318 
sensus-based codes, specifications, and standards 
that incorporate the latest hazard-resistant designs 
and establish criteria for the design, construction, 
and maintenance of residential structures and facili-
ties that may be eligible for assistance under this 
Act for the purpose of protecting the health, safety, 
and general welfare of the buildings’ users against 
disasters; 
‘‘(11) the extent to which the assistance will 
fund activities that increase the level of resiliency; 
and’’; 
(5) by striking subsection (i) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(i) 
NATIONAL
PUBLIC
INFRASTRUCTURE 
PREDISASTER MITIGATION ASSISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The President may set 
aside from the Disaster Relief Fund, with respect to 
each major disaster, an amount equal to 6 percent 
of the estimated aggregate amount of the grants to 
be made pursuant to sections 403, 406, 407, 408, 
410, and 416 for the major disaster in order to pro-
vide technical and financial assistance under this 
section. 
‘‘(2) ESTIMATED
AGGREGATE
AMOUNT.—Not 
later than 180 days after each major disaster dec-
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laration pursuant to this Act, the estimated aggre-
gate amount of grants for purposes of paragraph (1) 
shall be determined by the President and such esti-
mated amount need not be reduced, increased, or 
changed due to variations in estimates. 
‘‘(3) 
NO
REDUCTION
IN
AMOUNTS.—The 
amount set aside pursuant to paragraph (1) shall 
not reduce the amounts otherwise made available for 
sections 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 410, and 416 
under this Act.’’; and 
(6) by striking subsections (j) and (m) and re-
designating subsections (k), (l), and (n) as sub-
sections (j), (k), and (l), respectively. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made to sec-
tion 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133) by para-
graphs (3) and (5) of subsection (a) shall apply to funds 
appropriated after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 636. ADDITIONAL MITIGATION ACTIVITIES. 
(a) HAZARD MITIGATION CLARIFICATION.—Section 
404(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c(a)) is 
amended by striking the first sentence and inserting the 
following: ‘‘The President may contribute up to 75 percent 
of the cost of hazard mitigation measures which the Presi-
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dent has determined are cost effective and which substan-
tially reduce the risk of, or increase resilience to, future 
damage, hardship, loss, or suffering in any area affected 
by a major disaster.’’. 
(b) ELIGIBLE COST.—Section 406(e)(1)(A) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5172(e)(1)(A)) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by insert-
ing after ‘‘section,’’ the following: ‘‘for disasters de-
clared on or after August 1, 2017, or a disaster in 
which a cost estimate has not yet been finalized for 
a project,’’; 
(2) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and’’; 
(3) in clause (ii)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘codes, specifications, and 
standards’’ and inserting ‘‘the latest published 
editions of relevant consensus-based codes, 
specifications, and standards that incorporate 
the latest hazard-resistant designs and establish 
minimum acceptable criteria for the design, 
construction, and maintenance of residential 
structures and facilities that may be eligible for 
assistance under this Act for the purposes of 
protecting the health, safety, and general wel-
fare of a facility’s users against disasters’’; 
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(B) by striking ‘‘applicable at the time at 
which the disaster occurred’’; and 
(C) by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iii) in a manner that allows the fa-
cility to meet the definition of resilient de-
veloped pursuant to this subsection.’’. 
(c) OTHER ELIGIBLE COST.—Section 406(e)(1) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 5172(e)(1)) is further amended by 
inserting at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) CONTRIBUTIONS.—Contributions for 
the eligible cost made under this section may be 
provided on an actual cost basis or on cost-esti-
mation procedures.’’. 
(d) NEW RULES.—Section 406(e) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 5172(e)) is further amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(5) NEW RULES.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of this 
paragraph, the President, acting through the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency, shall issue a final rulemaking 
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that defines the terms ‘resilient’ and ‘resiliency’ 
for purposes of this subsection. 
‘‘(B) INTERIM GUIDANCE.—Not later than 
60 days after the date of enactment of this 
paragraph, the Administrator shall issue in-
terim guidance to implement this subsection. 
Such interim guidance shall expire 18 months 
after the date of enactment of this paragraph 
or upon issuance of final regulations pursuant 
to subparagraph (A), whichever occurs first. 
‘‘(C) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date on which the Administrator 
issues the final rulemaking under this para-
graph, the Administrator shall issue any nec-
essary guidance related to the rulemaking. 
‘‘(D) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this paragraph, 
the Administrator shall submit to Congress a 
report summarizing the regulations and guid-
ance issued pursuant to this paragraph.’’. 
