PUBLIC LAW 113–53—NOV. 27, 2013 

SMALL AIRPLANE REVITALIZATION ACT 

OF 2013 


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127 STAT. 584 PUBLIC LAW 113–53—NOV. 27, 2013 

Public Law 113–53 

113th Congress 

An Act 

To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration advances the safety of small 

airplanes, and the continued development of the general aviation industry, 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 ‘‘Small Airplane Revitalization 

Act of 2013’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress makes the following findings: 

(1) A healthy small aircraft industry is integral to economic 

growth and to maintaining an effective transportation infrastructure for communities and countries around the world. 

(2) Small airplanes comprise nearly 90 percent of general 

aviation aircraft certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. 

(3) General aviation provides for the cultivation of a 

workforce of engineers, manufacturing and maintenance professionals, and pilots who secure the economic success and defense 

of the United States. 

(4) General aviation contributes to well-paying jobs in the 

manufacturing and technology sectors in the United States 

and products produced by those sectors are exported in great 

numbers. 

(5) Technology developed and proven in general aviation 

aids in the success and safety of all sectors of aviation and 

scientific competence. 

(6) The average small airplane in the United States is 

now 40 years old and the regulatory barriers to bringing new 

designs to the market are resulting in a lack of innovation 

and investment in small airplane design. 

(7) Since 2003, the United States lost 10,000 active private 

pilots per year on average, partially due to a lack of costeffective, new small airplanes. 

(8) General aviation safety can be improved by modernizing 

and revamping the regulations relating to small airplanes to 

clear the path for technology adoption and cost-effective means 

to retrofit the existing fleet with new safety technologies. 

Small Airplane 

Revitalization 

Act of 2013. 

49 USC 44704 

note. 

Nov. 27, 2013 

[H.R. 1848] 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–53—NOV. 27, 2013 127 STAT. 585 

SEC. 3. SAFETY AND REGULATORY IMPROVEMENTS FOR GENERAL 

AVIATION. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 15, 2015, the 

Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue 

a final rule— 

(1) to advance the safety and continued development of 

small airplanes by reorganizing the certification requirements 

for such airplanes under part 23 to streamline the approval 

of safety advancements; and 

(2) that meets the objectives described in subsection (b). 

(b) OBJECTIVES DESCRIBED.—The objectives described in this 

subsection are based on the recommendations of the Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee: 

(1) The establishment of a regulatory regime for small 

airplanes that will improve safety and reduce the regulatory 

cost burden for the Federal Aviation Administration and the 

aviation industry. 

(2) The establishment of broad, outcome-driven safety objectives that will spur innovation and technology adoption. 

(3) The replacement of current, prescriptive requirements 

under part 23 with performance-based regulations. 

(4) The use of consensus standards accepted by the Federal 

Aviation Administration to clarify how the safety objectives 

of part 23 may be met using specific designs and technologies. 

(c) CONSENSUS-BASED STANDARDS.—In prescribing regulations 

under this section, the Administrator shall use consensus standards, 

as described in section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer 

and Advancement Act of 1996 (15 U.S.C. 272 note), to the extent 

practicable while continuing traditional methods for meeting part 

23. 

(d) SAFETY COOPERATION.—The Administrator shall lead the 

effort to improve general aviation safety by working with leading 

aviation regulators to assist them in adopting a complementary 

regulatory approach for small airplanes. 

(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) CONSENSUS STANDARDS.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘consensus standards’’ 

means standards developed by an organization described 

in subparagraph (B) that may include provisions requiring 

that owners of relevant intellectual property have agreed 

to make that intellectual property available on a nondiscriminatory, royalty-free, or reasonable royalty basis to 

all interested persons. 

(B) ORGANIZATIONS DESCRIBED.—An organization 

described in this subparagraph is a domestic or international organization that— 

(i) plans, develops, establishes, or coordinates, 

through a process based on consensus and using 

agreed-upon procedures, voluntary standards; and 

(ii) operates in a transparent manner, considers 

a balanced set of interests with respect to such standards, and provides for due process and an appeals 

process with respect to such standards. 

(2) PART 23.—The term ‘‘part 23’’ means part 23 of title 

14, Code of Federal Regulations. 

Deadline. 


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127 STAT. 586 PUBLIC LAW 113–53—NOV. 27, 2013 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1848 (S. 1072): 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 113–151 (Comm. on Transportation and Infrastructure). 

SENATE REPORTS: No. 113–108 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and Transportation) accompanying S. 1072. 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 159 (2013): 

July 16, considered and passed House. 

Oct. 4, considered and passed Senate, amended. 

Nov. 14, House concurred in Senate amendment. 

Æ 

(3) PART 23 REORGANIZATION AVIATION RULEMAKING COM- MITTEE.—The term ‘‘Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee’’ means the aviation rulemaking committee 

established by the Federal Aviation Administration in August 

2011 to consider the reorganization of the regulations under 

part 23. 

(4) SMALL AIRPLANE.—The term ‘‘small airplane’’ means 

an airplane which is certified to part 23 standards. 

Approved November 27, 2013. 


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