FAA Research, Engineering, and Development Authorization Act of 1998

Summary: FAA Research, Engineering, and Development Authorization Act of 1997 - Amends Federal transportation law to authorize FY 1998 and 1999 appropriations for specified aviation programs. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish a grant program to utilize undergraduate and technical colleges, including historically black colleges and Hispanic serving institutions, in research on subjects of relevance to the FAA. Sets forth criteria for the award of such grants.  Authorizes appropriations for such grants. Requires the Administrator to provide notice to specified congressional committees no later than 30 days before any major reorganization of any FAA program for which funds are authorized by this Act. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the FAA should:  (1) give priority to correcting all two-digit date-related problems in its computer systems to ensure its continued operation in the year 2000 and beyond; and (2) develop contingency plans for FAA systems it is unable to correct in time.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``FAA Research, Engineering, and 
Development Authorization Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 48102(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
        (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2)(J);
        (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3)(J) and 
    inserting in lieu thereof a semicolon; and
        (3) by adding at the end the following:
        ``(4) for fiscal year 1998, $226,800,000, including--
            ``(A) $16,379,000 for system development and infrastructure 
        projects and activities;
            ``(B) $27,089,000 for capacity and air traffic management 
        technology projects and activities;
            ``(C) $23,362,000 for communications, navigation, and 
        surveillance projects and activities;
            ``(D) $16,600,000 for weather projects and activities;
            ``(E) $7,854,000 for airport technology projects and 
        activities;
            ``(F) $49,202,000 for aircraft safety technology projects 
        and activities;
            ``(G) $53,759,000 for system security technology projects 
        and activities;
            ``(H) $26,550,000 for human factors and aviation medicine 
        projects and activities;
            ``(I) $2,891,000 for environment and energy projects and 
        activities; and
            ``(J) $3,114,000 for innovative/cooperative research 
        projects and activities; and
        ``(5) for fiscal year 1999, $229,673,000.''.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM INVOLVING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.

    (a) Program.--Section 48102 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(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) research projects to be carried out at primarily 
        undergraduate institutions and technical colleges;
            ``(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.
        ``(2) Notice of criteria.--Within 6 months after the date of 
    the enactment of the FAA Research, Engineering, and Development 
    Authorization Act of 1998, the Administrator of the Federal 
    Aviation Administration shall establish and publish in the Federal 
    Register criteria for the submittal of proposals for a grant under 
    this subsection, and for the awarding of such grants.
        ``(3) Principal criteria.--The principal criteria for the 
    awarding of grants under this subsection shall be--
            ``(A) the relevance of the proposed research to technical 
        research needs identified by the Federal Aviation 
        Administration;
            ``(B) the scientific and technical merit of the proposed 
        research; and
            ``(C) the potential for participation by undergraduate 
        students in the proposed research.
        ``(4) Competitive, merit-based evaluation.--Grants shall be 
    awarded under this subsection on the basis of evaluation of 
    proposals through a competitive, merit-based process.''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 48102(a) of title 49, 
United States Code, as amended by this Act, is further amended by 
inserting ``, of which $750,000 shall be for carrying out the grant 
program established under subsection (h)'' after ``projects and 
activities'' in paragraph (4)(J).

SEC. 4. NOTICES.

    (a) Reprogramming.--If any funds authorized by the amendments made 
by this Act are subject to a reprogramming action that requires notice 
to be provided to the Appropriations Committees of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate, notice of such action shall 
concurrently be provided to the Committees on Science and 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
    (b) Notice of Reorganization.--The Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration shall provide notice to the Committees on 
Science, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives, and the Committees on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and Appropriations of the Senate, not later than 30 days 
before any major reorganization (as determined by the Administrator) of 
any program of the Federal Aviation Administration for which funds are 
authorized by this Act.

SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE YEAR 2000 PROBLEM.

    With the year 2000 fast approaching, it is the sense of Congress 
that the Federal Aviation Administration should--
        (1) give high priority to correcting all 2-digit date-related 
    problems in its computer systems to ensure that those systems 
    continue to operate effectively in the year 2000 and beyond;
        (2) assess immediately the extent of the risk to the operations 
    of the Federal Aviation Administration posed by the problems 
    referred to in paragraph (1), and plan and budget for achieving 
    Year 2000 compliance for all of its mission-critical systems; and
        (3) develop contingency plans for those systems that the 
    Federal Aviation Administration is unable to correct in time.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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