FAA Research, Engineering, and Development Authorization Act of 1997

Summary: FAA Research, Engineering, and Development Authorization Act of 1997 - Amends Federal transportation law to authorize FY 1998 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 in research on subjects of relevance to the FAA. Sets forth criteria for the award of such grants.  Authorizes appropriations for such grants, but limits the FY 1998 authorization for the FAA Research, Engineering, and Development account to sums specified 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 1997''.

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, $229,673,000, 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) $56,045,000 for system security technology 
                projects and activities;
                    ``(H) $27,137,000 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.''.

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 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 1997, 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) Prinicpal 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. LIMITATION ON APPROPRIATIONS.

    No sums are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of 
the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal year 1998 for the 
Federal Aviation Administration Research, Engineering, and Development 
account, unless such sums are specifically authorized to be 
appropriated by the amendments made by this Act.

SEC. 5. NOTICE OF 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.

SEC. 6. 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.