(e) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 205(d)(2) 
of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106– 
390) is amended by inserting ‘‘(B)’’ after ‘‘except that 
paragraph (1)’’. 
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TITLE VII—FLIGHT R&D ACT 
Subtitle A—General Provisions 
SEC. 701. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘FAA Leadership in 
Groundbreaking High-Tech Research and Development 
Act’’ or the ‘‘FLIGHT R&D Act’’. 
SEC. 702. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title, the following definitions apply: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration. 
(2) FAA.—The term ‘‘FAA’’ means the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration. 
(3) NASA.—The term ‘‘NASA’’ means the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Transportation. 
SEC. 703. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATIONS.—Section 48102(a) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the matter before paragraph (1) by strik-
ing ‘‘and, for each of fiscal years 2012 through 
2015, under subsection (g)’’; 
(2) at the end of paragraph (9), by striking 
‘‘and’’; and 
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(3) by striking paragraph (10) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(10) for fiscal year 2018, $181,000,000, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) $128,500,000 for Safety Research 
and Development programs, including— 
‘‘(i) Fire Research and Safety; 
‘‘(ii) Propulsion and Fuel Systems; 
‘‘(iii) Advanced Materials/Structural 
Safety; 
‘‘(iv) Aircraft Icing/Digital System 
Safety; 
‘‘(v) Continued Airworthiness; 
‘‘(vi) Aircraft Catastrophic Failure 
Prevention Research; 
‘‘(vii) Flightdeck/Maintenance/System 
Integration Human Factors; 
‘‘(viii) System Safety Management; 
‘‘(ix) Air Traffic Control/Technical 
Operations Human Factors; 
‘‘(x) Aeromedical Research; 
‘‘(xi) Weather Program; 
‘‘(xii) Unmanned Aircraft Systems 
Research; 
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‘‘(xiii) NextGen–Alternative Fuels for 
General Aviation; 
‘‘(xiv) Joint Planning and Develop-
ment Office; 
‘‘(xv) Ocean and Other Remote Loca-
tions ATS Research Program; 
‘‘(xvi) Cybersecurity Research Pro-
gram; 
‘‘(xvii) Cybersecurity Threat Modeling 
Program; 
‘‘(xviii) Single Piloted Commercial 
Cargo Aircraft Program; and 
‘‘(xix) UAV-Manned Aircraft Collision 
Research Program; 
‘‘(B) $26,000,000 for Economic Competi-
tiveness Research and Development programs, 
including— 
‘‘(i) NextGen–Wake Turbulence; 
‘‘(ii) NextGen–Air Ground Integration 
Human Factors; 
‘‘(iii) Next Gen–Weather Technology 
in the Cockpit; and 
‘‘(iv) Commercial Space Transpor-
tation Safety; 
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‘‘(C) $20,000,000 for Environmental Sus-
tainability Research and Development pro-
grams, including— 
‘‘(i) Environment and Energy; and 
‘‘(ii) 
NextGen–Environmental 
Re-
search–Aircraft Technologies, Fuels and 
Metrics; and 
‘‘(D) $6,500,000 for Mission Support pro-
grams, including— 
‘‘(i) System Planning and Resource 
Management; and 
‘‘(ii) William J. Hughes Technical 
Center Laboratory Facility; 
‘‘(11) for fiscal year 2019, $186,000,000, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) $131,000,000 for Safety Research 
and Development programs, including— 
‘‘(i) Fire Research and Safety; 
‘‘(ii) Propulsion and Fuel Systems; 
‘‘(iii) Advanced Materials/Structural 
Safety; 
‘‘(iv) Aircraft Icing/Digital System 
Safety; 
‘‘(v) Continued Airworthiness; 
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‘‘(vi) Aircraft Catastrophic Failure 
Prevention Research; 
‘‘(vii) Flightdeck/Maintenance/System 
Integration Human Factors; 
‘‘(viii) System Safety Management; 
‘‘(ix) Air Traffic Control/Technical 
Operations Human Factors; 
‘‘(x) Aeromedical Research; 
‘‘(xi) Weather Program; 
