[House Report 116-67]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress   }                                      {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session     }                                      {       116-67

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



 
                NOTICE TO AIRMEN IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2019

                                _______
                                

  May 16, 2019.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. DeFazio, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1775]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 
was referred the bill (H.R. 1775) to establish a task force on 
NOTAM improvements, and for other purposes, having considered 
the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and 
recommend that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose of Legislation...........................................     1
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     2
Hearings.........................................................     2
Legislative History and Consideration............................     2
Committee Votes..................................................     3
Committee Oversight Findings.....................................     3
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................     3
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................     3
Performance Goals and Objectives.................................     4
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................     4
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff 
  Benefits.......................................................     5
Federal Mandates Statement.......................................     5
Preemption Clarification.........................................     5
Advisory Committee Statement.....................................     5
Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................     5
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................     5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     6

                         PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION

    The purpose of H.R. 1775 is to establish a task force to 
evaluate existing methods for presenting Notices to Airmen 
(NOTAMs) to pilots, review associated regulations and policies, 
and develop recommendations and identify best practices aimed 
at improving the presentation of NOTAMs and flight operations 
information to pilots.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 1775 directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) to establish the FAA Task Force on NOTAM 
Improvement to review existing methods for presenting NOTAMs 
and flight operations information to pilots and NOTAM policies 
and regulations, and determine best practices for organizing, 
prioritizing, and presenting flight operations information to 
pilots in an optimal manner to help them retain relevant 
information.
    This legislation is necessary because pilots have found 
information contained in NOTAMs--notices from the FAA to pilots 
that contain essential, real-time information regarding 
abnormal status of the National Airspace System--difficult to 
read, understand, and retain. Additionally, NOTAMs can lack 
completeness or accuracy, which can endanger flight. In 2018, 
the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recognized the 
impact NOTAM information can have on the safety of flight, 
issuing a safety recommendation (A-18-024) to the FAA to 
establish a group of human factors experts to review existing 
methods for presenting flight operations information to pilots 
and create and publish guidance on best practice for presenting 
such information that optimizes pilot review and retention of 
information. Identifying methods of improving the accuracy, 
organization, display, and understanding of NOTAM information 
will aid pilots and improve flight safety in the United States.

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the 
116th Congress, the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation held the following 
hearing to develop or consider H.R. 1775:
          On March 12, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing 
        titled, ``Looking Forward: Aviation 2050.'' The purpose 
        of the hearing was to explore the future of U.S. 
        aviation and the National Airspace System (NAS), 
        including how the NAS is evolving as a result of new 
        aviation and aerospace users and technologies. 
        Witnesses included: David McBride, Director, Armstrong 
        Flight Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration; Diana Cooper, Senior Vice President, 
        Policy and Strategy, PrecisionHawk, Inc.; Eli Dourado, 
        Head, Global Policy and Communications, Boom; Eric 
        Allison, Head, Elevate, Uber Technologies, Inc.; and 
        Joe DePete, President, Air Line Pilots Association, 
        International.

                 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND CONSIDERATION

    H.R. 1775 was introduced in the House on March 14, 2019, by 
Mr. Stauber and referred to the Committee on Transportation. 
Within the Committee, H.R. 1775 was referred to the 
Subcommittee on Aviation.
    The Subcommittee on Aviation was discharged from further 
consideration of H.R. 1775 on March 27, 2019.
    The Full Committee met in open session to consider H.R. 
1775 on March 27, 2019, and ordered the measure to be reported 
to the House, without amendment, favorably by voice vote, with 
a quorum present.

                            COMMITTEE VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires each committee report to include the 
total number of votes cast for and against on each record vote 
on a motion to report and on any amendment offered to the 
measure or matter, and the names of those members voting for 
and against.
    There were no recorded votes taken in connection with 
consideration of H.R. 1775.

                      COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

    With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are 
reflected in this report.

               NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES

    Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives does not apply where 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 prior to the filing of the 
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is 
included in this report.

               CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

    With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has 
received the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1775.

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, April 15, 2019.
Hon. Peter A. DeFazio,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1775, the Notice 
to Airmen Improvement Act of 2019.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan 
Carroll.
            Sincerely,
                                                Keith Hall,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    

    H.R. 1775 would direct the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA) to complete a variety of 
administrative tasks related to notices to airmen (NOTAMs), 
which convey essential information to personnel concerned with 
flight operations. (For example, NOTAMs alert aircraft pilots 
of potential hazards along a flight route or other conditions 
or situations affecting aeronautical facilities, services, or 
procedures that might affect the safety of flight operations.) 
H.R. 1775 would require the Administrator to establish a task 
force of aviation stakeholders to review existing policies 
related to NOTAMs, recommend improvements, and report its 
findings to the Congress within one year.
    Using information from the FAA, CBO estimates that 
implementing H.R. 1775 would not significantly affect the 
federal budget. According to the agency, the bill's 
requirements are largely consistent with existing activities 
related to NOTAMs. As a result, CBO estimates that any change 
in federal spending to meet those requirements--which would be 
subject to appropriation--would not exceed $500,000.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll. 
The estimate was reviewed by Theresa Gullo, Assistant Director 
for Budget Analysis.

                    PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

    With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
performance goal and objective of this legislation is to 
identify methods to improve the presentation of NOTAM 
information to pilots through the establishment and 
recommendations of the FAA Task Force on NOTAM Improvement, and 
the comprehensive report developed by such task force and 
submitted to Congress.

                    DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee finds that no provision 
of H.R. 1775 establishes or reauthorizes a program of the 
federal government known to be duplicative of another federal 
program, a program that was included in any report from the 
Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to 
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a 
program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance.

   CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF 
                                BENEFITS

    In compliance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no 
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of the rule 
XXI.

                       FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act (Public Law 104-4).

                        PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

    Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
requires the report of any Committee on a bill or joint 
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the 
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local, 
or tribal law. The Committee finds that H.R. 1775 does not 
preempt any state, local, or tribal law.

                      ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this 
legislation.

                  APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation 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).

             SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Sec. 1. Short title

    This section provides that this bill may be cited as the 
``Notice to Airmen Improvement Act of 2019.``

Sec. 2. FAA Task Force on NOTAM Improvement

    This section requires the Administrator of the FAA to 
establish the FAA Task Force on NOTAM Improvement. This section 
requires the task force to be composed of representatives from 
air carriers, labor unions, and general and business aviation, 
as well as aviation safety and human factors experts.
    This section also establishes the duties of the task force, 
which include reviewing existing methods for presenting Notice 
to Airmen (NOTAM) and flight operations information to pilots 
and associated NOTAM policies and regulations, and determining 
best practices for organizing, prioritizing, and presenting 
flight operations information to pilots in an optimal manner. 
Additionally, this section requires the task force to provide 
recommendations to improve the presentation of NOTAM 
information, ensure NOTAM accuracy and completeness, identify 
best practices to improve NOTAM accuracy and understandability, 
and identify ways to work with airspace users and aviation 
service providers to implement solutions aligned with any 
recommendations of the task force.
    Furthermore, this section requires the task force to submit 
a report to Congress and describe to the extent to which 
implementing any task force recommendations addresses National 
Transportation Safety Board Safety Recommendation A-18-024; 
sunsets the task force within 18 months of its establishment or 
the date of submission of its report to Congress; and provides 
the FAA Administrator with the authority necessary to implement 
any task force recommendations outlined in its report to 
Congress.
    Finally, this section exempts the task force from 
requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 
App.).

         CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    H.R. 1775 makes no changes in existing law.

                                  [all]