I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1527

To amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for 

the National Transportation Safety Board for fiscal years 2003 through 

2006, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 1, 2003

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska (for himself, Mr. MICA, Mr. OBERSTAR, and Mr. 

DEFAZIO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL

To amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for the National Transportation Safety Board 

for fiscal years 2003 through 2006, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Transpor5 tation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

7 (a) FISCAL YEARS 2003–2006.—Section 1118(a) of 

8 title 49, United States Code, is amended—
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1 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’; and 

2 (2) by striking ‘‘such sums to’’ and inserting 

3 the following: ‘‘$73,325,000 for fiscal year 2003, 

4 $78,757,000 for fiscal year 2004, $83,011,000 for 

5 fiscal year 2005, and $87,539,000 for fiscal year 

6 2006. Such sums shall’’. 

7 (b) EMERGENCY FUND.—Section 1118(b) of such 

8 title is amended by striking the second sentence and in9 serting the following: ‘‘In addition, there are authorized 

10 to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to in11 crease the fund to, and maintain the fund at, a level of 

12 not to exceed $6,000,000.’’. 

13 (c) NTSB ACADEMY.—Section 1118 of such title is 

14 amended by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(c) ACADEMY.—There are authorized to be appro16 priated to the Board for necessary expenses of the Na17 tional Transportation Safety Board Academy, not other18 wise provided for, $3,347,000 for fiscal year 2003, 

19 $4,896,000 for fiscal year 2004, $4,995,000 for fiscal year 

20 2005, and $5,200,000 for fiscal year 2006. Such sums 

21 shall remain available until expended.’’. 

22 SEC. 3. ACCIDENT AND SAFETY DATA CLASSIFICATION AND 

23 PUBLICATION. 

24 Section 1119 of title 49, United States Code, is 

25 amended by adding at the end the following: 
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1 ‘‘(c) APPEALS.—

2 ‘‘(1) NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS.—In any case 

3 in which an employee of the Board determines that 

4 an occurrence associated with the operation of an 

5 aircraft constitutes an accident, the employee shall 

6 notify the owner or operator of that aircraft of the 

7 right to appeal that determination to the Board. 

8 ‘‘(2) PROCEDURE.—The Board shall establish 

9 and publish the procedures for appeals under this 

10 subsection. 

11 ‘‘(3) LIMITATION ON APPLICABILITY.—This 

12 subsection shall not apply in the case of an accident 

13 that results in a loss of life.’’. 

14 SEC. 4. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION’S RESPONSES TO 

15 SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS. 

16 Section 1135(d) of title 49, United States Code, is 

17 amended to read as follows: 

18 ‘‘(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—

19 ‘‘(1) ANNUAL SECRETARIAL REGULATORY STA20 TUS REPORTS.—On February 1 of each year, the 

21 Secretary shall submit a report to Congress and the 

22 Board containing the regulatory status of each sig23 nificant safety recommendation made by the Board 

24 to the Secretary (or to an Administration within the 

25 Department). The Secretary shall continue to report 
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1 on the regulatory status of each such recommenda2 tion in the report due on February 1 of subsequent 

3 years until final regulatory action is taken on that 

4 recommendation or the Secretary (or an Administra5 tion within the Department) determines and states 

6 in such a report that no action should be taken. 

7 ‘‘(2) FAILURE TO REPORT.—If on March 1 of 

8 each year the Board has not received the Secretary’s 

9 report required by this subsection, the Board shall 

10 notify the Committee on Transportation and Infra11 structure of the House of Representatives and the 

12 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor13 tation of the Senate of the Secretary’s failure to 

14 submit the required report. 

15 ‘‘(3) SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RECOMMENDATION

16 DEFINED.—For the purposes of this subsection, the 

17 term ‘significant safety recommendation’ means a 

18 recommendation included in the Board’s ‘most want19 ed list’. 

20 ‘‘(4) TERMINATION.—This subsection shall 

21 cease to be in effect after the report required to be 

22 filed on February 1, 2008, is filed.’’. 
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1 SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES OF PASSENGERS IN2 VOLVED IN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS. 

3 (a) RELINQUISHMENT OF INVESTIGATIVE PRI4 ORITY.—Section 1136 of title 49, United States Code, is 

5 amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(j) RELINQUISHMENT OF INVESTIGATIVE PRI7 ORITY.—

8 ‘‘(1) GENERAL RULE.—This section (other than 

9 subsection (g)) shall not apply to an aircraft acci10 dent if the Board has relinquished investigative pri11 ority under section 1131(a)(2)(B) and the Federal 

12 agency to which the Board relinquished investigative 

13 priority is willing and able to provide assistance to 

14 the victims and families of the passengers involved 

15 in the accident. 

16 ‘‘(2) BOARD ASSISTANCE.—If this section does 

17 not apply to an aircraft accident because the Board 

18 has relinquished investigative priority with respect to 

19 the accident, the Board shall assist, to the maximum 

20 extent possible, the agency to which the Board has 

21 relinquished investigative priority in assisting fami22 lies with respect to the accident.’’. 

23 (b) REVISION OF MOU.—Not later than 1 year after 

24 the date of enactment of this Act, the National Transpor25 tation Safety Board and the Federal Bureau of Investiga26 tion shall revise their 1977 agreement on the investigation 
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1 of accidents to take into account the amendments made 

2 by this section and shall submit a copy of the revised 

3 agreement to the Committee on Transportation and Infra4 structure of the House of Representatives and the Com5 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

6 Senate. 

7 SEC. 6. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS. 

8 Section 1131(a)(2) of title 49, United States Code, 

9 is amended by moving subparagraphs (B) and (C) 4 ems 

10 to the left.

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