IB 

Union Calendar No. 47

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1527

[Report No. 108–83] 

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 

MAY 1, 2003

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 

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,
2

•HR 1527 RH 

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Transpor3 tation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003’’. 

4 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

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

6 title 49, United States Code, is amended—

7 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’; and 

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

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

10 $78,757,000 for fiscal year 2004, $83,011,000 for 

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

12 2006. Such sums shall’’. 

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

14 title is amended by striking the second sentence and in15 serting the following: ‘‘In addition, there are authorized 

16 to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to in17 crease the fund to, and maintain the fund at, a level of 

18 not to exceed $6,000,000.’’. 

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

20 amended by adding at the end the following: 

21 ‘‘(c) ACADEMY.—There are authorized to be appro22 priated to the Board for necessary expenses of the Na23 tional Transportation Safety Board Academy, not other24 wise provided for, $3,347,000 for fiscal year 2003, 

25 $4,896,000 for fiscal year 2004, $4,995,000 for fiscal year 
3

•HR 1527 RH 

1 2005, and $5,200,000 for fiscal year 2006. Such sums 

2 shall remain available until expended.’’. 

3 SEC. 3. ACCIDENT AND SAFETY DATA CLASSIFICATION AND 

4 PUBLICATION. 

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

6 amended by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(c) APPEALS.—

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

9 in which an employee of the Board determines that 

10 an occurrence associated with the operation of an 

11 aircraft constitutes an accident, the employee shall 

12 notify the owner or operator of that aircraft of the 

13 right to appeal that determination to the Board. 

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

15 and publish the procedures for appeals under this 

16 subsection. 

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

18 subsection shall not apply in the case of an accident 

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

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

21 SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS. 

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

23 amended to read as follows: 

24 ‘‘(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—
4

•HR 1527 RH 

1 ‘‘(1) ANNUAL SECRETARIAL REGULATORY STA2 TUS REPORTS.—On February 1 of each year, the 

3 Secretary shall submit a report to Congress and the 

4 Board containing the regulatory status of each sig5 nificant safety recommendation made by the Board 

6 to the Secretary (or to an Administration within the 

7 Department). The Secretary shall continue to report 

8 on the regulatory status of each such recommenda9 tion in the report due on February 1 of subsequent 

10 years until final regulatory action is taken on that 

11 recommendation or the Secretary (or an Administra12 tion within the Department) determines and states 

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

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

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

16 report required by this subsection, the Board shall 

17 notify the Committee on Transportation and Infra18 structure of the House of Representatives and the 

19 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor20 tation of the Senate of the Secretary’s failure to 

21 submit the required report. 

22 ‘‘(3) SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RECOMMENDATION

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

24 term ‘significant safety recommendation’ means a 
5

•HR 1527 RH 

1 recommendation included in the Board’s ‘most want2 ed list’. 

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

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

5 filed on February 1, 2008, is filed.’’. 

6 SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES OF PASSENGERS IN7 VOLVED IN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS. 

8 (a) RELINQUISHMENT OF INVESTIGATIVE PRI9 ORITY.—Section 1136 of title 49, United States Code, is 

10 amended by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(j) RELINQUISHMENT OF INVESTIGATIVE PRI12 ORITY.—

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

14 subsection (g)) shall not apply to an aircraft acci15 dent if the Board has relinquished investigative pri16 ority under section 1131(a)(2)(B) and the Federal 

17 agency to which the Board relinquished investigative 

18 priority is willing and able to provide assistance to 

19 the victims and families of the passengers involved 

20 in the accident. 

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

22 not apply to an aircraft accident because the Board 

23 has relinquished investigative priority with respect to 

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

25 extent possible, the agency to which the Board has 
6

•HR 1527 RH 

1 relinquished investigative priority in assisting fami2 lies with respect to the accident.’’. 

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

4 the date of enactment of this Act, the National Transpor5 tation Safety Board and the Federal Bureau of Investiga6 tion shall revise their 1977 agreement on the investigation 

7 of accidents to take into account the amendments made 

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

9 agreement to the Committee on Transportation and Infra10 structure of the House of Representatives and the Com11 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

12 Senate. 

13 SEC. 6. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS. 

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

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

16 to the left. 

Union Calendar No. 47

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1527

[Report No. 108–83] 

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. 

MAY 1, 2003

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed