684 
(3) assess the effects of the COVID–19 pan-
demic on the costs of the essential air service pro-
gram under sections 41731 through 41742 of title 
49, United States Code. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives and to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate a report on the results of the study conducted 
under subsection (a). 
TITLE VIII—MISCELLANEOUS 
SEC. 801. DIGITALIZATION OF FAA PROCESSES. 
(a) IDENTIFICATION.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 
the Federal Aviation Administration shall identify and 
catalog programs, activities, or processes that require 
paper-based information exchange between— 
(1) external entities and the Administration; or 
(2) offices within the Administration. 
(b) DIGITALIZATION.—On an ongoing basis, and as 
appropriate, the Administrator shall transition the paper- 
based processes identified under subsection (a) to proc-
esses that support secure digital information submission, 
exchange, collaboration, and approval. 
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(c) BRIEFING.—Not later than 60 days after com-
pleting the required identification and catalog in sub-
section (a), the Administrator shall brief the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the pro-
grams, activities, and processes identified under sub-
section (a) and such programs, activities, and processes 
that have been identified for transition under subsection 
(b). 
SEC. 802. FAA TELEWORK. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration— 
(1) may establish telework policies for employ-
ees that allow for the Administration to reduce the 
office footprint and associated expenses of the Ad-
ministration, increase workforce retention, and pro-
vide flexibilities that the Administrator believes in-
creases efficiency and effectiveness of the Adminis-
tration, while requiring that any such policy— 
(A) does not adversely impact the mission 
of the Administration; 
(B) does not reduce the safety and effi-
ciency of the national airspace system; 
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(C) for any employee that is designated as 
an officer or executive in the Federal Aviation 
Administration Executive System or a political 
appointee (as such term is defined in section 
106 of title 49, United States Code)— 
(i) maximizes time at a duty station 
for such employee, excluding official travel; 
and 
(ii) may include telework provisions as 
determined appropriate by the Adminis-
trator, commensurate with official duties 
for such employee; 
(D) provides for on-the-job training oppor-
tunities for Administration personnel that are 
not less than such opportunities available in 
2019; 
(E) reflects the appropriate work status of 
employees based on the job functions of such 
employee; 
(F) optimizes the work status of inspec-
tors, investigators, and other personnel per-
forming safety-related functions to ensure time-
ly completion of safety oversight activities; 
(G) provides for personnel, including such 
personnel performing work related to aircraft 
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687 
certification and flight standards, who are re-
sponsible for actively working with regulated 
entities, external stakeholders, or other mem-
bers of the public to be— 
(i) routinely available on a predictable 
basis for in-person and virtual communica-
tions with external persons; and 
(ii) not hindered from meeting with, 
visiting, auditing, or inspecting facilities or 
projects of regulated persons due to any 
telework policy; and 
(H) provides offices of the Administration 
opportunities for in-person dialogue, collabora-
tion, and ideation for all employees; 
(2) ensures that locality pay for an employee of 
the Administrator accurately reflects the telework 
status and duty station of such employee; 
(3) may not establish a telework policy for an 
employee of the Administration unless such em-
ployee will be provided with secure network capacity, 
communications tools, necessary and secure access 
to appropriate agency data assets and Federal 
records, and equipment sufficient to enable such em-
ployee to be fully productive; and 
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688 
(4) not later than 2 years after the date of en-
actment of this Act, shall evaluate and address any 
telework policies in effect on the day before such 
date of enactment to ensure that such policies meet 
the requirements of paragraph (1). 
(b) CONGRESSIONAL UPDATE.—Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of this Act, and 1 year 
thereafter, the Administrator shall brief the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate on any telework policies 
currently in place, the implementation of such policies, 
and the benefits of such policies. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—If the Administrator deter-
mines that telework agreements must be updated to imple-
ment the requirements of subsection (a), the Adminis-
trator shall, prior to updating such agreements, consult 
with— 
(1) exclusive bargaining representatives of air 
traffic controllers certified under section 7111 of 
title 5, United States Code; and 
(2) labor organizations certified under such sec-
tion as the exclusive bargaining representative of 
airway transportation systems specialists and avia-
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689 
tion safety inspectors of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration. 
SEC. 803. REVIEW OF OFFICE SPACE. 
(a) FAA REVIEW.— 
(1) INITIATION OF REVIEW.—Not later than 30 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Transportation shall initiate an inven-
tory review of the domestic office footprint of the 
Department of Transportation. 
(2) COMPLETION OF REVIEW.—Not later than 
40 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall complete the inventory review re-
quired under paragraph (1). 
(b) CONTENTS OF REVIEW.—In completing the re-
view under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 
(1) delineate the domestic office footprint into 
units of property, as determined appropriate by the 
Secretary; 
(2) determine unit adequacy related to— 
(A) the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 
(42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.) and the corresponding 
accessibility guidelines established under part 
1191 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations; 
and 
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690 
(B) the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); 
(3) determine the feasible occupancy of each 
such unit, and provide the methodology used to 
make the determination; 
(4) determine the number of individuals who 
are full-time equivalent employees, other employees, 
or contractors that have each such unit as a duty 
station and determine how telework policies will im-
pact the usage of each such unit; 
(5) calculate the amount of available, unused, 
or underutilized space in each such unit; 
(6) consider any lease terms for leased units 
contained in the domestic office footprint, including 
cost and effective dates for each such leased unit; 
and 
(7) based on the findings in paragraphs (2) 
through (6), and any other metrics the Secretary de-
termines relevant, provide recommendations for opti-
mizing the use of units of property across the De-
partment in consultation with appropriate employee 
labor representatives. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 2 months after com-
pleting the review under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
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691 
structure of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate a final report that proposes opportunities to opti-
mize the domestic office footprint of the Administration 
(and associated costs). In compiling such final report, the 
Secretary shall describe opportunities for— 
(1) consolidation of offices within a reasonable 
distance from one another; 
(2) the collocation of regional or satellite offices 
of separate modes of the Department, including the 
cost benefits of shared amenities; and 
(3) the use of coworking spaces instead of per-
manent offices. 
(d) DEFINITION
OF
DOMESTIC
OFFICE
FOOT-
PRINT.—In this section, the term ‘‘domestic office foot-
print’’ means buildings, offices, facilities, and other real 
property rented, owned, or occupied by the Administration 
or Department— 
(1) in which employees report for permanent or 
temporary duty that are not being used for active 
operations of the air traffic control system; and 
(2) which are located within the United States. 
SEC. 804. AIRCRAFT WEIGHT REDUCTION TASK FORCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
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692 
Federal Aviation Administration shall establish a task 
force to identify ways to safely reduce covered aircraft 
weight for purposes of reducing fuel burn. 
(b) COMPOSITION.—The task force established under 
subsection (a) shall consist of not more than 20 individ-
uals and shall include representatives of— 
(1) the Federal Aviation Administration; 
(2) other Federal agencies as the Administrator 
determines appropriate; 
(3) air carriers; 
(4) appropriate labor representatives; 
(5) air carrier flight attendants; 
(6) aircraft mechanics and repairmen; and 
(7) aerospace manufacturers. 
(c) REVIEW.—The task force established under sub-
section (a) shall review and evaluate— 
(1) regulations, requirements, advisory circu-
lars, orders, or other such directives of the Adminis-
tration related to covered aircraft or covered aircraft 
operations that may inhibit certification of new ma-
terials, manufacturing processes, components, or 
technologies that could reduce aircraft weight or in-
crease fuel efficiency without decreasing safety; 
(2) aspects of covered aircraft design that are 
outdated or underutilized on the date of enactment 
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693 
of this Act that may unnecessarily increase covered 
aircraft weight or reduce aircraft fuel efficiency that 
are not necessary for the safe operation of such air-
craft; 
(3) novel technologies and manufacturing proc-
esses, including the use of advanced materials, that 
can safely be used in the construction or modifica-
tion of covered aircraft, including a component or 
the interior of such aircraft, to reduce weight or im-
prove fuel efficiency; and 
(4) nonproprietary methods that air carriers 
have used to safely decrease covered aircraft weight 
or improve fuel efficiency. 
(d) REPORT.— 
(1) TASK FORCE REPORT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years 
after the establishment of the task force under 
subsection (a), the task force shall submit a re-
port on the findings and results of the review 
and evaluation conducted under subsection (c) 
to the Administrator. 
(B) RECOMMENDATIONS.—In submitting 
the report required under subparagraph (A), 
the task force shall include recommendations— 
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694 
(i) on actions the Administrator may 
take to updated regulations, processes, ad-
visory circulars, orders, or other such di-
rections of the Administration to enable 
the certification of new materials, compo-
nents, manufacturing processes, or tech-
nologies that may allow for the safe reduc-
tion of covered aircraft weight or the im-
provement of fuel efficiency; and 
(ii) on best practices for air carriers 
and aerospace manufacturers to certify 
such 
materials, 
components, 
manufac-
turing processes, or technologies. 
