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[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3159 Engrossed in House (EH)]

  2d Session

                               H. R. 3159

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for 
   fiscal years 1997, 1998, and 1999 for the National Transportation 
                 Safety Board, and for other purposes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3159

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for 
   fiscal years 1997, 1998, and 1999 for the National Transportation 
                 Safety Board, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Transportation Safety Board 
Amendments of 1996''.

SEC. 2. TERMS OF OFFICE.

    (a) In General.--Section 1111(d) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended by striking the third sentence and inserting the following: 
``The term of office of the Chairman shall be 4 years and the term of 
the Vice Chairman shall be 2 years.''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall only 
apply to persons designated as Chairman of the National Transportation 
Safety Board after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. FOREIGN INVESTIGATIONS.

    Section 1114 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a) by striking ``(b) and (c)'' and 
        inserting ``(b), (c), and (e)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Foreign Investigations.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, neither the Board, nor any agency receiving information 
        from the Board, shall disclose records or information relating 
        to its participation in foreign aircraft accident 
        investigations; except that--
                    ``(A) the Board shall release records pertaining to 
                such an investigation when the country conducting the 
                investigation issues its final report or 2 years 
                following the date of the accident, whichever occurs 
                first; and
                    ``(B) the Board may disclose records and 
                information when authorized to do so by the country 
                conducting the investigation.
            ``(2) Safety recommendations.--Nothing in this subsection 
        shall restrict the Board at any time from referring to foreign 
        accident investigation information in making safety 
        recommendations.''.

SEC. 4. PROTECTION OF VOLUNTARY SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION.

    Section 1114(b) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Protection of voluntary submission of information.--
        Notwithstanding any other provision of law, neither the Board, 
        nor any agency receiving information from the Board, shall 
        disclose voluntarily provided safety-related information if 
        that information is not related to the exercise of the Board's 
        accident or incident investigation authority under this chapter 
        and if the Board finds that the disclosure of the information 
        would inhibit the voluntary provision of that type of 
        information.''.

SEC. 5. TRAINING.

    Section 1115 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(d) Training of Board Employees and Others.--The Board may 
conduct training of its employees in those subjects necessary for the 
proper performance of accident investigations. The Board may also 
authorize attendance at courses given under this subsection by other 
governmental personnel, personnel of foreign governments, and personnel 
from industry or otherwise who have a requirement for accident 
investigation training. The Board may require non-Board personnel to 
reimburse some or all of the training costs, and amounts so reimbursed 
shall be credited to the appropriation of the `National Transportation 
Safety Board, Salaries and Expenses' as offsetting collections.''.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 1118(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and''; and
            (2) by inserting before the period at the end of the first 
        sentence the following: ``, $42,407,000 for fiscal year 1997, 
        $44,460,000 for fiscal year 1998, and $45,040,000 for fiscal 
        year 1999''.

SEC. 7. REPORTS ON SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS.

    Section 1135(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``January 1'' and inserting ``January 31'';
            (2) by inserting ``or any other officer of the Department 
        of Transportation'' after ``to the Secretary''; and
            (3) by inserting ``or such officer's'' after ``the 
        Secretary's''.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 22, 1996.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
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