H. R. 3539—35
in subsection (a) with respect to one or more Federal Aviation
Administration funding proposals which contain changes in
existing laws or new statutory authority required to implement
such funding proposal or proposals.
‘‘(2) FUNDING
PROPOSAL.—The term ‘funding proposal’
means a proposal to provide interim or permanent funding
for operations of the Federal Aviation Administration.
‘‘(d) RULES
OF
THE SENATE.—The provisions of this section
are enacted—
‘‘(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate
and as such they are deemed a part of the rules of the Senate
and they supersede other rules only to the extent that they
are inconsistent therewith; and
‘‘(2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of the
Senate to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedure
of the Senate) at any time, in the same manner and to the
same extent as in the case of any other rule of the Senate.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections for chapter
481 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following:
‘‘48111. Funding proposals.’’.
SEC. 276. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 453 is amended—
(1) by redesignating section 45303 as section 45304; and
(2) by inserting after section 45302 the following:
‘‘§ 45303. Administrative provisions
‘‘(a) FEES PAYABLE TO ADMINISTRATOR.—All fees imposed and
amounts collected under this chapter for services performed, or
materials furnished, by the Federal Aviation Administration are
payable to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administra-
tion.
‘‘(b) REFUNDS.—The Administrator may refund any fee paid
by mistake or any amount paid in excess of that required.
‘‘(c) RECEIPTS CREDITED TO ACCOUNT.—Notwithstanding section
3302 of title 31, all fees and amounts collected by the Administra-
tion, except insurance premiums and other fees charged for the
provision of insurance and deposited in the Aviation Insurance
Revolving Fund and interest earned on investments of such Fund,
and except amounts which on September 30, 1996, are required
to be credited to the general fund of the Treasury (whether imposed
under this section or not)—
‘‘(1) shall be credited to a separate account established
in the Treasury and made available for Administration
activities;
‘‘(2) shall be available immediately for expenditure but
only for congressionally authorized and intended purposes; and
‘‘(3) shall remain available until expended.
‘‘(d) 
ANNUAL
BUDGET
REPORT
BY
ADMINISTRATOR.—The
Administrator shall, on the same day each year as the President
submits the annual budget to Congress, provide to the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives—
‘‘(1) a list of fee collections by the Administration during
the preceding fiscal year;
H. R. 3539—36
‘‘(2) a list of activities by the Administration during the
preceding fiscal year that were supported by fee expenditures
and appropriations;
‘‘(3) budget plans for significant programs, projects, and
activities of the Administration, including out-year funding esti-
mates;
‘‘(4) any proposed disposition of surplus fees by the
Administration; and
‘‘(5) such other information as those committees consider
necessary.
‘‘(e) 
DEVELOPMENT
OF
COST
ACCOUNTING
SYSTEM.—The
Administration shall develop a cost accounting system that ade-
quately and accurately reflects the investments, operating and over-
head costs, revenues, and other financial measurement and report-
ing aspects of its operations.
‘‘(f) COMPENSATION TO CARRIERS FOR ACTING AS COLLECTION
AGENTS.—The Administration shall prescribe regulations to ensure
that any air carrier required, pursuant to the Air Traffic Manage-
ment System Performance Improvement Act of 1996 or any amend-
ments made by that Act, to collect a fee imposed on another party
by the Administrator may collect from such other party an addi-
tional uniform amount that the Administrator determines reflects
the necessary and reasonable expenses (net of interest accruing
to the carrier after collection and before remittance) incurred in
collecting and handling the fee.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sections for chapter
453 is amended by striking the item relating to section 45303
and inserting the following:
‘‘45303. Administrative provisions.
‘‘45304. Maximum fees for private person services.’’.
SEC. 277. ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS FOR AIRPORT AND AIRWAY
TRUST FUND ACTIVITIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part C of subtitle VII is amended by adding
at the end the following:
‘‘CHAPTER 482—ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS FOR
AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FACILITIES
‘‘Sec.
‘‘48201. Advance appropriations.
‘‘§ 48201. Advance appropriations
‘‘(a) MULTIYEAR AUTHORIZATIONS.—Beginning with fiscal year
1999, any authorization of appropriations for an activity for which
amounts are to be appropriated from the Airport and Airway Trust
Fund established under section 9502 of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 shall provide funds for a period of not less than 3 fiscal
years unless the activity for which appropriations are authorized
is to be concluded before the end of that period.