(C) APPROXIMATION OF BENEFITS.—For 
each recommendation made under subpara-
graph (B), the task force shall approximate the 
fuel savings that could be expected if such rec-
ommendation was adopted. 
(D) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 3 days after receipt of the report required 
under subparagraph (A), the Administrator 
shall submit to the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
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695 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate the 
report and recommendations. 
(2) FAA REPORT.—Not later than 120 days 
after submission of the report under paragraph (1), 
the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a re-
port— 
(A) describing the recommendations of the 
task force with which the Administrator fully 
concurs, partially concurs, or does not concur; 
(B) detailing, for the recommendations 
with which the Administrator fully or partially 
concurs— 
(i) a timeline for implementing such 
recommendations; and 
(ii) possible benefits of using new ma-
terials, manufacturing processes, compo-
nents, or technologies, including fuel sav-
ings, increased capacity, or other benefits 
as determined reasonable by the task force; 
and 
(C) explaining, for the recommendations 
with which the Administrator does not concur, 
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696 
the reason for which the Administrator will not 
implement such recommendations. 
(e) SUNSET.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The task force established 
under subsection (a) shall terminate upon submis-
sion of the report required under subsection 
(d)(1)(A). 
(2) 
EXCEPTION.—The 
Administrator 
may 
choose to extend such task force after the submis-
sion of the report required under subsection 
(d)(1)(A), if the Administrator determines that such 
an extension would be in the public interest. 
(f) DEFINITION.—In this section: 
(1) AIR
CARRIER.—The term ‘‘air carrier’’ 
means an air carrier (as such term is defined in sec-
tion 40102 of title 49, United States Code) that 
holds a certificate issued under part 121 of title 14, 
Code of Federal Regulations. 
(2) AIRCRAFT
WEIGHT.—The term ‘‘aircraft 
weight’’ means the gross weight of a covered aircraft 
in operation. 
(3) COVERED AIRCRAFT.—The term ‘‘covered 
aircraft’’ means an aircraft that is operated by an 
air carrier that is operating pursuant to a certificate 
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697 
issued under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations. 
SEC. 805. AUDIT OF TECHNICAL WRITING RESOURCES AND 
CAPABILITIES. 
(a) AUDIT BY INSPECTOR GENERAL.—Not later than 
90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the inspec-
tor general of the Department of Transportation shall ini-
tiate an audit of the technical writing resources and capa-
bilities of the Federal Aviation Administration as such re-
sources and capabilities relate to producing rulemaking, 
policy, and guidance, to— 
(1) determine if such resources and capabilities 
are adequate; and 
(2) make recommendations for improvement of 
such resources and capabilities. 
(b) REVIEW.—In conducting the review required 
under subsection (a), the inspector general shall evaluate 
the technical writing resources and capabilities of the Ad-
ministration in each line of business of the Administration, 
the Office of Policy, International Affairs, and Environ-
ment, and the Office of the Chief Counsel, including by 
reviewing— 
(1) the process and resources required to 
produce initial drafts of rulemaking, policy, and 
guidance documents; 
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698 
(2) the quality of such initial drafts; 
(3) the amount of edits that are required 
throughout the production of rulemaking, policy, and 
guidance documents; 
(4) writing support and education tools pro-
vided to engineers, managers, and other technical 
staff of the Administration involved in writing or ed-
iting such documents; and 
(5) whether— 
(A) the Administration has and adheres to 
best practices for the drafting of rulemaking, 
policy, and guidance documents; and 
(B) such best practices are— 
(i) easily accessible and understand-
able by employees of the Administration; 
and 
(ii) reflect modern writing conven-
tions. 
(c) 
RECOMMENDATIONS.—In 
making 
the 
rec-
ommendations required under subsection (a)(2), the in-
spector general shall make recommendations to the Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Aviation Administration on how 
to improve the quality of written rulemaking, policy, and 
guidance documents and the speed at which such docu-
ments can be produced, internally reviewed, and approved. 
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699 
(d) DECONFLICTING SCOPE.—The inspector general 
shall ensure that the audit required under subsection (a) 
does not duplicate the evaluation required under section 
125, except to the extent that duplication is necessary to 
fully evaluate the technical writing resources and capabili-
ties of the Administration. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the inspec-
tor general initiates the audit under subsection (a), the 
inspector general shall submit to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report on the results of 
the audit, including findings and recommendations. 
SEC. 806. FAA PARTICIPATION IN INDUSTRY STANDARDS 
ORGANIZATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration shall ensure the participation of 
employees of the Administration in the activities of recog-
nized industry standards organizations to advance the 
adoption, reference, and acceptance rate of standards and 
means of compliance developed by such organizations by 
the Administrator. 
(b) PARTICIPATION.—An employee directed by the 
Administrator to participate in a working group, task 
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700 
group, committee, or similar body of a recognized industry 
standards organization shall— 
(1) actively participate in the discussions and 
work of such organization; 
(2) accurately represent the position of the Ad-
ministration on the subject matter of such discus-
sions and work; 
(3) contribute to the development of work prod-
ucts of such organization, unless determined to be 
inappropriate by such organization; 
(4) make reasonable efforts to identify and 
make any concerns of the Administration relating to 
such work products known to such organization, in-
cluding through providing formal comments, as may 
be allowed for under the procedures of such organi-
zation; 
(5) provide regular updates to other Adminis-
tration employees and management on the progress 
of such work products; and 
(6) seek advice and input from other Adminis-
tration employees and management, as needed. 
(c) INVITATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may ac-
cept an invitation to participate in and contribute to 
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701 
the work of a recognized industry standards organi-
zation as described in subsection (b). 
(2) DECLINATION OF INVITATION.—If the Ad-
ministrator declines an invitation described in para-
graph (1), the Administrator shall provide— 
(A) the recognized industry standards or-
ganization a written response to the invitation 
that articulates the reasons for declining the in-
vitation; and 
(B) a copy of such written response to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate not later than 5 days 
after providing the response to such organiza-
tion under subparagraph (A). 
(d) RECOGNIZED INDUSTRY STANDARDS ORGANIZA-
TION DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘recognized in-
dustry standards organization’’ means a domestic or inter-
national organization that— 
(1) uses agreed upon procedures to develop 
aerospace-related industry standards or means of 
compliance, particularly standards or means of com-
pliance that satisfy Administration requirements or 
guidance; 
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702 
(2) is comprised of members of the public, in-
cluding subject matter experts, industry representa-
tives, academics and researchers, and government 
employees; and 
(3) has had at least one standard or means of 
compliance accepted by the Administrator or ref-
erenced in guidance material or a regulation issued 
by the Federal Aviation Administration after the 
date of enactment of the Vision 100—Century of 
Aviation Reauthorization Act (Public Law 108–176). 
SEC. 807. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON USE OF VOLUNTARY 
CONSENSUS STANDARDS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the Administrator 
of the Federal Aviation Administration should make every 
effort to abide by the policies set forth in the Office of 
Management and Budget Circular A–119, titled ‘‘Federal 
Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary 
Consensus Standards and Conformity Assessment Activi-
ties’’. 
SEC. 808. REQUIRED DESIGNATION. 
The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration shall designate any aviation rulemaking committee 
convened under this Act pursuant to section 106(p)(5) of 
title 49, United States Code. 
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703 
SEC. 809. SENSITIVE SECURITY INFORMATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 401 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 40118 
the following: 
‘‘§ 40119. Sensitive security information 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 552 of 
title 5, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue regula-
tions prohibiting the disclosure of information obtained or 
developed in the process of ensuring security under this 
title if the Secretary determines that disclosing the infor-
mation would— 
‘‘(1) be an unwarranted invasion of personal 
privacy; 
‘‘(2) reveal a trade secret or privileged or con-
fidential commercial or financial information; or 
‘‘(3) be detrimental to transportation safety. 
‘‘(b) WITHHELD INFORMATION.—In carrying out 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that the prohibi-
tions described in such subsection do not apply to any in-
formation provided to a committee of Congress authorized 
to have such information, including the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate. 
‘‘(c) RULE
OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in sub-
section (a) shall be construed to authorize the designation 
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704 
of information as sensitive security information (as de-
fined in section 15.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regula-
tions) to— 
‘‘(1) conceal— 
‘‘(A) a violation of law; 
‘‘(B) inefficiency; or 
‘‘(C) an administrative error; 
‘‘(2) prevent embarrassment to a person, orga-
nization, or governmental agency; 
‘‘(3) restrain competition; or 
‘‘(4) prevent or delay the release of information 
that does not require protection in the interest of 
transportation security, including basic scientific re-
search information not clearly related to transpor-
tation security. 