‘‘(xii) Unmanned Aircraft Systems 
Research; 
‘‘(xiii) NextGen–Alternative Fuels for 
General Aviation; 
‘‘(xiv) Joint Planning and Develop-
ment Office; 
‘‘(xv) Ocean and Other Remote Loca-
tions ATS Research Program; 
‘‘(xvi) Cybersecurity Research Pro-
gram; 
‘‘(xvii) Cybersecurity Threat Modeling 
Program; 
‘‘(xviii) Single Piloted Commercial 
Cargo Aircraft Program; and 
‘‘(xix) UAV-Manned Aircraft Collision 
Research Program; 
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‘‘(B) $28,000,000 for Economic Competi-
tiveness Research and Development programs, 
including— 
‘‘(i) NextGen–Wake Turbulence; 
‘‘(ii) NextGen–Air Ground Integration 
Human Factors; 
‘‘(iii) Next Gen–Weather Technology 
in the Cockpit; and 
‘‘(iv) Commercial Space Transpor-
tation Safety; 
‘‘(C) $20,000,000 for Environmental Sus-
tainability Research and Development pro-
grams, including— 
‘‘(i) Environment and Energy; and 
‘‘(ii) 
NextGen–Environmental 
Re-
search–Aircraft Technologies, Fuels and 
Metrics; and 
‘‘(D) $7,000,000 for Mission Support pro-
grams, including— 
‘‘(i) System Planning and Resource 
Management; and 
‘‘(ii) William J. Hughes Technical 
Center Laboratory Facility; 
‘‘(12) for fiscal year 2020, $190,000,000, in-
cluding— 
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‘‘(A) $133,500,000 for Safety Research 
and Development programs, including— 
‘‘(i) Fire Research and Safety; 
‘‘(ii) Propulsion and Fuel Systems; 
‘‘(iii) Advanced Materials/Structural 
Safety; 
‘‘(iv) Aircraft Icing/Digital System 
Safety; 
‘‘(v) Continued Airworthiness; 
‘‘(vi) Aircraft Catastrophic Failure 
Prevention Research; 
‘‘(vii) Flightdeck/Maintenance/System 
Integration Human Factors; 
‘‘(viii) System Safety Management; 
‘‘(ix) Air Traffic Control/Technical 
Operations Human Factors; 
‘‘(x) Aeromedical Research; 
‘‘(xi) Weather Program; 
‘‘(xii) Unmanned Aircraft Systems 
Research; 
‘‘(xiii) NextGen–Alternative Fuels for 
General Aviation; 
‘‘(xiv) Joint Planning and Develop-
ment Office; 
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‘‘(xv) Ocean and Other Remote Loca-
tions ATS Research Program; 
‘‘(xvi) Cybersecurity Research Pro-
gram; 
‘‘(xvii) Cybersecurity Threat Modeling 
Program; 
‘‘(xviii) Single Piloted Commercial 
Cargo Aircraft Program; and 
‘‘(xix) UAV-Manned Aircraft Collision 
Research Program; 
‘‘(B) $29,000,000 for Economic Competi-
tiveness Research and Development programs, 
including— 
‘‘(i) NextGen–Wake Turbulence; 
‘‘(ii) NextGen–Air Ground Integration 
Human Factors; 
‘‘(iii) Next Gen–Weather Technology 
in the Cockpit; and 
‘‘(iv) Commercial Space Transpor-
tation Safety; 
‘‘(C) $20,000,000 for Environmental Sus-
tainability Research and Development pro-
grams, including— 
‘‘(i) Environment and Energy; and 
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‘‘(ii) 
NextGen–Environmental 
Re-
search–Aircraft Technologies, Fuels and 
Metrics; and 
‘‘(D) $7,500,000 for Mission Support pro-
grams, including— 
‘‘(i) System Planning and Resource 
Management; and 
‘‘(ii) William J. Hughes Technical 
Center Laboratory Facility; 
‘‘(13) for fiscal year 2021, $195,000,000; 
‘‘(14) for fiscal year 2022, $200,000,000; and 
‘‘(15) for fiscal year 2023, $204,000,000.’’. 
(b) CONTINGENCY FUNDING.—Section 48102(b) of 
title 49, United States, Code, is amended by inserting 
after paragraph (3) the following: 
‘‘(4) Notwithstanding subsection (a), no funds are 
authorized for a fiscal year for Environmental Sustain-
ability Research and Development programs unless the 
full amount authorized for that fiscal year under sub-
section (a) for the all of the following programs is appro-
priated for that fiscal year: 
‘‘(A) Safety Research and Development pro-
grams. 
‘‘(B) Economic Competitiveness Research and 
Development programs. 
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‘‘(C) Mission Support programs.’’. 
