```

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8393 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8393

    To amend title 49, United States Code, to require that certain 
rotorcraft manufactured before April 5, 2020, comply with requirements 
   relating to fuel system crash resistance, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 2024

  Mr. Neguse introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
    To amend title 49, United States Code, to require that certain 
rotorcraft manufactured before April 5, 2020, comply with requirements 
   relating to fuel system crash resistance, 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 ``Helicopter Passenger Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CRASH-RESISTANT FUEL SYSTEMS IN ROTORCRAFT.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall task the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee 
to--
            (1) review the data analysis conducted and the 
        recommendations developed by the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory 
        Committee Rotorcraft Occupant Protection Working Group of the 
        Administration;
            (2) update the 2018 report of such working group on 
        rotorcraft occupant protection by--
                    (A) reviewing National Transportation Safety Board 
                data from 2016 through 2023 on post-crash fires in 
                helicopter accidents; and
                    (B) determining whether and to what extent crash-
                resistant fuel systems could have prevented fatalities; 
                and
            (3) develop recommendations for either the Administrator or 
        the helicopter industry to encourage helicopter owners and 
        operators to expedite the installation of crash-resistant fuel 
        systems in the aircraft of such owners and operators regardless 
        of original certification and manufacture date.
    (b) Schedule.--
            (1) Deadline.--Not later than 18 months after the 
        Administrator tasks the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee 
        under subsection (a), the Committee shall submit the 
        recommendations developed under subsection (a)(2) to the 
        Administrator.
            (2) Implementation.--If applicable, and not later than 180 
        days after receiving the recommendations under paragraph (1), 
        the Administrator shall--
                    (A) begin implementing, as appropriate, any 
                consensus safety recommendations the Administrator 
                receives from the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory 
                Committee, and brief the Committee on Transportation 
                and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
                the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
                of the Senate on any recommendations the Administrator 
                does not implement; and
                    (B) partner with the United States Helicopter 
                Safety Team, as appropriate, to facilitate 
                implementation of any recommendations for the 
                helicopter industry pursuant to subsection (a)(2).

SEC. 3. HELICOPTER FUEL SYSTEM SAFETY.

    Section 44737 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2) by striking ``the date that is 18 
        months after the date of enactment of this section'' and 
        inserting ``April 5, 2020'';
            (2) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections 
        (c) and (d), respectively; and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Prohibition for Rotorcraft Manufactured Before April 5, 
2020.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, a person may not operate in 
        United States airspace a rotorcraft manufactured before April 
        5, 2020, for which the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
        Administration has issued a standard airworthiness certificate, 
        unless such rotorcraft includes a fuel system that is certified 
        by the Administrator to--
                    ``(A) comply with the requirements applicable to 
                the category of the rotorcraft under paragraphs (1), 
                (2), (3), (5), and (6) of section 27.952(a), section 
                27.952(f), and section 27.963(g) (but allowing for a 
                minimum puncture force of 250 pounds) or paragraphs 
                (1), (2), (3), (5), and (6) of section 29.952(a), 
                section 29.952(f), and section 29.963(b) (but allowing 
                for a minimum puncture force of 250 pounds) of title 
                14, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the 
                date of enactment of this subsection; or
                    ``(B) employ other means acceptable to the 
                Administrator to provide an equivalent level of fuel 
                system crash resistance.
            ``(2) Exception.--This subsection shall not apply to an 
        unmanned aircraft that does not carry any occupants.''.
                                 <all>
```