‘‘(d) NONDISCLOSURE.—Section 552a of title 5 shall 
not apply to disclosures that the Administrator of the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration may make from the systems 
of records of the Administration to any Federal law en-
forcement, intelligence, protective service, immigration, or 
national security official in order to assist the official re-
ceiving the information in the performance of official du-
ties.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 401 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
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705 
striking the item related to section 40119 and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘40119. Sensitive security information.’’. 
SEC. 810. PRESERVING OPEN SKIES WHILE ENSURING FAIR 
SKIES. 
(a) ADDITION
OF
LABOR
STANDARDS.—Section 
40101 of title 49, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a) by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(17) preventing the undermining of labor 
standards.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e) by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(11) preventing the undermining of labor 
standards.’’. 
(b) UPDATE TO FOREIGN AIR CARRIER PERMITS.— 
Section 41302(2)(B) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘the foreign air transportation’’ and 
inserting ‘‘after considering the totality of the cir-
cumstances, including the matters described in section 
40101(a), the foreign air transportation’’. 
(c) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section, or 
the amendments made by this section, shall be construed 
to affect the validity of a foreign air carrier permit held, 
or air transport agreement in place, on the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
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SEC. 811. COMMERCIAL PREFERENCE. 
Section 40110(d) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘and imple-
ment’’ and inserting ‘‘, implement, and periodically 
update’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘the new ac-
quisition management system developed and imple-
mented’’ and inserting ‘‘the acquisition management 
system developed, implemented, and periodically up-
dated’’ each place it appears; 
(3) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘new’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘and implemented’’ 
and inserting ‘‘, implemented, and periodi-
cally updated’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B) by striking 
‘‘Within’’ and all that follows through ‘‘the Ad-
ministrator’’ and inserting ‘‘The Adminis-
trator’’; 
(4) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as 
paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively; and 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘(4) COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.— 
In implementing and updating the acquisition man-
agement system pursuant to paragraph (1), the Ad-
ministrator shall, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable— 
‘‘(A) describe the requirements with re-
spect to a solicitation for the procurement of 
supplies or services in terms of— 
‘‘(i) functions to be performed; 
‘‘(ii) performance required; or 
‘‘(iii) essential physical and system 
characteristics; 
‘‘(B) ensure that commercial services or 
commercial products may be procured to fulfill 
such solicitation, or to the extent that commer-
cial products suitable to meet the needs of the 
Administration are not available, ensure that 
nondevelopmental items other than commercial 
products may be procured to fulfill such solici-
tation; 
‘‘(C) provide offerors of commercial serv-
ices, commercial products, and nondevelop-
mental items other than commercial products 
an opportunity to compete in any solicitation 
for the procurement of supplies or services; 
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708 
‘‘(D) revise the procurement policies, prac-
tices, and procedures of the Administration to 
reduce any impediments to the acquisition of 
commercial products and commercial services; 
and 
‘‘(E) ensure that procurement officials— 
‘‘(i) acquire commercial services, com-
mercial products, or nondevelopmental 
items other than commercial products to 
meet the needs of the Administration; 
‘‘(ii) in a solicitation for the procure-
ment of supplies or services, state the spec-
ifications for such supplies or services in 
terms that enable and encourage bidders 
and offerors to supply commercial services 
or commercial products, or to the extent 
that commercial products suitable to meet 
the needs of the Administration are not 
available, 
to 
supply 
nondevelopmental 
items other than commercial products; 
‘‘(iii) require that prime contractors 
and subcontractors at all levels under con-
tracts with the Administration incorporate 
commercial services, commercial products, 
or nondevelopmental items other than com-
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709 
mercial products as components of items 
supplied to the Administration; 
‘‘(iv) modify procurement require-
ments in appropriate circumstances to en-
sure that such requirements can be met by 
commercial services or commercial prod-
ucts, or to the extent that commercial 
products suitable to meet the needs of the 
Administration are not available, non-
developmental items other than commercial 
products; and 
‘‘(v) require training of appropriate 
personnel in the acquisition of commercial 
products and commercial services.’’. 
SEC. 812. CONSIDERATION OF THIRD-PARTY SERVICES. 
(a) PLANS AND POLICY.—Section 44501 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘development 
and location of air navigation facilities’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘development of air navigation facilities and 
services’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and development’’ and in-
serting ‘‘procurement, and development’’ each 
place it appears; 
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(B) by striking ‘‘facilities and equipment’’ 
and inserting ‘‘facilities, services, and equip-
ment’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘first and 2d years’’ and 
inserting ‘‘first and second years’’; 
(D) by striking ‘‘subclauses (A) and (B) of 
this clause’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraphs (A) 
and (B)’’; 
(E) by striking ‘‘the 3d, 4th, and 5th’’ and 
inserting ‘‘the third, fourth, and fifth’’; 
(F) by striking ‘‘systems and facilities’’ 
and inserting ‘‘systems, services, and facilities’’; 
and 
(G) by striking ‘‘growth of aviation’’ and 
inserting ‘‘growth of the aerospace industry’’. 
(b) SYSTEMS, PROCEDURES, FACILITIES, AND DE-
VICES.—Section 44505 of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘develop, alter’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘develop when necessary, alter’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘and devices’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘services, and devices’’ each place it ap-
pears; and 
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711 
(2) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘develop dy-
namic simulation models’’ and inserting ‘‘develop or 
procure dynamic simulation models and tools’’ each 
place it appears. 
SEC. 813. CERTIFICATES OF AUTHORIZATION OR WAIVER. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, the Secretary of Transportation, acting 
through the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Admin-
istration, may issue a certificate of authorization or waiver 
to a person to operate an aircraft within an area covered 
by a temporary flight restriction under such conditions as 
the Administrator may prescribe. 
(b) SPECIAL
CONSIDERATIONS.—If a temporary 
flight restriction is issued pursuant to section 352 of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (Public 
Law 108–7), the conditions prescribed by the Adminis-
trator under subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) A minimum distance from the center of the 
temporary flight restriction, which shall not be 
greater than 0.75 nautical miles, unless the Admin-
istrator determines, on a case by case basis, that 
such mileage is insufficient to maintain public safe-
ty. 
(2) The person may not operate an aircraft (ex-
cept for a purpose described under section 352(a)(3) 
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712 
of the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 
(Public Law 108–7)) for a purpose that the Sec-
retary determines is directly related to the event for 
which the temporary flight restriction is active. 
(c) EXCEPTION.—Subsection (b)(1) shall not apply to 
aircraft operations associated with an aviation event or 
airshow for which the Administrator has granted a certifi-
cate of authorization or waiver. 
(d) BRIEFING.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall brief 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the 
implementation of this section, including the number and 
nature of certificates of authorization or waiver that have 
been issued under subsection (a) subject to restrictions 
under subsection (b). 
(e) SUNSET.—Subsection (b) shall cease to have ef-
fect on October 1, 2028. 
SEC. 814. WING-IN-GROUND-EFFECT CRAFT. 
(a) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 24 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
trator of the Federal Aviation Administration and 
the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall execute 
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713 
a memorandum of understanding governing the spe-
cific roles, delineations of responsibilities, resources, 
and commitments of the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration and the Coast Guard, respectively, pertaining 
to wing-in-ground-effect craft that are— 
(A) only capable of operating either in 
water or in ground effect over water; and 
(B) operated exclusively over waters sub-
ject to the jurisdiction of the United States. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The memorandum of under-
standing described in paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) cover the processes the Federal Avia-
tion Administration and the United States 
Coast Guard will follow to promote communica-
tions, efficiency, and nonduplication of effort in 
carrying out such memorandum of under-
standing; 
(B) account for the special rule in accord-
ance with subsection (b); and 
(C) provide procedures for, at a minimum, 
the following: 
(i) Approval of wing-in-ground-effect 
craft designs. 
(ii) Operations of wing-in-ground-ef-
fect craft. 
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714 
(iii) Pilotage of wing-in-ground-effect 
craft. 
(iv) Inspections of wing-in-ground-ef-
fect craft. 
(v) Maintenance of wing-in-ground-ef-
fect craft. 
(b) SPECIAL RULE PROHIBITING SECRETARY FROM 
REGULATING CERTAIN WIG CRAFT OPERATORS AS AIR 
CARRIERS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law 
or regulation, the Secretary of Transportation may not 
regulate an operator of a wing-in-ground-effect craft as 
an air carrier (as such term is defined in section 40102(a) 
of title 49, United States Code). 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to— 
(1) limit the authority of the Secretary or the 
Administrator to regulate aircraft that are not wing- 
in-ground-effect craft, including aircraft that are— 
(A) capable of the operations described in 
subsection (b); and 
(B) capable of sustained flight out of 
ground effect; 
(2) confer upon the Commandant the authority 
to determine the impact of any civil aircraft oper-
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715 
ation on the safety or efficiency of the National Air-
space System; or 
(3) confer upon the Administrator the authority 
to issue a certificate of documentation, with or with-
out a registry, fishery or coastwise endorsement, for, 
or inspect any vessel as that term is defined in sec-
tion 115 of title 46, United States Code. 