(c) ANNUAL SUBMISSION OF THE NATIONAL AVIA-
TION RESEARCH PLAN.—Section 48102(g) of title 49, 
United States, Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(g) ANNUAL SUBMISSION OF THE NATIONAL AVIA-
TION RESEARCH PLAN.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), 
no funds are authorized to be appropriated for the Office 
of the Administrator for a fiscal year unless the Secretary 
has submitted the national aviation research plan to Con-
gress no later than the date of submission of the Presi-
dent’s budget request to Congress for that fiscal year, as 
required under section 44501(c).’’. 
Subtitle B—FAA Research and 
Development Organization 
SEC. 711. ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) APPOINTMENT.—Not later than 3 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
appoint an Associate Administrator for Research and De-
velopment. 
(b) SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE.—The Associate 
Administrator for Research and Development shall be a 
Senior Executive Service position. 
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(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Associate Adminis-
trator for Research and Development shall, at a minimum, 
be responsible for— 
(1) management and oversight of all the FAA’s 
research and development programs and activities; 
and 
(2) production of all congressional reports from 
the FAA relevant to research and development, in-
cluding the national aviation research plan required 
under section 44501(c) of title 49, United States 
Code. 
(d) DUAL APPOINTMENT.—The Associate Adminis-
trator for Research and Development may be a dual-ap-
pointment, holding the responsibilities of another Asso-
ciate Administrator. 
SEC. 712. RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
(a) 
ADVICE
AND
RECOMMENDATIONS.—Section 
44508(a)(1)(A) of title 49, United States Code, is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(A) provide advice and recommendations to 
the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration and Congress about needs, objectives, plans, 
approaches, content, and accomplishments of all 
aviation research and development activities and 
programs carried out, including those under sections 
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40119, 44504, 44505, 44507, 44511–44513, and 
44912 of this title;’’. 
(b) WRITTEN REPLY TO RESEARCH ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE.—Section 44508 of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) WRITTEN REPLY.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days 
after receiving any recommendation from the re-
search advisory committee, the Administrator shall 
provide a written reply to the research advisory com-
mittee that, at a minimum— 
‘‘(A) clearly states whether the Adminis-
trator accepts or rejects the recommendations; 
‘‘(B) explains the rationale for the Admin-
istrator’s decision; 
‘‘(C) sets forth the timeframe in which the 
Administrator will implement the recommenda-
tion; and 
‘‘(D) describes the steps the Administrator 
will take to implement the recommendation. 
‘‘(2) TRANSPARENCY.—The written reply to the 
research advisory committee, when transmitted to 
the research advisory committee, shall be— 
‘‘(A) made publicly available on the re-
search advisory committee website; and 
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‘‘(B) transmitted to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate. 
‘‘(3) NATIONAL AVIATION RESEARCH PLAN.— 
The national aviation research plan required under 
section 44501(c) shall include a summary of all re-
search advisory committee recommendations and a 
description of the status of their implementation.’’. 
Subtitle C—Unmanned Aircraft 
Systems 
SEC. 721. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP. 
No funds are authorized to be appropriated for the 
Office of the Administrator for a fiscal year unless the 
Secretary has submitted the unmanned aircraft systems 
roadmap to Congress on an annual basis as required 
under section 45502(a) of title 49, United States Code, 
(as added by this Act). 
SEC. 722. PROBABILISTIC METRICS FOR EXEMPTIONS. 
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall commis-
sion an independent study to— 
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(1) develop parameters to conduct research and 
development for probabilistic metrics to enable the 
identification of hazards and the assessment of risks 
as necessary to make determinations under section 
45505(a) of title 49, United States Code, (as added 
by this Act) that certain unmanned aircraft systems 
may operate safely in the national airspace system; 
(2) identify additional research needed to more 
effectively develop and use such metrics and make 
such determinations; and 
(3) in developing parameters for probabilistic 
metrics, this study shall take into account the utility 
of performance standards to make determinations 
under section 45505(a) of title 49, United States 
Code, (as added by this Act). 
(b) CONSIDERATION
OF RESULTS.—The Adminis-
trator shall consider the results of the study conducted 
under subsection (a) when making a determination de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1). 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 9 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit 
the results of the study conducted under subsection (a) 
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 
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rotorcraft of various sizes, traveling at various 
speeds; and 
(5) collisions between unmanned aerial vehicles 
and various parts of the aforementioned aircraft, in-
cluding— 
(A) windshields; 
(B) noses; 
(C) engines; 
(D) radomes; 
(E) propellers; and 
(F) wings. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit 
a report summarizing the costs and results of research 
under this section to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate. 
