IIB 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1527
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 15, 2003
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
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,
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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
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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.—
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‘‘(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-
HR 1527 RFS 
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
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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: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk. 
By MARTHA C. MORRISON, 
Deputy Clerk.