(d) WING-IN-GROUND-EFFECT CRAFT DEFINED.— 
In this section, the term ‘‘wing-in-ground-effect craft’’ 
means a craft that is capable of operating completely 
above the surface of the water on a dynamic air cushion 
created by aerodynamic lift due to the ground effect be-
tween the craft and the surface of the water. 
SEC. 815. QUASQUICENTENNIAL OF AVIATION. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) December 17, 2028, is the 125th anniver-
sary of the first successful manned, free, controlled, 
and sustained flight by an aircraft. 
(2) The first flight by Orville and Wilbur 
Wright in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, is a defining 
moment in the history of the United States and the 
world. 
(3) The Wright brothers’ achievement is a tes-
tament to their ingenuity, perseverance, and commit-
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716 
ment to innovation, which has inspired generations 
of aviators and scientists alike. 
(4) The advent of aviation and the air transpor-
tation industry has fundamentally transformed the 
United States and the world for the better. 
(5) The 125th anniversary of the Wright broth-
ers’ first flight is worthy of recognition and celebra-
tion to honor their legacy and to inspire a new gen-
eration of Americans as aviation reaches an inflec-
tion point of innovation and change. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Secretary of Transportation, the Adminis-
trator of the Federal Aviation Administration, and the 
heads of other appropriate Federal agencies should facili-
tate and participate in local, national, and international 
observances and activities that commemorate and cele-
brate the 125th anniversary of powered flight. 
SEC. 816. FEDERAL CONTRACT TOWER WAGE DETERMINA-
TIONS AND POSITIONS. 
The Secretary of Transportation shall request that 
the Secretary of Labor— 
(1) review and update, as necessary, including 
to account for cost-of-living adjustments, the basis 
for the wage determination for air traffic controllers 
who are employed at air traffic control towers oper-
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ated under the Contract Tower Program established 
under section 47124 of title 49, United States Code; 
(2) create a new wage determination category 
or occupation code for managers of air traffic con-
trollers who are employed at air traffic control tow-
ers in the Contract Tower Program; and 
(3) consult with the Administrator of the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration in carrying out the re-
quirements of paragraphs (1) and (2). 
SEC. 817. INTERNAL PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS REVIEW. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the inspector general of the 
Department of Transportation shall review the coordina-
tion and approval processes of non-regulatory materials 
produced by the Federal Aviation Administration to im-
prove the timeliness, transparency, development, and 
issuance of such materials. 
(b) CONTENTS OF REVIEW.—In conducting the re-
view under subsection (a), the inspector general shall— 
(1) provide recommendations for improving 
processes and eliminating nonvalue-added reviews of 
non-regulatory materials within the Federal Aviation 
Administration and Department of Transportation, 
in consideration of the authority of the Adminis-
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718 
trator under section 106 of title 49, United States 
Code, and other applicable laws; 
(2) consider, with respect to each office within 
the Federal Aviation Administration and the Depart-
ment of Transportation that reviews non-regulatory 
materials— 
(A) the timeline assigned to each such of-
fice to complete the review of such materials; 
(B) the actual time spent for such review; 
and 
(C) opportunities to reduce the actual time 
spent for such review; 
(3) describe any organizational changes and ad-
ditional resources that the Administration needs, if 
necessary, to reduce delays in the development and 
publication of proposed non-regulatory materials; 
(4) consider to what extent reporting mecha-
nisms and templates could be used to provide the 
public with more consistent information on the de-
velopment status of non-regulatory materials; 
(5) consider changes to the application of rules 
governing ex parte communications by the Adminis-
trator to provide flexibility for employees of the Ad-
ministration to discuss non-regulatory materials with 
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719 
aviation stakeholders and foreign aviation authorities 
to promote United States aviation leadership; 
(6) recommend methods by which the Adminis-
tration can incorporate standards set by recognized 
industry standards organizations, as such term is 
defined in section 806, into non-regulatory materials 
to keep pace with rapid changes in aerospace tech-
nology and processes; and 
(7) evaluate the processes and best practices 
other civil aviation authorities and other Federal de-
partments and agencies use to produce non-regu-
latory materials, particularly the processes of enti-
ties that produce such materials in an expedited 
fashion to respond to safety risks, incidents, or new 
technology adoption. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—In conducting the review under 
subsection (a), the inspector general may, as appropriate, 
consult with industry stakeholders, academia, and other 
individuals with relevant background or expertise in im-
proving the efficiency of Federal non-regulatory material 
production. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the inspec-
tor general initiates the review under subsection (a), the 
inspector general shall submit to the Administrator a re-
port on such review. 
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720 
(e) ACTION PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall de-
velop an action plan to implement the recommenda-
tions contained in the report submitted under sub-
section (d). 
(2) BRIEFING.—Not later than 90 days after 
receiving the report under subsection (d), the Ad-
ministrator shall brief the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Represent-
atives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate on such plan. 
(f) NON-REGULATORY MATERIALS DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘non-regulatory materials’’ means 
orders, advisory circulars, statements of policy, guidance, 
technical standards, and other materials related to avia-
tion safety, training, and operation of aeronautical prod-
ucts. 
SEC. 818. ACCEPTANCE OF DIGITAL DRIVER’S LICENSE AND 
IDENTIFICATION CARDS. 
The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration shall take such actions as may be necessary to ac-
cept, in any instance where an individual is required to 
submit government-issued identification to the Adminis-
trator, a digital or mobile driver’s license or identification 
card issued to such individual by a State. 
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SEC. 819. BUCKEYE 940 RELEASE OF DEED RESTRICTIONS. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to au-
thorize the Secretary to issue a Deed of Release from all 
terms, conditions, reservations, restrictions, and obliga-
tions contained in the Quitclaim Deed and permit the 
State of Arizona to deposit all proceeds of the disposition 
of Buckeye 940 in the appropriate fund for the benefit 
of the beneficiaries of the Arizona State Land Trust. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) BUCKEYE 940.—The term ‘‘Buckeye 940’’ 
means all of section 12, T.1 N., R.3 W. and all of 
adjoining fractional section 7, T.1 N., R.2 W., Gila 
and Salt River Meridian, Arizona, which property 
was the subject of the Quitclaim Deed between the 
United States and the State of Arizona, dated July 
11, 1949, and which is currently owned by the State 
of Arizona and held in trust for the beneficiaries of 
the Arizona State Land Trust. 
(2) QUITCLAIM
DEED.—The term ‘‘Quitclaim 
Deed’’ means the Quitclaim Deed between the 
United States and the State of Arizona, dated July 
11, 1949. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Transportation. 
(c) RELEASE OF ANY AND ALL INTEREST IN BUCK-
EYE 940.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the United States, acting through 
the Secretary, shall issue to the State of Arizona a 
Deed of Release to release all terms, conditions, res-
ervations, restrictions, and obligations contained in 
the Quitclaim Deed, including any and all rever-
sionary interest of the United States in Buckeye 
940. 
(2) TERMS
AND
CONDITIONS.—The Deed of 
Release described in paragraph (1) shall be subject 
to such additional terms and conditions, consistent 
with such paragraph, as the Secretary considers ap-
propriate to protect the interests of the United 
States. 
(3) NO RESTRICTION ON USE OF PROCEEDS.— 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
State of Arizona may dispose of Buckeye 940 and 
any proceeds thereof, including proceeds already col-
lected by the State and held in a suspense account, 
without regard to any restriction imposed by the 
Quitclaim Deed or by section 155.7 of title 14, Code 
of Federal Regulations. 
(4) MINERAL RESERVATION.—The Deed of Re-
lease described in paragraph (1) shall include the re-
lease of all interests of the United States to the min-
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eral rights on Buckeye 940 included in the Quit-
claim Deed. 
SEC. 820. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INFORMA-
TION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM INTEGRITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Aviation Administration shall initiate a review to 
identify and address aging information technology systems 
within the Administration. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The review required under sub-
section (a) shall— 
(1) identify and inventory critical software and 
hardware systems of the Administration; 
(2) assess the vulnerabilities of such systems to 
degradation, errors (including human errors), and 
malicious attacks (including cyber attacks); and 
(3) identify upgrades to, or replacements for, 
such systems that are necessary to mitigate such 
vulnerabilities. 
(c) MITIGATION.—The Administrator shall take such 
action as may be necessary to mitigate the vulnerabilities 
identified under the review conducted under subsection 
(a). 
