108TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1527

AN ACT

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,
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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
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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.—
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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

25 recommendation included in the Board’s ‘most want-
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1 ed list’ and any recommendation concerning 15-pas2 senger van safety, railroad grade crossing safety,

3 and medical certifications for a commercial driver’s

4 license.

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

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

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

8 SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES OF PASSENGERS IN9 VOLVED IN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS.

10 (a) RELINQUISHMENT OF INVESTIGATIVE PRI11 ORITY.—Section 1136 of title 49, United States Code, is

12 amended by adding at the end the following:

13 ‘‘(j) RELINQUISHMENT OF INVESTIGATIVE PRI14 ORITY.—

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

16 subsection (g)) shall not apply to an aircraft acci17 dent if the Board has relinquished investigative pri18 ority under section 1131(a)(2)(B) and the Federal

19 agency to which the Board relinquished investigative

20 priority is willing and able to provide assistance to

21 the victims and families of the passengers involved

22 in the accident.

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

24 not apply to an aircraft accident because the Board

25 has relinquished investigative priority with respect to
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1 the accident, the Board shall assist, to the maximum

2 extent possible, the agency to which the Board has

3 relinquished investigative priority in assisting fami4 lies with respect to the accident.’’.

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

6 the date of enactment of this Act, the National Transpor7 tation Safety Board and the Federal Bureau of Investiga8 tion shall revise their 1977 agreement on the investigation

9 of accidents to take into account the amendments made

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

11 agreement to the Committee on Transportation and Infra12 structure of the House of Representatives and the Com13 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the

14 Senate.

15 SEC. 6. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

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

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

18 to the left.

Passed the House of Representatives May 15, 2003.

Attest:

Clerk.
108TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1527

AN ACT

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.