first amendment
    on the roster is Amendment #1, offered by Mr. Matheson from
    Utah. Are you ready to proceed?
        Mr. Matheson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment
    at the desk.
        Mr. Forbes. The Clerk will report the amendment.
        Ms. Tessieri. Amendment to H.R. 2734 offered by Mr.
    Matheson.
        [Amendment to H.R. 2734 offered by Jim Matheson appears in
    the Appendix.]
        Mr. Forbes. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the
    reading. Without objection, so ordered. Mr. Matheson is
    recognized for five minutes to offer his amendment.
        Mr. Matheson. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to
    commend the Chair and Ranking Member Hall for their important
    work on this measure and I will make a very brief statement. My
    amendment to this bill is quite simple. It asks the FAA to
    prioritize noise pollution when redesigning commercial
    airspace.
        Though safety is always an important consideration in
    airspace design, I believe that consideration of noise
    pollution is also essential in order to provide the public with
    the best possible flight paths. This is an issue that is
    ongoing right now in my own Congressional district. I think it
    is important it be part of the R&D bill, and I hope my
    colleagues will join me in supporting this amendment. I yield
    back to----
        Ms. Lofgren. Would the gentleman yield? I would just like
    to say, so I don't have to get my own time, how grateful I am
    to your--to you for offering this amendment. Obviously, safety
    has to be the first level of decision-making. No one would
    dispute that, but I am so eager for the FAA to take more
    account of noise.
        Recently, the airspace into San Francisco International
    Airport was redone and they completely ignored the impact of
    air traffic over the larger city, the city of San Jose, which
    my constituents were a little grumpy about, and--including
    myself, I might add, so I am hopeful that we can come together,
    understanding that this will never trump safety, but I sure
    would like to have them take a look at noise, and thank you for
    yielding and thank you for the amendment.
        Mr. Matheson. And I will just say this is a common
    discussion that I have had with a lot of folks. I think it is
    important this issue be considered, and with that, Mr.
    Chairman, now, I will yield back.
        Ms. Woolsey. And Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Forbes. Thank you for----
        Ms. Woolsey. I would like to speak in favor of Mr.
    Matheson's amendment. My constituents in Marin County,
    California, just across the Golden Gate Bridge are talking to
    my office daily about the changes in the air patterns and noise
    and what is going on, and we, too, know that safety is it, and
    I know that probably a great majority of the travelers are from
    my district, but they still want to make sure that low-flying
    planes and convenience doesn't trump noise. Safety, yes, but
    not convenience, and I totally support Mr. Matheson's
    amendment.
        Mr. Forbes. The Chair certainly recognizes all these good
    comments and hopes that bill--the amendment will be accepted.
    Is there further discussion? If no, the vote occurs on the
    amendment. All in favor say aye. Those opposed, say no. The
    ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. The next amendment
    on the roster is Amendment #2, offered by the distinguished
    gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Weldon. Mr. Weldon, are you
    ready to proceed with your amendment?
        Mr. Weldon. I am ready. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous
    consent that the revised amendment, just a technical change, be
    distributed to members in lieu of the original one.
        Mr. Forbes. The Clerk will report the amendment.
        Ms. Tessieri. Amendment to H.R. 2734----
        Mr. Forbes. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the
    reading. Without objection, that is so ordered. Mr. Weldon is
    recognized for five minutes to offer his amendment.
        Mr. Weldon. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is actually being
    offered by myself and Mr. Larson of Connecticut. It is a
    bipartisan amendment that is based on Mr. Larson's original
    bill, to focus on rotocraft research. As you know, we have
    conducted hearings and have unfortunately found out that, in
    the case of science and research, our country has been falling
    behind the rest of the world in the area of rotocraft. We tend
    to focus a lot of our effort in this Committee on space and on
    aviation, but we tend to forget about rotocraft, and if you are
    from the states of Texas, as my good friend from--the Ranking
    Member is, Bell Textron is almost totally a rotocraft company.
    If you are from Pennsylvania, in Bob Brady's district, Boeing
    is a rotocraft manufacturer. If you are from Connecticut, you
    have a major presence of Sikorsky. Unfortunately, NASA has been
    pulling out of this effort, in fact just shut down their two
    big wind tunnels out at NASA Ames in California, which is
    devastating.
        This is an effort with the support of the FAA, who does
    have a focus on rotocraft safety, to put back into place an
    authorization for a new initiative. This effort, as I said, was
    developed by Mr. Larson. It is an outstanding piece of
    legislation that I took and incorporated into this broader
    bill, to allow for increased rotocraft research. This
    legislation, this amendment is supported by the American
    Helicopter Association. It is supported by the three major
    helicopter manufacturers, the CEO of Bell Textron, the CEO of
    Boeing Helicopters and the CEO of Sikorsky. It is supported by
    the major academic institutions doing rotocraft research, and
    that includes Penn State, Georgia Tech and the University of
    Maryland. It is supported by all of the major players in
    rotocraft as a sign, as a symbol that we want this country to
    get back into full competition.
        Now, Mr. Chairman, this legislation is consistent with the
    final report of the Commission on the Future of the United
    States Aerospace Industry. In fact, I have some quotes from
    that document that specifically highlight the need to address
    what we are doing here.
        Now, a quote from this document, in terms of discussing
    rotocraft. ``Although we are ahead of other countries in
    investment in military technology and capability, we are on the
    edge of dropping out of the race in the civilian sector.
    Starved of funds, the U.S. Government research and development
    infrastructure in rotocraft is deteriorating as well. Instead
    of increasing private funding for basic rotocraft R&D, U.S.
    industry spending has fallen off, too. A reduction in federal
    funding is matched by a corresponding decrease in industry
    funding. Companies have little incentive to fund basic research
    on their own, because capital markets and stockholders shy away
    from these investments with their indeterminate returns.''
        Yet, on the other hand, the foreign governments are
    significantly increasing their investment in rotocraft
    research, and that is why companies like Eurocopter, Augusta
    and others are making significant headway in denying the market
    to our companies.
        In fact, Mr. Chairman, we used to have four major rotocraft
    producers in America. We are now down to three, and if we don't
    help reverse this difficult trend, you are going to see that
    industrial base shrink to two. We don't want to see that
    happen. This allows for a planned, coordinated effort to
    increase funding in rotocraft research, and I ask my colleagues
    to support this amendment.
        Ms. Lofgren. Would the gentleman yield for a question? You
    mentioned the closure, or proposed closure of the wind tunnels
    at NASA Ames which did concern me, since we have made
    substantial public sector investments to create state of the
    art wind tunnels, and I was stunned when the proposal was to
    close them after we spent all that money recently just to build
    them. The answer we got was that they would do everything with
    computer modeling and they didn't need the wind tunnels, which
    I must admit, I was somewhat skeptical about, so I guess
    question #1 is could we do wind--modeling rather than these
    centers, and question #2, if we need the centers, can we
    utilize as part of your plan, or do you envision that these
    investments, that NASA Ames might be part of what you are
    doing?
        Mr. Weldon. Well, the gentlelady asks a very important
    question. I have gone on the record publicly opposing NASA
    Ames' decision to shut down the infrastructure facilities at
    NASA Ames. It is a preliminary decision that will not take full
    force and effect for one year. This initiative, if we put it
    forward in this legislation, I think will send a signal to NASA
    that they are going in the wrong direction. In talking to the
    scientists and the leaders of the major helicopter
    manufacturers, they say there is a role for computerized
    simulation, but that does not replace the need for the kind of
    capabilities at NASA Ames, which are the largest wind tunnels.
        Ms. Lofgren. Right.
        Mr. Weldon. Of their type in the world.
        Ms. Lofgren. Yes.
        Mr. Weldon. And so hopefully, this will help us turn around
    that decision and the lady--gentlelady has my full support to
    continue the pressure on NASA Ames to reverse that decision
    over the next year. It is only a partial decision. They have
    not yet----
        Ms. Lofgren. Thank you for your--the answer.
        Mr. Forbes. Once again, the Chair is prepared to accept
    this amendment and hopes it will be adopted. Is there any
    further discussion? If no, the vote occurs on the amendment.
    All in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes have it,
    and the amendment is agreed to. The next amendment on the
    roster is Amendment 3, offered by Mr. Moore from Kansas. Are
    you ready to proceed with your amendment?
        Mr. Moore. I--are we on 2734, Mr. Chairman?