SEC. 725. SPECIAL RULE FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOP-
MENT. 
Except as necessary to support enforcement action 
under applicable provisions of law against persons oper-
ating unmanned aircraft in a manner that endangers the 
safety of the national airspace system, notwithstanding 
any other provision of law relating to the incorporation 
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of unmanned aircraft systems into FAA plans and policies, 
the Administrator may not promulgate any rule or regula-
tion regarding the operation of an unmanned aircraft sys-
tem— 
(1) that is flown strictly for research and devel-
opment use; 
(2) that is operated less than 400 feet above 
the ground and in Class G airspace; 
(3) that is operated in a manner that does not 
interfere with and gives way to any manned aircraft; 
and 
(4) when flown within 5 miles of an airport, the 
operator of the aircraft provides the airport operator 
and the airport air traffic control tower (when an air 
traffic facility is located at the airport) with prior 
notice of the operation (unmanned aircraft operators 
flying from a permanent location within 5 miles of 
an airport should establish a mutually-agreed upon 
operating procedure with the airport operator and 
the airport air traffic control tower (when an air 
traffic facility is located at the airport)). 
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SEC. 726. BEYOND LINE-OF-SIGHT RESEARCH AND DEVEL-
OPMENT. 
(a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 332(c)(2) the FAA 
Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 40101 
note) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Administrator shall’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Administrator’’; 
(2) at the beginning of each of subparagraphs 
(A) through (F), by inserting ‘‘shall’’; 
(3) at the end of subparagraph (E), by striking 
‘‘and’’; 
(4) at the end of subparagraph (F), by striking 
the period and inserting a semicolon; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraphs: 
‘‘(G) shall allow beyond line-of-sight oper-
ation of unmanned aircraft systems to be flown 
within the boundaries of a test range estab-
lished under this subsection; 
‘‘(H) may promulgate regulations gov-
erning beyond line-of-sight operation of un-
manned aircraft systems flown within the 
boundaries of a test range established under 
this subsection for the purposes of public safe-
ty; and 
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‘‘(I) shall allow NASA to authorize oper-
ation of beyond line-of-sight unmanned aircraft 
systems within the boundaries of any NASA 
center or facility.’’. 
(b) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in the 
amendments made by subsection (a) shall be construed to 
limit the authority of the Administrator to pursue enforce-
ment action under applicable provisions of law against per-
sons operating unmanned aircraft in a manner that en-
dangers the safety of the national airspace system. 
Subtitle D—Cybersecurity 
SEC. 731. CYBER TESTBED. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall develop an integrated 
Cyber Testbed for research, development, evaluation, and 
validation of air traffic control modernization programs or 
technologies, before they enter the national airspace sys-
tem, as being compliant with FAA data security regula-
tions. The Cyber Testbed shall be part of an integrated 
research and development test environment capable of cre-
ating, identifying, defending, and solving cybersecurity-re-
lated problems for the national airspace system. This inte-
grated test environment shall incorporate integrated test 
capacities within the FAA related to the national airspace 
system and NextGen. 
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SEC. 732. CABIN COMMUNICATIONS, ENTERTAINMENT, AND 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS CY-
BERSECURITY VULNERABILITIES. 
(a) EVALUATION.—The Administrator shall evaluate 
and determine the research and development needs associ-
ated with cybersecurity vulnerabilities of cabin commu-
nications, entertainment, and information technology sys-
tems on civil passenger aircraft. This evaluation shall in-
clude research and development to address— 
(1) technical risks and vulnerabilities; 
(2) potential impacts on the national airspace 
and public safety; and 
(3) identification of deficiencies in cabin-based 
cybersecurity. 
(b) ASSESSMENT.—The Administrator shall— 
(1) conduct an assessment of opportunities to 
cooperate with the private sector in conducting air-
craft in-cabin cybersecurity research and develop-
ment; and 
(2) provide recommendations to improve re-
search and development on cabin-based cybersecurity 
vulnerabilities. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 9 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit 
a report on the results of activities under this section to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
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House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. This 
report may contain classified annexes. 
SEC. 733. CYBERSECURITY THREAT MODELING. 
(a) PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall con-
sult the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology to research and develop an internal FAA cy-
bersecurity threat modeling program to detect cyber-
security 
vulnerabilities, 
track 
how 
those 
vulnerabilities might be exploited, and assess the 
magnitude of harm that could be caused by the ex-
ploitation of those vulnerabilities. 