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(d) LEVERAGING EXTERNAL EXPERTISE.—To the 
maximum extent practicable, the actions carried out pur-
suant to this section shall— 
(1) be consistent with the acquisition manage-
ment system established and updated pursuant to 
section 40110(d) of title 49, United States Code; 
(2) incorporate input from industry, academia, 
or other external experts on information technology; 
and 
(3) identify technologies in existence or in de-
velopment that, with or without adaptation, are ex-
pected to be suitable to meet the technical informa-
tion technology needs of the Administration. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 
report detailing the results of the review required under 
subsection (a). 
(f) INSPECTOR GENERAL REVIEW.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—After the Administrator 
completes the review under subsection (a), the in-
spector general of the Department of Transportation 
shall conduct an audit of the integrity of the infor-
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725 
mation technology systems of the Administration 
and assess the efforts of the Administration to ad-
dress the Administration’s aging information tech-
nology systems. 
(2) REPORT.—The inspector general shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate a report on the results of the 
audit carried out under this subsection. 
SEC. 821. BRIEFING ON RADIO COMMUNICATIONS COV-
ERAGE AROUND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. 
(a) BRIEFING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
trator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall provide 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 
briefing on the radio communications coverage within the 
airspace surrounding the Mena Intermountain Municipal 
Airport in Mena, Arkansas. 
(b) BRIEFING CONTENTS.—The briefing required 
under subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) The radio communications coverage within 
the airspace surrounding the Mena Intermountain 
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Municipal Airport with the applicable Air Route 
Traffic Control Center. 
(2) The altitudes at which radio communica-
tions capabilities are lost within such airspace. 
(3) Recommendations on changes that may in-
crease radio communications coverage below 4,000 
feet above ground level within such airspace. 
SEC. 822. STUDY ON CONGESTED AIRSPACE. 
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall initiate a study on the efficiency and 
efficacy of scheduled commercial air service transiting con-
gested airspace. 
(b) CONTENTS.—In carrying out the study required 
under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall exam-
ine— 
(1) various regions of congested airspace and 
the differing factors of such regions; 
(2) commercial air service; 
(3) military flight activity; 
(4) emergency response activity; 
(5) commercial space transportation activities; 
(6) weather; and 
(7) air traffic controller staffing. 
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727 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate a report on the results of the study and rec-
ommendations to reduce the impacts to scheduled air serv-
ice transiting congested airspace. 
SEC. 823. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FRANCHISE FUND. 
Title I of the Department of Transportation and Re-
lated Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997 (49 U.S.C. 
40113 note) is amended under the heading ‘‘Administra-
tive Services Franchise Fund’’ by striking ‘‘shall be paid 
in advance’’ and inserting ‘‘may be reimbursed after per-
formance or paid in advance’’. 
SEC. 824. USE OF BIOGRAPHICAL ASSESSMENTS. 
Section 44506(f)(2)(A) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘paragraph (1)(B)(ii)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘paragraph (1)(B)’’. 
SEC. 825. WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ENFORCEMENT. 
Section 42121(b)(5) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(5) ENFORCEMENT
OF
ORDER.—Whenever 
any person has failed to comply with an order issued 
under paragraph (3), the Secretary of Labor and the 
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Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administra-
tion shall consult with each other to determine the 
most appropriate action to be taken, in which— 
‘‘(A) the Secretary of Labor may file a 
civil action in the United States district court 
for the district in which the violation was found 
to occur to enforce such order, for which, in ac-
tions brought under this paragraph, the district 
courts shall have jurisdiction to grant all appro-
priate relief including, injunctive relief and com-
pensatory damages; or 
‘‘(B) the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration may assess a civil pen-
alty pursuant to section 46301 to enforce such 
order.’’. 
SEC. 826. FINAL RULEMAKING ON CERTAIN MANUFAC-
TURING STANDARDS. 
Not later than December 16, 2023, the Administrator 
of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue a final 
rule for the notice of proposed rulemaking titled ‘‘Airplane 
Fuel Efficiency Certification’’ and published June 15, 
2022 (RIN 2120–AL54). 
SEC. 827. REMOTE DISPATCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 44711(a) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (9) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (10) by striking the period 
and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(11) work as an aircraft dispatcher outside of 
a physical location designated as a dispatching cen-
ter or flight following center of an air carrier, except 
as provided under section 44747.’’. 
(b) AIRCRAFT DISPATCHING.—Chapter 447 of title 
49, United States Code, is further amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘§ 44747. Aircraft dispatching 
‘‘(a) AIRCRAFT DISPATCHING CERTIFICATE.—No 
person may serve as an aircraft dispatcher for an air car-
rier unless that person holds the appropriate aircraft dis-
patcher certificate issued by the Administrator of the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration. 
‘‘(b) PROOF OF CERTIFICATE.—Upon the request of 
the Administrator or an authorized representative of the 
National Transportation Safety Board, or other appro-
priate Federal agency, a person who holds such a certifi-
cate, and is performing dispatching shall present the cer-
tificate for inspection. 
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‘‘(c) DISPATCH CENTERS AND FLIGHT FOLLOWING 
CENTERS.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Air carriers shall es-
tablish and maintain sufficient dispatch centers and 
flight following centers necessary to maintain oper-
ational control of each flight at all times. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—Air carrier dispatch 
centers and flight following centers shall— 
‘‘(A) have a sufficient number of aircraft 
dispatchers at dispatch centers and flight fol-
lowing centers to ensure proper operational con-
trol of each flight at all times; 
‘‘(B) have the equipment necessary and in 
good repair to maintain proper operational con-
trol of each flight at all times; and 
‘‘(C) include appropriate physical and cy-
bersecurity protections, as determined by the 
Administrator. 
‘‘(3) LOCATION
LIMITATION.—No air carrier 
may dispatch aircraft from any location other than 
the designated dispatch centers or flight following 
centers of such air carrier. 
‘‘(d) EMERGENCY AUTHORITY
FOR REMOTE DIS-
PATCHING.—Notwithstanding subsection (c), an air car-
rier may dispatch aircraft from locations other than from 
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designated dispatch centers or flight following centers for 
a limited period of time in the event of an emergency or 
other event that renders a center inoperable. An air carrier 
may not dispatch aircraft under the emergency authority 
under this subsection for longer than 30 consecutive days 
without the approval of the Administrator.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 447 of title 49, United States Code, is further amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘44747. Aircraft dispatching.’’. 
SEC. 828. EMPLOYEE ASSAULT PREVENTION AND RE-
SPONSE PLANS AMENDMENT. 
Section 551 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 
(49 U.S.C. 44903 note) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act,’’ and 
inserting ‘‘The Administrator shall require’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘shall submit to the Ad-
ministrator’’ and inserting ‘‘to submit’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c) by striking ‘‘A part 121 
air carrier shall’’ and inserting ‘‘The Administrator 
shall require a part 121 air carrier to’’. 
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SEC. 829. CREW MEMBER SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING. 
Section 44918(b) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘Neither’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Except as provided in paragraph (8), nei-
ther’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) AIR
CARRIER
ACCOMMODATION.—An air 
carrier with a crew member participating in the 
training program under this subsection shall provide 
a process through which each such crew member 
may obtain reasonable accommodations.’’. 
SEC. 830. FORMAL SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT 
POLICIES ON AIR CARRIERS AND FOREIGN 
AIR CARRIERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 417 of title 49, United 
States Code, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘§ 41728. Formal sexual assault and harassment poli-
cies 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this section, each air carrier and 
foreign air carrier transporting passengers for compensa-
tion shall issue, in consultation with labor unions rep-
resenting personnel of the air carrier or foreign air carrier, 
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a formal policy with respect to transportation sexual as-
sault or harassment incidents. 
‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—The policy required under sub-
section (a) shall include— 
‘‘(1) a statement indicating that no transpor-
tation sexual assault or harassment incident is ac-
ceptable under any circumstance; 
‘‘(2) procedures that facilitate the reporting of 
a transportation sexual assault or harassment inci-
dent, including— 
‘‘(A) appropriate public outreach activities; 
and 
‘‘(B) confidential phone and internet-based 
opportunities for reporting; 
‘‘(3) procedures that personnel should follow 
upon the reporting of a transportation sexual assault 
or harassment incident, including actions to protect 
affected individuals from continued sexual assault or 
harassment and to notify law enforcement when ap-
propriate; 
‘‘(4) procedures that may limit or prohibit, to 
the extent practicable, future travel with the air car-
rier or foreign air carrier by any passenger who 
causes a transportation sexual assault or harassment 
incident; and 
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‘‘(5) training that is required for all appropriate 
personnel with respect to the policy required under 
subsection (a), including— 
‘‘(A) specific training for personnel who 
may receive reports of transportation sexual as-
sault or harassment incidents; and 
‘‘(B) recognizing and responding to poten-
tial human trafficking victims, in the same 
manner as required under section 44734(a)(4). 
