Union Calendar No. 44
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1271
[Report No. 105–61]
A BILL
To authorize the Federal Aviation Administration’s
research, engineering, and development programs
for fiscal years 1998 through 2000, and for other
purposes.
APRIL 21, 1997
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Commit-
tee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and
ordered to be printed
IB
Union Calendar No. 44
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H.R. 1271
[Report No. 105–61]
To authorize the Federal Aviation Administration’s research, engineering,
and development programs for fiscal years 1998 through 2000, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 10, 1997
Mrs. MORELLA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science
APRIL 21, 1997
Additional sponsors: Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. GORDON,
Mr. DAVIS of Virginia, and Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas
APRIL 21, 1997
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 10, 1997]
A BILL
To authorize the Federal Aviation Administration’s research,
engineering, and development programs for fiscal years
1998 through 2000, 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.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘FAA Research, Engi-
neering, and Development Authorization Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 48102(a) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph
(2)(J);
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (3)(J) and inserting in lieu thereof a semi-
colon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(4) for fiscal year 1998, $217,406,000, includ-
ing—
‘‘(A) $75,550,000 for system development
and infrastructure projects and activities;
‘‘(B) $19,614,000 for capacity and air traf-
fic management technology projects and activi-
ties;
‘‘(C) $15,132,000 for communications, navi-
gation, and surveillance projects and activities;
‘‘(D) $9,982,000 for weather projects and
activities;
ment and Budget Circular A–11 (Budget Formulation/Sub-
mission Process).
‘‘(2) The President’s annual budget request for the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration shall include all research and
development activities within a single budget category. All
of the activities carried out by the Administration within
the categories of basic research, applied research, and devel-
opment, as classified by the Office of Management and
Budget Circular A–11, shall be placed in this single budget
category.’’.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL AVIATION RESEARCH PLAN.
Section 44501(c)(2)(B) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (iii);
(2) by striking the period at the end of clause
(iv) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new
clause:
‘‘(v) highlight the research and development tech-
nology transfer activities that promote technology
sharing among government, industry, and academia
through the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation
Act of 1980.’’.
SEC. 5. RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM INVOLVING UNDER-
GRADUATE STUDENTS.
(a) PROGRAM.—Section 48102 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following
new subsection:
‘‘(h) RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM INVOLVING UN-
DERGRADUATE STUDENTS.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of
the Federal Aviation Administration shall establish a
program for awarding grants to researchers at pri-
marily undergraduate institutions who involve under-
graduate students in their research on subjects of rel-
evance to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Grants may be awarded under this subsection for—
‘‘(A) research projects to be carried out at
primarily undergraduate institutions; or
‘‘(B) research projects that combine research
at primarily undergraduate institutions with
other research supported by the Federal Aviation
Administration.
‘‘(2) NOTICE OF CRITERIA.—Within 6 months
after the date of the enactment of the FAA Research,
Engineering, and Development Authorization Act of
1997, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration shall establish and publish in the Fed-
eral Register criteria for the submittal of proposals
for a grant under this subsection, and for the award-
ing of such grants.
‘‘(3) PRINCIPAL CRITERIA.—The principal cri-
teria for the awarding of grants under this subsection
shall be—
‘‘(A) the relevance of the proposed research
to technical research needs identified by the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration;
‘‘(B) the scientific and technical merit of
the proposed research; and
‘‘(C) the potential for participation by un-
dergraduate students in the proposed research.
‘‘(4) 
COMPETITIVE, 
MERIT-BASED
EVALUA-
TION.—Grants shall be awarded under this subsection
on the basis of evaluation of proposals through a com-
petitive, merit-based process.’’.
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section
48102(a) of title 49, United States Code, as amended by
this Act, is further amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘, of which $500,000 shall be for
carrying out the grant program established under
subsection (h)’’ after ‘‘projects and activities’’ in
paragraph (4)(J);
(2) by inserting ‘‘, of which $500,000 shall be for
carrying out the grant program established under
subsection (h)’’ after ‘‘$224,000,000’’ in paragraph
(5); and
(3) by inserting ‘‘, of which $500,000 shall be for
carrying out the grant program established under
subsection (h)’’ after ‘‘$231,000,000’’ in paragraph
(6).
SEC. 6. LIMITATIONS.
(a) PROHIBITION OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES.—None of
the funds authorized by the amendments made by this Act
shall be available for any activity whose purpose is to influ-
ence legislation pending before the Congress, except that this
subsection shall not prevent officers or employees of the
United States or of its departments or agencies from com-
municating to Members of Congress on the request of any
Member or to Congress, through the proper channels, re-
quests for legislation or appropriations which they deem
necessary for the efficient conduct of the public business.
(b) LIMITATION ON APPROPRIATIONS.— No sums are
authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 1998,
1999, and 2000 for the Federal Aviation Administration
Research, Engineering, and Development account, unless
such sums are specifically authorized to be appropriated by
the amendments made by this Act.
(c) ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration shall exclude from con-
sideration for grant agreements made by that Admin-
istration after fiscal year 1997 any person who re-
ceived funds, other than those described in paragraph
(2), appropriated for a fiscal year after fiscal year
1997, under a grant agreement from any Federal
funding source for a project that was not subjected to
a competitive, merit-based award process. Any exclu-
sion from consideration pursuant to this subsection
shall be effective for a period of 5 years after the per-
son receives such Federal funds.
(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply
to the receipt of Federal funds by a person due to the
membership of that person in a class specified by law
for which assistance is awarded to members of the
class according to a formula provided by law.
(3) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this sub-
section, the term ‘‘grant agreement’’ means a legal in-
strument whose principal purpose is to transfer a
thing of value to the recipient to carry out a public
purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a
law of the United States, and does not include the ac-
quisition (by purchase, lease, or barter) of property or
services for the direct benefit or use of the United
States Government. Such term does not include a co-
operative agreement (as such term is used in section
6305 of title 31, United States Code) or a cooperative
research and development agreement (as such term is
defined in section 12(d)(1) of the Stevenson-Wydler
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C.
3710a(d)(1))).
SEC. 7. NOTICE.
(a) NOTICE OF REPROGRAMMING.—If any funds au-
thorized by the amendments made by this Act are subject
to a reprogramming action that requires notice to be pro-
vided to the Appropriations Committees of the House of
Representatives and the Senate, notice of such action shall
concurrently be provided to the Committees on Science and
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate.
(b) NOTICE OF REORGANIZATION.—The Administrator
of the Federal Aviation Administration shall provide notice
to the Committees on Science, Transportation and Infra-
structure, and Appropriations of the House of Representa-
tives, and the Committees on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and Appropriations of the Senate, not later
than 15 days before any major reorganization of any pro-