        Mr. Forbes. Yes, sir. The----
        Mr. Moore. Unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment I
    had proposed.
        Mr. Forbes. Without objection, consent is given to withdraw
    the amendment. The next amendment on the roster is Amendment
    #4, offered by Ms. Jackson Lee from Texas. Are you ready to
    proceed with your amendment?
        Ms. Jackson Lee. I am, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Forbes. The Clerk will report the amendment.
        Ms. Tessieri. Amendment to H.R. 2734 offered by Ms. Jackson
    Lee of Texas.
        [Amendment to H.R. 2734 offered by Sheila Jackson Lee
    appears in the Appendix.]
        Mr. Forbes. And I ask unanimous consent to dispense with
    the reading. Without objection, it is so ordered. Ms. Jackson
    Lee is recognized for five minutes----
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you.
        Mr. Forbes. ----to offer her amendment.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Right
    now, FAA rules require that U.S. commercial airline pilots
    retire at the age of 60. The reasoning is that as people get
    older, their mental and physical faculties decay to a level
    that they pose a safety risk in flight. All of us would be
    concerned if that was actually the case. However, these are the
    more experienced pilots in the fleet. By FAA rules, they have a
    comprehensive medical exam twice per year. They have regular
    tests on the state of the art computer flight simulators to
    make sure their skills are sharp, and however, regardless of
    their experience level or safety record or health status, they
    are forced to give up their careers at the age of 60.
        My amendment is simple, because I recognize, Mr. Chairman,
    that there are a wide breadth of opinions on this, and I
    respect all of the opinions that have been offered, but I think
    this would be very instructive, if we were to have an amendment
    that asks the FAA to assess why pilots flying international can
    be over 60 and those flying within the United States under FAA
    rules cannot. What is the distinction? This is a very finite,
    very precise study. It will provide information to us to ensure
    that we give a fair hearing to everyone's point of view, and
    might I say on the record, Mr. Chairman, one of the concerns of
    the FAA is the time in which they take to do studies, or the
    resources that might be utilized, I have made sure that this is
    such a narrow area of focus that this can be done with the most
    fiscally conservative resources that one might use and, I would
    hope, that as we explore this question, as I understand the
    Transportation Committee will be holding hearings, that none of
    this will be limiting the Transportation Committee from having
    a broad view of this question, so maybe we can answer it once
    and for all.
        If the answer proves that we should remain with the 60 cap,
    60-year-old cap, all of us who are concerned about safety would
    readily support this enthusiastically. If we show that there
    are some other options, I think this Committee should be aware
    of it. With that, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment
    and I yield back.
        Mr. Forbes. Is there any further discussion? If no, the
    vote occurs on the amendment. All in favor say aye. Those
    opposed, say no. The ayes have it and the amendment is agreed
    to. Are there any further amendments? Hearing none, the
    question is on the bill, H.R. 2734, the Federal Aviation
    Administration Research and Development Reauthorization Act, as
    amended. All those in favor will say aye. All those opposed
    will say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. I
    will now recognize Mr. Hall to offer a motion.
        Mr. Hall. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee favorably
    report H.R. 2734, as amended, to the House with the
    recommendation that the bill, as amended, do pass. Furthermore,
    I move that staff be instructed to prepare the legislative
    report and make necessary technical and conforming changes, and
    that the Chairman take all necessary steps to bring the bill
    before the House for consideration.
        Mr. Forbes. The question is on the motion to report the
    bill favorably. Those in favor of the motion will signify by
    saying aye. Opposed, no. The ayes appear to have it and the
    bill is favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to
    reconsider is laid upon the table. I move that members have two
    subsequent calendar days in which to submit supplemental,
    minority, or additional views on the measure. I move pursuant
    to Clause 1 of Rule 22 of the Rules of the House of
    Representatives that the Committee authorize the Chairman to
    offer such motions as may be necessary in the House to go to
    conference with the Senate on the bill H.R. 2734 or a similar
    Senate bill. Without objection, so ordered.
        [Whereupon, the Committee proceeded to other business.]
                                    Appendix

                                  ----------

     H.R. 2734 (as introduced), Amendment Roster, Amendments, Subcommittee
            Memorandum, Committee Print, Section-By-Section Analysis