‘‘(c) PASSENGER INFORMATION.—An air carrier or 
foreign air carrier described in subsection (a) shall promi-
nently display, on the internet website of the air carrier 
or foreign air carrier and through the use of appropriate 
signage, a written statement that informs passengers and 
personnel of the procedure for reporting a transportation 
sexual assault or harassment incident. 
‘‘(d) STANDARD OF CARE.—Compliance with the re-
quirements of this section, and any policy issued there-
under, shall not determine whether the air carrier or for-
eign air carrier described in subsection (a) has acted with 
any requisite standard of care. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) PERSONNEL.—The term ‘personnel’ means 
an employee or contractor of an air carrier or for-
eign air carrier. 
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‘‘(2) SEXUAL ASSAULT.—The term ‘sexual as-
sault’ means the occurrence of an act that con-
stitutes any nonconsensual sexual act proscribed by 
Federal, tribal, or State law, including when the vic-
tim lacks capacity to consent. 
‘‘(3) TRANSPORTATION
SEXUAL
ASSAULT
OR 
HARASSMENT INCIDENT.—The term ‘transportation 
sexual assault or harassment incident’ means the oc-
currence, or reasonably suspected occurrence, of an 
act that— 
‘‘(A) constitutes sexual assault or sexual 
harassment; and 
‘‘(B) is committed— 
‘‘(i) by a passenger or member of per-
sonnel of an air carrier or foreign air car-
rier against another passenger or member 
of personnel of an air carrier or foreign air 
carrier; and 
‘‘(ii) within an aircraft or in an area 
in which passengers are entering or exiting 
an aircraft.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 417 of title 49, United States Code, is further amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘41728. Formal sexual assault and harassment policies.’’. 
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SEC. 831. INTERFERENCE WITH SECURITY SCREENING 
PERSONNEL. 
Section 46503 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘An individual’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—An individual’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) AIRPORT AND AIR CARRIER EMPLOYEES.—For 
purposes of this section, an airport or air carrier employee 
who has security duties within the airport includes an air-
port or air carrier employee performing ticketing, check- 
in, baggage claim, or boarding functions.’’. 
SEC. 832. MECHANISMS TO REDUCE HELICOPTER NOISE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall initiate a study to examine ways 
in which a State, territorial, or local government may miti-
gate the negative impacts of commercial helicopter noise. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In conducting the study 
under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall con-
sider— 
(1) the varying degree of commercial helicopter 
operations in different communities; and 
(2) actions that State, and local governments 
have taken, and authorities such governments have 
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used, to reduce the impact of commercial helicopter 
noise and the success of such actions. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
provide to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration, the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives, and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate a report on the findings of the study conducted 
under subsection (a). 
SEC. 833. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 
(a) TITLE 49 ANALYSIS.—The analysis for title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by striking the item relat-
ing to subtitle IX and inserting the following: 
‘‘IX. 
MULTIMODAL 
FREIGHT 
TRANSPOR-
TATION............................................. 70101’’. 
(b) SUBTITLE I ANALYSIS.—The analysis for subtitle 
I of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking 
the item relating to chapter 7. 
(c) SUBTITLE VII ANALYSIS.—The analysis for sub-
title VII of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking the item relating to chapter 448 and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘448. Unmanned Aircraft Systems................................................... 44801’’. 
(d) AUTHORITY TO EXEMPT.—Section 40109(b) of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘sec-
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tions 40103(b)(1) and (2) of this title’’ and inserting 
‘‘paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 40103(b)’’. 
(e) GENERAL PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY.—Section 
40110(d)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is further 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B) by inserting ‘‘, as in 
effect on October 9, 1996’’ after ‘‘Policy Act’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (C) by striking ‘‘the Office 
of Federal Procurement Policy Act’’ and inserting 
‘‘division B of subtitle I of title 41’’; and 
(3) in subparagraph (D) by striking ‘‘section 
27(e)(3)(A)(iv) of the Office of Federal Procurement 
Policy Act’’ and inserting ‘‘section 2105(c)(1)(D) of 
title 41’’. 
(f) 
GOVERNMENT-FINANCED
AIR
TRANSPOR-
TATION.—Section 40118(g)(1) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘detection and reporting of 
potential human trafficking (as described in paragraphs 
(9) and (10)’’ and inserting ‘‘detection and reporting of 
potential severe forms of trafficking in persons and sex 
trafficking (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (11) 
and (12)’’. 
(g) FAA AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT CRIMINAL HIS-
TORY RECORD CHECKS.—Section 40130(a)(1)(A) of title 
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49, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘(42 
U.S.C. 14616)’’ and inserting ‘‘(34 U.S.C. 40316)’’. 
(h) SUBMISSIONS OF PLANS.—Section 41313(c)(16) 
of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking 
‘‘will consult’’ and inserting ‘‘the foreign air carrier shall 
consult’’. 
(i) PLANS AND POLICY.—Section 44501 of title 49, 
United States Code, is further amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)(2)(B)(i), by striking 
‘‘40119,’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)(3)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘section 40119(b) of this 
title’’ and inserting ‘‘section 44912(d)(2)’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘under section 40119(b),’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘pursuant 
to 
section 
44912(d)(2),’’. 
(j) USE AND LIMITATION OF AMOUNTS.—Section 
44508 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ‘‘40119,’’ each place it appears. 
(k) STRUCTURES INTERFERING WITH AIR COM-
MERCE OR NATIONAL SECURITY.—Section 44718(h) of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘ad-
verse impact on military operations and readiness’ and 
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‘unacceptable risk to the national security of the United 
States’ have the meaning given those terms in section 
183a(h) of title 10.’’. 
(l) 
METEOROLOGICAL
SERVICES.—Section 
44720(b)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘the Administrator to persons’’ 
and inserting ‘‘the Administrator, to persons’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘the Administrator and to’’ and 
inserting ‘‘the Administrator, and to’’. 
(m) AERONAUTICAL CHARTS.—Section 44721(c)(1) 
of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking 
‘‘1947,’’ and inserting ‘‘1947’’. 
(n) FLIGHT ATTENDANT CERTIFICATION.—Section 
44728(c) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ‘‘Regulation,’’ and inserting ‘‘Regulations,’’. 
(o) MANUAL SURCHARGE.—The analysis for chapter 
453 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘45306. Manual surcharge.’’. 
(p) SCHEDULE OF FEES.—Section 45301(a) of title 
49, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘The Ad-
ministrator shall establish’’ and inserting ‘‘The Adminis-
trator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall estab-
lish’’. 
(q) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—Section 46110(a) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘subsection 
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741 
(l) or (s) of section 114’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (l) or 
(r) of section 114’’. 
(r) CIVIL PENALTIES.—Section 46301(a) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the heading for paragraph (6), by strik-
ing ‘‘FAILURE
TO
COLLECT
AIRPORT
SECURITY 
BADGES’’ and inserting ‘‘FAILURE TO COLLECT AIR-
PORT SECURITY BADGES’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘PENALTIES 
RELATING TO HARM TO PASSENGERS WITH DISABIL-
ITIES’’ in the paragraph heading and inserting 
‘‘PENALTIES RELATING TO HARM TO PASSENGERS 
WITH DISABILITIES’’. 
(s) PAYMENTS UNDER PROJECT GRANT AGREE-
MENTS.—Section 47111(e) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘fee’’ and inserting 
‘‘charge’’. 
(t) AGREEMENTS
FOR STATE
AND LOCAL OPER-
ATION
OF
AIRPORT
FACILITIES.—Section 
47124(b)(1)(B)(ii) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by striking the second period at the end. 
(u) USE
OF FUNDS
FOR REPAIRS
FOR RUNWAY 
SAFETY
REPAIRS.—Section 47144(b)(4) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘(42 U.S.C. 
4121 et seq.)’’ and inserting ‘‘(42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.)’’. 
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742 
(v) METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AU-
THORITY.—Section 49106 of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B) by striking ‘‘and 
section 49108 of this title’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)(6)(C) by inserting ‘‘the’’ 
before ‘‘jurisdiction’’. 
(w) SEPARABILITY
AND
EFFECT
OF
JUDICIAL 
ORDER.—Section 49112(b) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking paragraph (1); and 
(2) by striking ‘‘(2) Any action’’ and inserting 
‘‘Any action’’. 
TITLE IX—NATIONAL TRANSPOR-
TATION 
SAFETY 
BOARD 
AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2023 
SEC. 901. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘National Transpor-
tation Safety Board Amendments Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 902. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 1118(a) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated for the purposes of this chapter $137,000,000 
for fiscal year 2024, $142,000,000 for fiscal year 2025, 
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$147,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, $152,000,000 for fis-
cal year 2027, and $158,000,000 for fiscal year 2028. 
Such sums shall remain available until expended.’’. 
