Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act

Subjects: Transportation and Public Works


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1256 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1256

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require certain air carriers 
to provide reports with respect to maintenance, preventive maintenance, 
                or alterations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 25, 2023

  Mrs. Capito (for herself and Ms. Baldwin) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require certain air carriers 
to provide reports with respect to maintenance, preventive maintenance, 
                or alterations, 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 ``Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. FAA OVERSIGHT OF REPAIR STATIONS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE UNITED 
              STATES.

    (a) In General.--Section 44733 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in the section heading by striking ``Inspection'' and 
        inserting ``Oversight'';
            (2) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in the first sentence--
                            (i) by inserting ``, without prior notice 
                        to such repair stations,'' after ``annually''; 
                        and
                            (ii) by inserting ``and the applicable laws 
                        of the country in which a repair station is 
                        located'' after ``international agreements''; 
                        and
                    (B) by striking the second sentence and inserting 
                ``The Administrator may carry out announced or 
                unannounced inspections in addition to the annual 
                unannounced inspection required under this subsection 
                based on identified risks and in a manner consistent 
                with United States obligations under international 
                agreements and with the applicable laws of the country 
                in which a repair station is located.'';
            (3) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (i); and
            (4) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
    ``(g) Data Analysis.--
            ``(1) In general.--An air carrier conducting operations 
        under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, shall, 
        if applicable, provide to the appropriate office of the 
        Administration, not less than once every year, a report 
        containing the information described in paragraph (2) with 
        respect to heavy maintenance work on aircraft (including on-
        wing aircraft engines) performed in the preceding year.
            ``(2) Information required.--A report under paragraph (1) 
        shall contain the following information:
                    ``(A) The location where any heavy maintenance work 
                on aircraft (including on-wing aircraft engines) was 
                performed outside the United States.
                    ``(B) A description of the work performed at each 
                such location.
                    ``(C) The date of completion of the work performed 
                at each such location.
                    ``(D) A list of all failures, malfunctions, or 
                defects affecting the safe operation of such aircraft 
                identified by the air carrier within 30 days after the 
                date on which an aircraft is returned to service, 
                organized by reference to aircraft registration number, 
                that--
                            ``(i) requires corrective action after the 
                        aircraft is approved for return to service; and
                            ``(ii) results from the work performed on 
                        such aircraft.
                    ``(E) The certificate number of the person 
                approving such aircraft or on-wing aircraft engine, for 
                return to service following completion of the work 
                performed at each such location.
            ``(3) Analysis.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
        Administration shall--
                    ``(A) analyze information made available under 
                paragraph (1) of this subsection and sections 121.703, 
                121.705, 121.707, and 145.221 of title 14, Code of 
                Federal Regulations, or any successor provisions, to 
                detect safety issues associated with heavy maintenance 
                work on aircraft (including on-wing aircraft engines) 
                performed outside the United States; and
                    ``(B) require appropriate actions in response.
            ``(4) Confidentiality.--Information made available under 
        paragraph (1) shall be subject to the same protections given to 
        voluntarily provided safety or security related information 
        under section 40123.
    ``(h) Minimum Qualifications for Mechanics and Others Working on 
U.S. Registered Aircraft.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, the Administrator of the Federal 
        Aviation Administration shall require that, at each covered 
        repair station--
                    ``(A) all supervisory personnel are appropriately 
                certificated as a mechanic or repairman under part 65 
                of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, or under an 
                equivalent certification or licensing regime, as 
                determined by the Administrator; and
                    ``(B) all personnel authorized to approve an 
                article for return to service are appropriately 
                certificated as a mechanic or repairman under part 65 
                of such title, or under an equivalent certification or 
                licensing regime, as determined by the Administrator.
            ``(2) Available for consultation.--Not later than 1 year 
        after the date of enactment of this subsection, the 
        Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall 
        require any individual who is responsible for approving an 
        article for return to service or who is directly in charge of 
        aircraft (including on-wing aircraft engine) maintenance 
        performed on aircraft operated under part 121 of title 14, Code 
        of Federal Regulations, be available for consultation while 
        work is being performed at a covered repair station.''.
    (b) Definition of Covered Repair Station.--
            (1) In general.--Section 44733(i) of title 49, United 
        States Code (as redesignated by subsection (a)(3)), is 
        amended--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (3) as 
                paragraphs (2) through (4), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so 
                redesignated, the following:
            ``(1) Covered repair station.--The term `covered repair 
        station' means a facility that--
                    ``(A) is located outside the United States;
                    ``(B) is certificated under part 145 of title 14, 
                Code of Federal Regulations; and
                    ``(C) performs heavy maintenance work on aircraft 
                (including on-wing aircraft engines) operated under 
                part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.''.
            (2) Technical amendment.--Section 44733(a)(3) of title 49, 
        United States Code, is amended by striking ``covered part 145 
        repair stations'' and inserting ``part 145 repair stations''.
    (c) Conforming Amendments.--The analysis for chapter 447 of title 
49, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to 
section 44733 and inserting the following:

``44733. Oversight of repair stations located outside the United 
                            States.''.

SEC. 3. ALCOHOL AND DRUG TESTING AND BACKGROUND CHECKS.

    (a) In General.--Beginning on the date that is 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration (in this Act referred to as 
the``Administrator'') may not approve or authorize international travel 
for any employee of the Federal Aviation Administration until a final 
rule carrying out the requirements of subsection (b) of section 2112 of 
the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (49 U.S.C. 44733 
note) has been published in the Federal Register.
    (b) Rulemaking on Assessment Requirement.--With respect to any 
employee not covered under the requirements of section 1554.101 of 
title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, the Administrator shall initiate 
a rulemaking that requires a covered repair station to confirm that any 
such employee has successfully completed an assessment commensurate 
with a security threat assessment described in subpart C of part 1540 
of such title.
    (c) Exceptions.--The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply 
to international travel that is determined by the Administrator on an 
individual by individual basis to be--
            (1) exclusively for the purpose of conducting a safety 
        inspection;
            (2) directly related to aviation safety standards, 
        certification, and oversight; or
            (3) vital to the national interests of the United States.
    (d) Non-Delegation and Reporting.--For any determination to make an 
exception based on the criteria in paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection 
(c), the Administrator--
            (1) may not delegate the authority to make such a 
        determination to any other individual; and
            (2) shall report to the Committee on Transportation and 
        Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
        Senate not later than 3 days after making each determination 
        under subsection (c)--
                    (A) the name of the individual approved or 
                authorized to travel internationally;
                    (B) the location to which the individual is 
                traveling;
                    (C) a detailed explanation of why the Administrator 
                has determined the travel is--
                            (i) directly related to aviation safety 
                        standards, certification, and oversight; or
                            (ii) vital to the national interests of the 
                        United States; and
                    (D) a detailed description of the status of the 
                rulemakings described in subsection (a).
    (e) Definition of Covered Repair Station.--For purposes of this 
section, the term ``covered repair station'' means a facility that--
            (1) is located outside the United States;
            (2) is certificated under part 145 of title 14, Code of 
        Federal Regulations; and
            (3) performs heavy maintenance work on aircraft (including 
        on-wing aircraft engines), operated under part 121 of title 14, 
        Code of Federal Regulations.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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