A bill to reauthorize the National Transportation Safety Board, and for other purposes.

Summary: National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003 - (Sec. 2) Amends Federal transportation law to extend the authorization of appropriations for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for FY 2003 through 2006, including the NTSB Academy and an emergency fund.

Authorizes appropriations necessary to increase the emergency fund from $2 million to $3 million.

Authorizes the NTSB to impose and collect appropriate fees for services provided by or through the Academy. Credits receipts as offsetting collections to the account that finances Academy activities. Requires an annual report on the activities and operations of the Academy.

(Sec. 3) Relieves the NTSB of the duty to render specified assistance to families of passengers involved in an aircraft accident if the NTSB has relinquished its investigative priority to investigate it and the Federal agency to which it has relinquished such priority is willing and able to provide assistance to the victims and families of the passengers. Requires the NTSB, however, even if it has relinquished such priority, to assist, to the maximum extent possible, the agency to which it has relinquished it in assisting families with respect to the accident.

Directs the NTSB and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to revise their 1977 agreement on the investigation of accidents to take into account the amendments made by this Act, and to submit such revision to specified congressional committees.

(Sec. 4) Allows the NTSB to enter into agreements or contracts necessary to conduct accident investigations without regard to competition requirements if necessary to expedite investigation. Requires that each contract for at least $25,000 be enumerated in the NTSB's annual report to Congress.

(Sec. 5) Requires any NTSB employee, whenever heor she determines that an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, but not resulting in a loss of life, constitutes an accident, to notify the aircraft owner or operator of the right to appeal that determination to the NTSB. Requires the NTSB to establish and publish appeal procedures.

(Sec. 6) Revises requirements for an annual report to Congress by the Secretary of Transportation on NTSB transportation safety recommendations. Requires the Secretary to report on February 1 of each year to Congress and the NTSB on the regulatory status of each recommendation on the NTSB "most wanted list," until final regulatory action is taken or the Secretary (or an Administration within the Department of Transportation (DOT)) determines and reports that no action should be taken. Requires the NTSB to report to specified congressional committees on March 1 of each year if it has not received the Secretary's report.

(Sec. 8) Amends Federal transportation law and the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 to make certain technical and conforming amendments with respect to the investigative authority of the DOT Inspector General.

