[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


Public Law 113-53
113th Congress

An Act


 
To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration advances the safety
of small airplanes, and the continued development of the general
aviation industry, and for other purposes. <>

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, <>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Small Airplane Revitalization Act of
2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:
(1) A healthy small aircraft industry is integral to
economic growth and to maintaining an effective transportation
infrastructure for communities and countries around the world.
(2) Small airplanes comprise nearly 90 percent of general
aviation aircraft certified by the Federal Aviation
Administration.
(3) General aviation provides for the cultivation of a
workforce of engineers, manufacturing and maintenance
professionals, and pilots who secure the economic success and
defense of the United States.
(4) General aviation contributes to well-paying jobs in the
manufacturing and technology sectors in the United States and
products produced by those sectors are exported in great
numbers.
(5) Technology developed and proven in general aviation aids
in the success and safety of all sectors of aviation and
scientific competence.
(6) The average small airplane in the United States is now
40 years old and the regulatory barriers to bringing new designs
to the market are resulting in a lack of innovation and
investment in small airplane design.
(7) Since 2003, the United States lost 10,000 active private
pilots per year on average, partially due to a lack of cost-
effective, new small airplanes.
(8) General aviation safety can be improved by modernizing
and revamping the regulations relating to small airplanes to
clear the path for technology adoption and cost-effective means
to retrofit the existing fleet with new safety technologies.

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SEC. 3. SAFETY AND REGULATORY IMPROVEMENTS FOR GENERAL AVIATION.

(a) <>  In General.--Not later than December 15,
2015, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall
issue a final rule--
(1) to advance the safety and continued development of small
airplanes by reorganizing the certification requirements for
such airplanes under part 23 to streamline the approval of
safety advancements; and
(2) that meets the objectives described in subsection (b).

(b) Objectives Described.--The objectives described in this
subsection are based on the recommendations of the Part 23
Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee:
(1) The establishment of a regulatory regime for small
airplanes that will improve safety and reduce the regulatory
cost burden for the Federal Aviation Administration and the
aviation industry.
(2) The establishment of broad, outcome-driven safety
objectives that will spur innovation and technology adoption.
(3) The replacement of current, prescriptive requirements
under part 23 with performance-based regulations.
(4) The use of consensus standards accepted by the Federal
Aviation Administration to clarify how the safety objectives of
part 23 may be met using specific designs and technologies.

(c) Consensus-Based Standards.--In prescribing regulations under
this section, the Administrator shall use consensus standards, as
described in section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act of 1996 (15 U.S.C. 272 note), to the extent practicable
while continuing traditional methods for meeting part 23.
(d) Safety Cooperation.--The Administrator shall lead the effort to
improve general aviation safety by working with leading aviation
regulators to assist them in adopting a complementary regulatory
approach for small airplanes.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Consensus standards.--
(A) In general.--The term ``consensus standards''
means standards developed by an organization described
in subparagraph (B) that may include provisions
requiring that owners of relevant intellectual property
have agreed to make that intellectual property available
on a nondiscriminatory, royalty-free, or reasonable
royalty basis to all interested persons.
(B) Organizations described.--An organization
described in this subparagraph is a domestic or
international organization that--
(i) plans, develops, establishes, or
coordinates, through a process based on consensus
and using agreed-upon procedures, voluntary
standards; and
(ii) operates in a transparent manner,
considers a balanced set of interests with respect
to such standards, and provides for due process
and an appeals process with respect to such
standards.
(2) Part 23.--The term ``part 23'' means part 23 of title
14, Code of Federal Regulations.

[[Page 586]]

(3) Part 23 reorganization aviation rulemaking committee.--
The term ``Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking
Committee'' means the aviation rulemaking committee established
by the Federal Aviation Administration in August 2011 to
consider the reorganization of the regulations under part 23.
(4) Small airplane.--The term ``small airplane'' means an
airplane which is certified to part 23 standards.

Approved November 27, 2013.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1848 (S. 1072):
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 113-151 (Comm. on Transportation and Infrastructure).
SENATE REPORTS: No. 113-108 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation) accompanying S. 1072.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 159 (2013):
July 16, considered and passed House.
Oct. 4, considered and passed Senate, amended.
Nov. 14, House concurred in Senate amendment.