SEC. 903. CLARIFICATION OF TREATMENT OF TERRI-
TORIES. 
Section 1101 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 1101. Definitions 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In this chapter: 
‘‘(1) ACCIDENT.—The term ‘accident’ includes 
damage to or destruction of vehicles in surface or air 
transportation or pipelines, regardless of whether the 
initiating event is accidental or otherwise. 
‘‘(2) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means a State 
of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puer-
to Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the 
Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. 
‘‘(b) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER DEFINITIONS.—Sec-
tion 2101(23) of title 46 and section 40102(a) shall apply 
to this chapter.’’. 
SEC. 904. ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING. 
(a) TRAINING
ON
EMERGING
TRANSPORTATION 
TECHNOLOGIES.—Section 1113(b)(1) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended— 
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(1) in subparagraph (I) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and 
inserting a semicolon; 
(2) in subparagraph (J) by striking the period 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(K) notwithstanding section 3301 of title 
41, acquire training on emerging transportation 
technologies.’’. 
(b) 
ADDITIONAL
TRAINING
NEEDS.—Section 
1115(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting ‘‘and in those subjects furthering the personnel 
and workforce development needs set forth in the strategic 
workforce plan of the Board as required under section 
1113(h)’’ after ‘‘of accident investigation’’. 
SEC. 905. ACQUIRING MISSION-ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE 
AND SKILLS. 
Section 1113(b) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 
3304 and sections 3309 through 3318 of title 5, the 
Chairman may, on a determination that there is a 
severe shortage of candidates or a critical hiring 
need for particular positions, recruit and directly ap-
point into the competitive service highly qualified 
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personnel with specialized knowledge important to 
the function of the Board. 
‘‘(B) 
LIMITATION.—The 
authority 
granted 
under subparagraph (A) shall terminate on the date 
that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of 
this paragraph. 
‘‘(C) 
EXCEPTION.—The 
authority 
granted 
under subparagraph (A) shall not apply to positions 
in the excepted service or the Senior Executive Serv-
ice. 
‘‘(D) REQUIREMENTS.—In exercising the au-
thority granted under subparagraph (A), the Board 
shall ensure that any action taken by the Board— 
‘‘(i) is consistent with the merit principles 
of section 2301 of title 5; and 
‘‘(ii) complies with the public notice re-
quirements of section 3327 of title 5.’’. 
SEC. 906. OVERTIME ANNUAL REPORT TERMINATION. 
Section 1113(g)(5) of title 49, United States Code, 
is repealed. 
SEC. 907. STRATEGIC WORKFORCE PLAN. 
Section 1113 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) STRATEGIC WORKFORCE PLAN.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall develop a 
strategic workforce plan that addresses the imme-
diate and long-term workforce needs of the Board 
with respect to carrying out the authorities and du-
ties of the Board under this chapter. 
‘‘(2) ALIGNING THE WORKFORCE TO STRATEGIC 
GOALS.—In developing the strategic workforce plan 
under paragraph (1), the Board shall take into con-
sideration— 
‘‘(A) the current state and capabilities of 
the Board, including a high-level review of mis-
sion requirements, structure, workforce, and 
performance of the Board; 
‘‘(B) the significant workforce trends, 
needs, issues, and challenges with respect to the 
Board and the transportation industry; 
‘‘(C) the workforce policies, strategies, per-
formance measures, and interventions to miti-
gate succession risks that guide the workforce 
investment decisions of the Board; 
‘‘(D) a workforce planning strategy that 
identifies workforce needs, including the knowl-
edge, skills, and abilities needed to recruit and 
retain skilled employees at the Board; 
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‘‘(E) a workforce management strategy 
that is aligned with the mission, goals, and or-
ganizational objectives of the Board; 
‘‘(F) an implementation system for work-
force goals focused on addressing continuity of 
leadership and knowledge sharing across the 
Board; 
‘‘(G) an implementation system that ad-
dresses workforce competency gaps, particularly 
in mission-critical occupations; and 
‘‘(H) a system for analyzing and evalu-
ating the performance of the Board’s workforce 
management policies, programs, and activities. 
‘‘(3) PLANNING PERIOD.—The strategic work-
force plan developed under paragraph (1) shall ad-
dress a 5-year forecast period, but may include plan-
ning for longer periods based on information about 
trends in the transportation sector. 
‘‘(4) PLAN UPDATES.—The Board shall update 
the strategic workforce plan developed under para-
graph (1) not less than once every 5 years. 
‘‘(5) RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN.—The 
strategic workforce plan developed under paragraph 
(1) may be developed separately from, or incor-
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porated into, the strategic plan required under sec-
tion 306 of title 5. 
‘‘(6) AVAILABILITY.—The strategic workforce 
plan under paragraph (1) and the strategic plan re-
quired under section 306 of title 5 shall be— 
‘‘(A) submitted to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate; and 
‘‘(B) made available to the public on a 
website of the Board.’’. 
SEC. 908. TRAVEL BUDGETS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1113 of title 49, United 
States Code, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(i) NONACCIDENT RELATED TRAVEL BUDGET.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall establish 
annual fiscal year budgets for non accident-related 
travel expenditures for each Board member which 
shall be incorporated into the annual budget request 
of the Board. 
‘‘(2) NOTIFICATION.—The Board shall notify 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
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on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate of any non accident-related travel budget 
overrun for any Board member not later than 30 
days of such overrun becoming known to the 
Board.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 9 of the 
National Transportation Safety Board Amendments Act 
of 2000 (49 U.S.C. 1113 note) is repealed. 
SEC. 909. RETENTION OF RECORDS. 
Section 1113 of title 49, United States Code, is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(j) RETENTION
OF
RECORDS.—Notwithstanding 
chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33 of title 44, the Board may 
retain investigative records for such periods as determined 
by the Board.’’. 
SEC. 910. NONDISCLOSURE OF INTERVIEW RECORDINGS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1114 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the subsection heading by striking 
‘‘TRADE SECRETS’’ and inserting ‘‘CERTAIN 
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘The Board’’ and in-
serting ‘‘IN GENERAL.—The Board’’; and 
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(ii) by striking ‘‘information related to 
a trade secret referred to in section 1905 
of title 18’’ and inserting ‘‘confidential in-
formation described in section 1905 of title 
18, including trade secrets,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) INTERVIEW RECORDINGS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board may not pub-
licly disclose any part of any audio or video record-
ing of an interview of participants in, or witnesses 
to, an accident or incident investigated by the 
Board. 
‘‘(2) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Paragraph (1) shall 
not be construed to apply to transcripts or sum-
maries of such interviews.’’. 
(b) AVIATION ENFORCEMENT.—Section 1151 of title 
49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(d) NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.—If the Board or 
Attorney General carry out such civil actions described in 
subsection (a) or (b) of this section against an airman em-
ployed at the time of the accident or incident by an air 
carrier operating under part 121 of title 14, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, the Board shall immediately notify the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
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House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate of such 
civil actions, including— 
‘‘(1) the labor union representing the airman 
involved, if applicable; 
‘‘(2) the air carrier at which the airman is em-
ployed; 
‘‘(3) the docket information of the incident or 
accident in which the airman was involved; 
‘‘(4) the date of such civil actions taken by the 
Board or Attorney General; and 
‘‘(5) a description of why such civil actions were 
taken by the Board or Attorney General. 
‘‘(e) SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.— 
Not later than 15 days after the notification described in 
subsection (d), the Board shall submit a report to or brief 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate describ-
ing the status of compliance with the civil actions taken.’’. 
SEC. 911. CLOSED UNACCEPTABLE RECOMMENDATIONS. 
Section 1116(c) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through 
(6) as paragraphs (4) through (7), respectively; and 
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(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) a list of each recommendation made by the 
Board to the Secretary of Transportation or the 
Commandant of the Coast Guard that was closed in 
an unacceptable status in the preceding 12 
months;’’. 
SEC. 912. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF OVERSIGHT, AC-
COUNTABILITY, AND QUALITY ASSURANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 11 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 1120. Office of Oversight, Accountability, and Qual-
ity Assurance 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this section, the Board shall es-
tablish in the National Transportation Safety Board an 
Office of Oversight, Accountability, and Quality Assurance 
to provide oversight of the duties and responsibilities of 
the Board. 
‘‘(b) DIRECTOR.— 
‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT.—The head of the Office of 
Oversight, Accountability, and Quality Assurance 
shall be the Director, who shall be appointed by the 
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Chairman of the Board and shall be approved by the 
Board. 
‘‘(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Director shall 
have demonstrated ability in investigations. 
‘‘(3) TERM.—The Director shall be appointed 
for a term of 5 years. 
‘‘(4) VACANCIES.—Any individual approved to 
fill a vacancy in the position of the Director occur-
ring before the expiration of the term for which the 
predecessor of the individual was approved shall be 
approved for the remainder of the term or for a new 
term. 
