Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013

Summary: (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on October 4, 2013.  Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a final rule to advance the safety and continued development of small airplanes by reorganizing the certification requirements to streamline the approval of safety advancements.  Requires the final rule to meet certain consensus-based standards and FAA Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee objectives, including: (1) establishment of a regulatory regime for small airplane safety; (2) the establishment of broad, outcome-driven objectives that will spur small plane innovation and technology adoption; (3) the replacement of current, prescriptive requirements under Part 23 with performance-based regulations; and (4) the use of FAA-accepted consensus standards to clarify how Part 23 safety objectives may be met using specific small plane safety designs and technologies.

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.
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.
        (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.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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