[House Report 117-43]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress     }                                   {      Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session       }                                   {      117-43

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



 
                NOTICE TO AIRMEN IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2021

                                _______
                                

  May 28, 2021.--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. 1262]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 
was referred the bill (H.R. 1262) to establish a task force on 
improvements for certain notices to airmen, and for other 
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
without amendment and recommends 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. 1262 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. 1262 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 rule XIII, clause 3(c)(6)(A) of the 
117th Congress no hearings were held on H.R. 1262 in the 117th 
Congress; however, in the 116th Congress, the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation held 
the following hearing to develop or consider the legislation:
    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. 1262 was introduced in the House on February 23, 2021, 
by Mr. Stauber, and Mr. DeSaulnier and referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Within the 
Committee, H.R. 1262 was referred to the Subcommittee on 
Aviation.
    The Subcommittee on Aviation was discharged from further 
consideration of H.R. 1262 on March 24, 2021.
    The Full Committee considered H.R. 1262 on March 24, 2021 
and ordered the measure to be reported to the House with a 
favorable recommendation, by voice vote.

                            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.
    No record votes were requested during consideration of H.R. 
1262.

                      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. 1262 from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, April 7, 2021.
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. 1262, the Notice 
to Airmen Improvement Act of 2021.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Aaron 
Krupkin.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

    
    
    
    	      [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    	      
    	      
    

    H.R. 1262 would direct 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.) In particular, the 
bill would require the FAA to establish a task force with 
members from the aviation industry, labor unions, and safety 
experts to review existing policies related to NOTAMs, 
recommend improvements, and report its findings to the 
Congress.
    According to the FAA, the bill's requirements are largely 
consistent with existing activities related to NOTAMs. As a 
result, CBO estimates that any increase in federal spending to 
meet those requirements--which would be subject to 
appropriation--would not exceed $500,000 over the 2021-2026 
period.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Aaron Krupkin. 
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
Director of 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. 1262 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. 1262 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

Section 1. Short title

    This section provides that this bill may be cited as the 
``Notice to Airmen Improvement Act of 2021''.

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

    As reported by the Committee, H.R. 1262 makes no changes in 
existing law.

                                  
                                  
                                  [all]