(2) UPDATES.—This program shall be updated 
regularly, not less than once every 5 years. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, and within 7 days of each threat 
modeling program update under subsection (a)(2), the Ad-
ministrator shall transmit a report to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate detailing the status, re-
sults, and composition of the threat modeling program. 
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SEC. 734. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECH-
NOLOGY CYBERSECURITY STANDARDS. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the FAA shall, in consultation with the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology, transmit to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report 
that includes— 
(1) a cybersecurity standards plan to implement 
National Institute of Standards and Technology re-
visions to cybersecurity guidance documents within 
timeframes set by the Office of Management and 
Budget; and 
(2) an explanation of why any such rec-
ommendations are not incorporated in the plan or 
are not incorporated within such timeframes. 
SEC. 735. CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH COORDINATION. 
The Administrator shall, where feasible, cooperate on 
cybersecurity research and development with other inter-
national air traffic management organizations, including 
the European Aviation Safety Agency, the United King-
dom Civil Aviation Authority, Nav Canada, and 
Airservices Australia. 
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SEC. 736. CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the FAA, in consulta-
tion with other agencies as appropriate, shall establish a 
research and development program to improve the cyber-
security of civil aircraft and the national airspace system. 
(b) PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the FAA shall de-
velop a plan for the research and development pro-
gram established under subsection (a) that contains 
objectives, proposed tasks, milestones, and a 5-year 
budgetary profile. 
(2) NATIONAL ACADEMIES’ STUDY.—The Ad-
ministrator shall— 
(A) enter into an arrangement with the 
National Academies for a study of the plan de-
veloped under paragraph (1); and 
(B) provide the results of that study to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate not later than 18 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
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Subtitle E—FAA Research and 
Development Activities 
SEC. 741. RESEARCH PLAN FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF 
NEW TECHNOLOGIES INTO THE NATIONAL 
AIRSPACE SYSTEM. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with NASA, 
shall transmit a comprehensive research plan for the cer-
tification of new technologies into the national airspace 
system to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 
This plan shall identify research necessary to support the 
certification and implementation of NextGen, including 
both ground and air elements, and explain the plan’s rela-
tionship to other activities and procedures required for 
certification and implementation of new technologies into 
the national airspace system. This plan shall be informed 
by and conform to the recommendations of the National 
Research Council report titled ‘‘Transformation in the 
Air—A Review of the FAA Research Plan’’, issued on 
June 8, 2015. This report shall include, at a minimum— 
(1) a description of the strategic and prescrip-
tive value of the research plan; 
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(2) an explanation of the expected outcomes 
from executing the plan; 
(3) an assessment of the FAA’s plan to use re-
search and development to improve cybersecurity 
over the next 5 years, taking into account the cyber-
security research and development plan developed 
under section 736(b); 
(4) an assessment of the current software as-
surance practices, and the desired level or attributes 
to target in the software assurance program; 
(5) cost estimates, planned schedules, and per-
formance benchmarks, including specific tasks, mile-
stones, and timelines and including an identification 
of cost and schedule reserves, for the certification of 
new technologies into the national airspace system, 
including NextGen, Automatic Dependent Surveil-
lance-Broadcast, Data Communications, National 
Airspace System Voice System, Collaborative Air 
Traffic Management Technologies, NextGen Weath-
er, and System Wide Information Management; 
(6) methods for integrating emerging tech-
nologies throughout NextGen’s development, certifi-
cation, and implementation process; and 
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(7) best practices in research and development 
used by other organizations, such as NASA, 
NavCanada, and Eurocontrol. 
SEC. 742. AVIATION FUEL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND 
USAGE. 
The Administrator may conduct or supervise re-
search, development, and service testing, currently being 
conducted under the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative 
(PAFI) unleaded avgas program, that is required to allow 
the use of an unleaded aviation gasoline in existing air-
craft as a replacement for leaded gasoline. 
SEC. 743. AIR TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE OVER OCEANS AND 
OTHER REMOTE LOCATIONS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Adminis-
trator, in consultation with NASA and other relevant 
agencies, shall establish a research and development pro-
gram on civilian air traffic surveillance over oceans and 
other remote locations. Such program shall— 
(1) take into account the need for international 
interoperability of technologies and air traffic control 
systems; and 
(2) recognize that Automatic Dependent Sur-
veillance-Broadcast (ADS–B) is an element of the 
Next Generation Air Transportation System. 
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