‘‘(b) MULTIYEAR APPROPRIATIONS.—Beginning with fiscal year
1999, amounts appropriated from the Airport and Airway Trust
Fund shall be appropriated for periods of 3 fiscal years rather
than annually.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The analysis for subtitle VII
is amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter 481
the following:
H. R. 3539—37
‘‘482. ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS FOR AIRPORT AND AIRWAY
TRUST FACILITIES .............................................................................48201.’’.
SEC. 278. RURAL AIR SERVICE SURVIVAL ACT.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the ‘‘Rural
Air Service Survival Act’’.
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) air service in rural areas is essential to a national
and international transportation network;
(2) the rural air service infrastructure supports the safe
operation of all air travel;
(3) rural air service creates economic benefits for all air
carriers by making the national aviation system available to
passengers from rural areas;
(4) rural air service has suffered since deregulation;
(5) the essential air service program under the Department
of Transportation—
(A) provides essential airline access to rural and iso-
lated rural communities throughout the Nation;
(B) is necessary for the economic growth and develop-
ment of rural communities;
(C) is a critical component of the national and inter-
national transportation system of the United States; and
(D) has endured serious funding cuts in recent years;
and
(6) a reliable source of funding must be established to
maintain air service in rural areas and the essential air service
program.
(c) ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE AUTHORIZATION.—Section 41742 is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 41742. Essential air service authorization
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Out of the amounts received by the Federal
Aviation Administration credited to the account established under
section 45303 of this title or otherwise provided to the Administra-
tion, the sum of $50,000,000 is authorized and shall be made
available immediately for obligation and expenditure to carry out
the essential air service program under this subchapter for each
fiscal year.
‘‘(b) FUNDING FOR SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, moneys credited to the account
established under section 45303(a) of this title, including the funds
derived from fees imposed under the authority contained in section
45301(a) of this title, shall be used to carry out the essential
air service program under this subchapter. Notwithstanding section
47114(g) of this title, any amounts from those fees that are not
obligated or expended at the end of the fiscal year for the purpose
of funding the essential air service program under this subchapter
shall be made available to the Administration for use in improving
rural air safety under subchapter I of chapter 471 of this title
and shall be used exclusively for projects at rural airports under
this subchapter.
‘‘(c) SPECIAL RULE FOR FISCAL YEAR 1997.—Notwithstanding
subsections (a) and (b), in fiscal year 1997, amounts in excess
of $75,000,000 that are collected in fees pursuant to section
45301(a)(1) of this title shall be available for the essential air
service program under this subchapter, in addition to amounts
specifically provided for in appropriations Acts.’’.
H. R. 3539—38
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sections for chapter
417 is amended by striking the item relating to section 41742
and inserting the following:
‘‘41742. Essential air service authorization.’’.
TITLE III—AVIATION SECURITY
SEC. 301. REPORT INCLUDING PROPOSED LEGISLATION ON FUNDING
FOR AIRPORT SECURITY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration, in cooperation with other appropriate persons, shall
conduct a study and submit to Congress a report on whether,
and if so how, to transfer certain responsibilities of air carriers
under Federal law for security activities conducted onsite at
commercial service airports to airport operators or to the Federal
Government or to provide for shared responsibilities between air
carriers and airport operators or the Federal Government.
(b) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report submitted under this
section shall—
(1) examine potential sources of Federal and non-Federal
revenue that may be used to fund security activities, including
providing grants from funds received as fees collected under
a fee system established under subtitle C of title II of this
Act and the amendments made by that subtitle; and
(2) provide legislative proposals, if necessary, for accom-
plishing the transfer of responsibilities referred to in subsection
(a).
SEC. 302. CERTIFICATION OF SCREENING COMPANIES.
The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration is
directed to certify companies providing security screening and to
improve the training and testing of security screeners through
development of uniform performance standards for providing secu-
rity screening services.
SEC. 303. WEAPONS AND EXPLOSIVE DETECTION STUDY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall enter into an arrangement with the Director
of the National Academy of Sciences (or if the National Academy
of Sciences is not available, the head of another equivalent entity)
to conduct a study in accordance to this section.
(b) PANEL OF EXPERTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out a study under this section,
the Director of the National Academy of Sciences (or the head
of another equivalent entity) shall establish a panel (hereinafter
in this section referred to as the ‘‘panel’’).
(2) EXPERTISE.—Each member of the panel shall have
expertise in weapons and explosive detection technology, secu-
rity, air carrier and airport operations, or another appropriate
area. The Director of the National Academy of Sciences (or
the head of another equivalent entity) shall ensure that the
panel has an appropriate number of representatives of the
areas specified in the preceding sentence.
(c) STUDY.—The panel, in consultation with the National
Science and Technology Council, representatives of appropriate