(Sec. 9) Requires the Secretary to report biennially to Congress and the NTSB on the regulatory status of each NTSB open safety recommendation concerning: (1) 15-passenger van safety; (2) railroad grade crossing safety; and (3) medical certifications for a commercial driver's license. Requires NTSB notification to specified congressional committees of any failure to receive such report.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Transportation Safety Board 
Reauthorization Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
    (a) Fiscal Years 2003-2006.--Section 1118(a) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended--
        (1) by striking ``and''; and
        (2) by striking ``such sums to'' and inserting the following: 
    ``$73,325,000 for fiscal year 2003, $78,757,000 for fiscal year 
    2004, $83,011,000 for fiscal year 2005, and $87,539,000 for fiscal 
    year 2006. Such sums shall''.
    (b) Emergency Fund.--Section 1118(b) of such title is amended by 
striking the second sentence and inserting the following: ``In 
addition, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to increase the fund to, and maintain the fund at, a level 
not to exceed $4,000,000.''.
    (c) NTSB Academy.--Section 1118 of such title is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(c) Academy.--
        ``(1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
    to the Board for necessary expenses of the National Transportation 
    Safety Board Academy, not otherwise provided for, $3,347,000 for 
    fiscal year 2003, $4,896,000 for fiscal year 2004, $4,995,000 for 
    fiscal year 2005, and $5,200,000 for fiscal year 2006. Such sums 
    shall remain available until expended.
        ``(2) Fees.--The Board may impose and collect such fees as it 
    determines to be appropriate for services provided by or through 
    the Academy.
        ``(3) Receipts credited as offsetting collections.--
    Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, any fee collected under 
    this subsection--
            ``(A) shall be credited as offsetting collections to the 
        account that finances the activities and services for which the 
        fee is imposed;
            ``(B) shall be available for expenditure only to pay the 
        costs of activities and services for which the fee is imposed; 
        and
            ``(C) shall remain available until expended.
        ``(4) Refunds.--The Board may refund any fee paid by mistake or 
    any amount paid in excess of that required.
    ``(d) Report on Academy Operations.--The National Transportation 
Safety Board shall transmit an annual report to the Congress on the 
activities and operations of the National Transportation Safety Board 
Academy.''.
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES OF PASSENGERS INVOLVED IN AIRCRAFT 
ACCIDENTS.
    (a) Relinquishment of Investigative Priority.--Section 1136 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(j) Relinquishment of Investigative Priority.--
        ``(1) General rule.--This section (other than subsection (g)) 
    shall not apply to an aircraft accident if the Board has 
    relinquished investigative priority under section 1131(a)(2)(B) and 
    the Federal agency to which the Board relinquished investigative 
    priority is willing and able to provide assistance to the victims 
    and families of the passengers involved in the accident.
        ``(2) Board assistance.--If this section does not apply to an 
    aircraft accident because the Board has relinquished investigative 
    priority with respect to the accident, the Board shall assist, to 
    the maximum extent possible, the agency to which the Board has 
    relinquished investigative priority in assisting families with 
    respect to the accident.''.
    (b) Revision of MOU.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the National Transportation Safety Board and the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation shall revise their 1977 agreement on 
the investigation of accidents to take into account the amendments made 
by this section and shall submit a copy of the revised agreement to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate.
SEC. 4. RELIEF FROM CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS FOR INVESTIGATIONS 
SERVICES.
    (a) In General.--From the date of enactment of this Act through 
September 30, 2006, the National Transportation Safety Board may enter 
into agreements or contracts under the authority of section 
1113(b)(1)(B) of title 49, United States Code, for investigations 
conducted under section 1131 of that title without regard to any other 
provision of law requiring competition if necessary to expedite the 
investigation.
    (b) Report on Usage.--On February 1, 2006, the National 
Transportation Safety Board shall transmit a report to the House of 
Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the 
House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform, the Senate 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the Senate 
Committee on Governmental Affairs that--
        (1) describes each contract for $25,000 or more executed by the 
    Board to which the authority provided by subsection (a) was 
    applied; and
        (2) sets forth the rationale for dispensing with competition 
    requirements with respect to such contract.
SEC. 5. ACCIDENT AND SAFETY DATA CLASSIFICATION AND PUBLICATION.
    Section 1119 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(c) Appeals.--
        ``(1) Notification of rights.--In any case in which an employee 
    of the Board determines that an occurrence associated with the 
    operation of an aircraft constitutes an accident, the employee 
    shall notify the owner or operator of that aircraft of the right to 
    appeal that determination to the Board.
        ``(2) Procedure.--The Board shall establish and publish the 
    procedures for appeals under this subsection.
        ``(3) Limitation on applicability.--This subsection shall not 
    apply in the case of an accident that results in a loss of life.''.
SEC. 6. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION'S RESPONSES TO SAFETY 
RECOMMENDATIONS.
    Section 1135(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended to read 
as follows:
    ``(d) Reporting Requirements.--
        ``(1) Annual secretarial regulatory status reports.--On 
    February 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit a report to 
    Congress and the Board containing the regulatory status of each 
    recommendation made by the Board to the Secretary (or to an 
    Administration within the Department of Transportation) that is on 
    the Board's `most wanted list'. The Secretary shall continue to 
    report on the regulatory status of each such recommendation in the 
    report due on February 1 of subsequent years until final regulatory 
    action is taken on that recommendation or the Secretary (or an 
    Administration within the Department) determines and states in such 
    a report that no action should be taken.
        ``(2) Failure to report.--If on March 1 of each year the Board 
    has not received the Secretary's report required by this 
    subsection, the Board shall notify the Committee on Transportation 
    and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate of 
    the Secretary's failure to submit the required report.
        ``(3) Termination.--This subsection shall cease to be in effect 
    after the report required to be filed on February 1, 2008, is 
    filed.''.
SEC. 7. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.
    Section 1131(a)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
moving subparagraphs (B) and (C) 4 ems to the left.
SEC. 8. DOT INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATIVE AUTHORITY.
    (a) In General.--Section 228 of the Motor Carrier Safety 
Improvement Act of 1999 (113 Stat. 1773) is transferred to, and added 
at the end of, subchapter III of chapter 3 of title 49, United States 
Code, as section 354 of that title.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) The caption of the section is 
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 354. Investigative authority of Inspector General''.
    (2) The chapter analysis for chapter 3 of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``354. Investigative authority of Inspector General.''.
SEC. 9. REPORTS ON CERTAIN OPEN SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS.
    (a) Initial Report.--Within 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit a report to 
Congress and the National Transportation Safety Board containing the 
regulatory status of each open safety recommendation made by the Board 
to the Secretary concerning--
        (1) 15-passenger van safety;
        (2) railroad grade crossing safety; and
        (3) medical certifications for a commercial driver's license.
    (b) Biennial Updates.--The Secretary shall continue to report on 
the regulatory status of each such recommendation (and any subsequent 
recommendation made by the Board to the Secretary concerning a matter 
described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a)) at 2-year 
intervals until--
        (1) final regulatory action has been taken on the 
    recommendation;
        (2) the Secretary determines, and states in the report, that no 
    action should be taken on that recommendation; or
        (3) the report, if any, required to be submitted in 2008 is 
    submitted.
    (c) Failure To Report.--If the Board has not received a report 
required to be submitted under subsection (a) or (b) within 30 days 
after the date on which that report is required to be submitted, the 
Board shall notify the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.