108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1527
AN ACT
To amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appro-
priations for the National Transportation Safety Board
for fiscal years 2003 through 2006, and for other pur-
poses.
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 ‘‘National Transpor-
tation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) FISCAL YEARS 2003–2006.—Section 1118(a) of
title 49, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’; and
(2) by striking ‘‘such sums to’’ and inserting
the following: ‘‘$73,325,000 for fiscal year 2003,
$78,757,000 for fiscal year 2004, $83,011,000 for
fiscal year 2005, and $87,539,000 for fiscal year
2006. Such sums shall’’.
(b) EMERGENCY FUND.—Section 1118(b) of such
title is amended by striking the second sentence and in-
serting the following: ‘‘In addition, there are authorized
to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to in-
crease the fund to, and maintain the fund at, a level of
not to exceed $6,000,000.’’.
(c) NTSB ACADEMY.—Section 1118 of such title is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(c) ACADEMY.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Board for necessary expenses of the Na-
tional Transportation Safety Board Academy, not other-
wise provided for, $3,347,000 for fiscal year 2003,
$4,896,000 for fiscal year 2004, $4,995,000 for fiscal year
2005, and $5,200,000 for fiscal year 2006. Such sums
shall remain available until expended.’’.
SEC. 3. ACCIDENT AND SAFETY DATA CLASSIFICATION AND
PUBLICATION.
Section 1119 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(c) APPEALS.—
‘‘(1) NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS.—In any case
in which an employee of the Board determines that
an occurrence associated with the operation of an
aircraft constitutes an accident, the employee shall
notify the owner or operator of that aircraft of the
right to appeal that determination to the Board.
‘‘(2) PROCEDURE.—The Board shall establish
and publish the procedures for appeals under this
subsection.
‘‘(3) LIMITATION
ON
APPLICABILITY.—This
subsection shall not apply in the case of an accident
that results in a loss of life.’’.
SEC. 4. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION’S RESPONSES TO
SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS.
Section 1135(d) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—
‘‘(1) ANNUAL SECRETARIAL REGULATORY STA-
TUS REPORTS.—On February 1 of each year, the
Secretary shall submit a report to Congress and the
Board containing the regulatory status of each sig-
nificant safety recommendation made by the Board
to the Secretary (or to an Administration within the
Department). The Secretary shall continue to report
on the regulatory status of each such recommenda-
tion in the report due on February 1 of subsequent
years until final regulatory action is taken on that
recommendation or the Secretary (or an Administra-
tion within the Department) determines and states
in such a report that no action should be taken.
‘‘(2) FAILURE TO REPORT.—If on March 1 of
each year the Board has not received the Secretary’s
report required by this subsection, the Board shall
notify the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate of the Secretary’s failure to
submit the required report.
‘‘(3) SIGNIFICANT
SAFETY
RECOMMENDATION
DEFINED.—For the purposes of this subsection, the
term ‘significant safety recommendation’ means a
recommendation included in the Board’s ‘most want-
ed list’ and any recommendation concerning 15-pas-
senger van safety, railroad grade crossing safety,
and medical certifications for a commercial driver’s
license.
‘‘(4) TERMINATION.—This subsection shall
cease to be in effect after the report required to be
filed on February 1, 2008, is filed.’’.
SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES OF PASSENGERS IN-
VOLVED IN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS.
(a) RELINQUISHMENT
OF
INVESTIGATIVE
PRI-
ORITY.—Section 1136 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(j) RELINQUISHMENT
OF
INVESTIGATIVE
PRI-
ORITY.—
‘‘(1) GENERAL RULE.—This section (other than
subsection (g)) shall not apply to an aircraft acci-
dent if the Board has relinquished investigative pri-
ority under section 1131(a)(2)(B) and the Federal
agency to which the Board relinquished investigative
priority is willing and able to provide assistance to
the victims and families of the passengers involved
in the accident.
‘‘(2) BOARD ASSISTANCE.—If this section does
not apply to an aircraft accident because the Board
has relinquished investigative priority with respect to
the accident, the Board shall assist, to the maximum
extent possible, the agency to which the Board has
relinquished investigative priority in assisting fami-
lies with respect to the accident.’’.
(b) REVISION OF MOU.—Not later than 1 year after
the date of enactment of this Act, the National Transpor-
tation Safety Board and the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion shall revise their 1977 agreement on the investigation
of accidents to take into account the amendments made
by this section and shall submit a copy of the revised
agreement to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate.
SEC. 6. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.
Section 1131(a)(2) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended by moving subparagraphs (B) and (C) 4 ems
to the left.
Passed the House of Representatives May 15, 2003.
Attest:
Clerk.