I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3559 
To provide for Federal Aviation Administration research and development, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2023 
Mr. LUCAS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for Federal Aviation Administration research and 
development, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘FAA Research and Development Act of 2023’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
Sec. 3. Authorization of appropriations. 
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TITLE I —FAA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION 
Sec. 101. Assistant Administrator for Research and Development. 
Sec. 102. Report on implementation; funding for safety research and develop-
ment. 
TITLE II —FAA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 201. Aviation fuel research, development, and usage. 
Sec. 202. Continuous lower energy, emission, and noise (CLEEN). 
Sec. 203. Hydrogen aviation research and development. 
Sec. 204. Air traffic surveillance over oceans and other remote locations. 
Sec. 205. Utilization of space-based assets to improve air traffic control and 
aviation safety. 
Sec. 206. Aviation weather technology review. 
Sec. 207. Air traffic surface operations safety. 
Sec. 208. Airport and airfield pavement technology research program. 
Sec. 209. Technology review of artificial intelligence and machine learning tech-
nologies. 
Sec. 210. Research plan for commercial supersonic research. 
Sec. 211. Electromagnetic spectrum research and development. 
Sec. 212. Aviation structures, materials, and advanced manufacturing research 
and development. 
Sec. 213. Research plan on the remote tower program. 
Sec. 214. Air traffic control training. 
Sec. 215. Report on aviation cybersecurity directives. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration. 
(2) 
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—The terms ‘‘appropriate committees of Con-
gress’’ means the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate. 
(3) FAA.—The term ‘‘FAA’’ means the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration. 
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(4) NASA.—The term ‘‘NASA’’ means the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Transportation. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Subsection (a) of section 48102 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (14), by striking ‘‘and’’; 
(2) in paragraph (15) by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(16) $255,130,000; for fiscal year 2024; 
‘‘(17) $261,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; 
‘‘(18) $267,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; 
‘‘(19) $273,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and 
‘‘(20) $279,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.’’. 
TITLE I —FAA RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION 
SEC. 101. ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT. 
No funds are authorized to be appropriated for the 
Office of the Administrator for a fiscal year unless the 
Administrator has implemented section 711 of the FAA 
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Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–254; 49 
U.S.C. 106 note). 
SEC. 102. REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION; FUNDING FOR 
SAFETY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a report on the allocation of funding pursuant to 
section 48102 of title 49, United States Code, to the Sec-
retary of Transportation to conduct civil aviation research 
and development under sections 44504, 44505, 44507, 
44509, and 44511 through 44513 of such title, and to 
assess the implementation of section 48102(b)(2) of such 
title. 
TITLE II —FAA RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 201. AVIATION FUEL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND 
USAGE. 
(a) ROADMAP.—The Secretary of Transportation 
shall coordinate with the Administrator of NASA, the Sec-
retary of Energy, and the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency, and consult relevant stake-
holders, including those in industry and academia, to pre-
pare and submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a coordinated research and development roadmap to 
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safely eliminate the use of leaded aviation fuel without ad-
versely affecting the existing piston engine fleet. Such 
roadmap shall consider activities to promote the develop-
ment, testing, and certification of safe and lead-free fuel 
for use in general aviation aircraft, including requisite air-
port refueling infrastructure. 
(b) PARTNERSHIP WITH PRIVATE INDUSTRY.—The 
Administrator shall coordinate with industry regarding re-
search programs for mass production and distribution of 
unleaded aviation gasoline for market viability, and define 
criteria to explore incentive programs to reduce lead emis-
sions for communities in need. 
SEC. 202. CONTINUOUS LOWER ENERGY, EMISSION, AND 
NOISE (CLEEN). 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall broaden 
the CLEEN program to include hydrogen and other alter-
native aviation fuel for development, maturation, and test-
ing of certifiable continuous, lower energy, emission, and 
noise (CLEEN) aircraft, engine technologies, and fuels for 
civil airplanes. 
(b) SCOPE.—Subsection (a) of section 47511 of title 
49, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘jet’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘subsonic’’. 
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SEC. 203. HYDROGEN AVIATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOP-
MENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, in consulta-
tion with the Administrator of NASA and the heads of 
other relevant Federal agencies, shall lead the develop-
ment of a research and development strategy on the safe 
use of hydrogen as part of a sustainable future for avia-
tion. Such strategy shall consider the following: 
(1) The feasibility, opportunities, challenges, 
and pathways toward the potential uses of hydrogen 
in aviation. 
(2) The use of hydrogen in combination with 
other research and development efforts for alter-
natives to traditional aviation fuel. 
(b) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of the Act, the Administrator shall 
transmit to the appropriate committees of Congress the 
research and development strategy required under sub-
section (a). 
(c) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.—Based on the 
results of the research and development strategy under 
subsection (a), the Administrator, in coordination with the 
Administrator of NASA, may, using amounts made avail-
able under section 48102(a) of title 49, United States 
Code, conduct research and development activities into the 
following: 
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