‘‘(c) DUTIES.—The Director shall— 
‘‘(1) establish and ensure policies that promote 
integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness; 
‘‘(2) prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse 
in programs and operations; 
‘‘(3) provide policy direction related to the con-
duct, supervision, and coordination of audits and in-
vestigations relating to the activities of the Board; 
‘‘(4) identify trends and systemic issues within 
the agency and create strategies and recommenda-
tions to address such issues; 
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‘‘(5) conduct impartial information gathering 
about complaints or concerns, and ensure the Board 
is meeting any quality and timeliness standards; and 
‘‘(6) not conduct any of the duties under this 
subsection in a manner that interferes with an ongo-
ing safety investigation of the Board. 
‘‘(d) REPORTING CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS TO DEPART-
MENT
OF JUSTICE.—If the Director has reasonable 
grounds to believe that there has been a violation of Fed-
eral criminal law, the Director shall refer the matter to 
the Department of Justice. 
‘‘(e) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section shall 
be construed to interfere or give the Office jurisdiction 
over any active investigation by the Board or the content 
of products approved by a vote of the Board. 
‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall submit 
to the Board, the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate an annual report on the ac-
tivities, investigations, findings, and recommenda-
tions of the Director. 
‘‘(2) SUNSET.—This subsection shall cease to 
have effect on October 1, 2028.’’. 
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 11 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing after the item relating to section 1119 the following: 
‘‘1120. Office of Oversight, Accountability, and Quality Assurance.’’. 
(c) PEER REVIEW.—Not earlier than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act and not later than 5 
years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 
of the Office of Oversight, Accountability, and Quality As-
surance of the National Transportation Safety Board shall 
enter into the necessary arrangements with an inspector 
general, or similar Federal entity, to perform a peer review 
of the Office. 
SEC. 913. MISCELLANEOUS INVESTIGATIVE AUTHORITIES. 
(a) 
HIGHWAY
INVESTIGATIONS.—Section 
1131(a)(1)(B) of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ‘‘selects in cooperation with a State’’ and in-
serting ‘‘selects, concurrent with any State investigation’’. 
(b) RAIL INVESTIGATIONS.—Section 1131(a)(1)(C) 
of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking 
‘‘accident in which there is a fatality or substantial prop-
erty damage, or that involves a passenger train’’ and in-
serting ‘‘accident, including a railroad grade crossing or 
trespasser accident that the Board selects, or in which 
there is otherwise a fatality or substantial property dam-
age, or that involves a passenger train’’. 
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SEC. 914. COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION ACCI-
DENT INVESTIGATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1131(a)(1) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (E) by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as sub-
paragraph (G); and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(F) a commercial space transportation acci-
dent in which there is— 
‘‘(i) a fatality or significant injury of any 
individual, regardless of whether the individual 
was on board the commercial launch vehicle at 
the time of the accident; or 
‘‘(ii) substantial damage to property that is 
not associated with commercial space launch ac-
tivities and that is not located at the launch 
site; and’’. 
(b) OTHER
INVESTIGATIVE
AGENCIES.—Section 
1131(a)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) The Board shall seek to enter into a memo-
randum of agreement with a Government agency with the 
authority to certify a commercial space transportation op-
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eration or investigate a commercial space transportation 
accident. Such memorandum shall delineate the conditions 
under, and manner in which— 
‘‘(i) a commercial space transportation accident 
that may be investigated by the Board under sub-
paragraph (F) or (G) of paragraph (1) will instead 
be investigated by such Government agency; and 
‘‘(ii) the Board will participate in such Govern-
ment agency’s investigation. 
‘‘(E) For an occurrence in commercial space trans-
portation other than an accident described in paragraph 
(1)(F), the Board may only investigate such occurrence— 
‘‘(i) in accordance with the terms of a memo-
randum of agreement with another Government 
agency described in subparagraph (D); or 
‘‘(ii) with the agreement of the Government 
agency responsible for investigating such occur-
rence.’’. 
(c) 
TECHNICAL
CORRECTION.—Section 
1131(a)(2)(A) of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ‘‘or (F)’’ and inserting ‘‘, (F), or (G)’’. 
(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—None of the amend-
ments made by subsection (a) or (b) shall be construed 
to limit the authority of the National Transportation Safe-
ty Board to investigate any other commercial space trans-
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portation accident that, in the judgment of the Board, 
falls under the authority of the Board under section 
1131(a)(1)(G) (as redesignated by subsection (a)). 
SEC. 915. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF ACCIDENT REPORTS. 
Section 1131(e) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘public at reasonable cost.’’ and in-
serting the following: ‘‘public— 
‘‘(1) in printed form at reasonable cost; and 
‘‘(2) in electronic form at no cost in a publicly 
accessible database on a website of the Board.’’. 
SEC. 916. ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR TIMELINESS OF 
REPORTS. 
Section 1131 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) TIMELINESS OF REPORTS.—If any accident re-
port under subsection (e) is not completed within 2 years 
from the date of the accident, the Board shall submit to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report 
identifying such accident report and the reasons for which 
such report has not been completed. The Board shall re-
port progress toward completion of the accident report to 
each such Committees every 90 days thereafter, until such 
time as the accident report is completed.’’. 
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SEC. 917. ENSURING ACCESS TO DATA. 
Section 1134 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) RECORDERS AND DATA.—In investigating an 
accident under this chapter, the Board may— 
‘‘(1) obtain any recorder or recorded informa-
tion pertinent to the accident; 
‘‘(2) require a manufacturer or the vendors, 
suppliers, or affiliates of such manufacturer, to pro-
vide to the Board, without delay, information the 
Board determines necessary to enable the Board to 
read and interpret any recording device or recorded 
information pertinent to the accident; and 
‘‘(3) require a manufacturer or the vendors, 
suppliers, or affiliates of such manufacturer, to pro-
vide to the Board, without delay, data and other in-
tellectual property the Board determines necessary 
to enable the Board to perform independent physics- 
based simulations and analyses of the accident situa-
tion.’’. 
SEC. 918. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF SAFETY RECOMMENDA-
TIONS. 
Section 1135(c) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘public at reasonable cost.’’ and in-
serting the following: ‘‘public— 
‘‘(1) in printed form at reasonable cost; and 
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‘‘(2) in electronic form in a publicly accessible 
database on a website of the Board at no cost.’’. 
SEC. 919. IMPROVING DELIVERY OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE. 
(a) AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS.—Section 1136 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the heading by striking ‘‘to families of 
passengers involved in aircraft acci-
dents’’ and inserting ‘‘to passengers involved 
in aircraft accidents and families of such 
passengers’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘within United States air-
space or airspace delegated to the United 
States’’ after ‘‘aircraft accident’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘National Transportation 
Safety Board shall’’ and inserting ‘‘Board 
shall’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘emotional care and 
support’’ and inserting ‘‘emotional, psycho-
logical, and spiritual care and support 
services’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘the families of pas-
sengers involved in the accident’’ and in-
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serting ‘‘passengers involved in the acci-
dent and the families of such passengers’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘the families of passengers involved 
in the accident’’ and inserting ‘‘passengers in-
volved in the accident and the families of such 
passengers’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘mental 
health and counseling services’’ and inserting 
‘‘emotional, psychological, and spiritual care 
and support services’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘the families who have 
traveled to the location of the accident’’ 
and inserting ‘‘passengers involved in the 
accident and the families of such pas-
sengers who have traveled to the location 
of the accident’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘passengers and’’ be-
fore ‘‘affected families’’; and 
(D) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘pas-
sengers and’’ before ‘‘families’’; 
(4) by amending subsection (d) to read as fol-
lows: 
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‘‘(d) PASSENGER LISTS.— 
‘‘(1) REQUESTS FOR PASSENGER LISTS BY THE 
DIRECTOR OF FAMILY SERVICES.— 
‘‘(A) REQUESTS BY DIRECTOR OF FAMILY 
SUPPORT SERVICES.—It shall be the responsi-
bility of the director of family support services 
designated for an accident under subsection 
(a)(1) to request, as soon as practicable, from 
the air carrier or foreign air carrier involved in 
the accident a passenger list, which is based on 
the best available information at the time of the 
request. 
‘‘(B) USE OF INFORMATION.—The director 
of family support services may not release to 
any person information on a list obtained under 
subparagraph (A), except that the director may, 
to the extent the director considers appropriate, 
provide information on the list about a pas-
senger to— 
‘‘(i) the family of the passenger; or 
‘‘(ii) a local, State, or Federal agency 
responsible for determining the where-
abouts or welfare of a passenger. 
‘‘(2) REQUESTS FOR PASSENGER LISTS BY DES-
IGNATED ORGANIZATION.— 
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‘‘(A) REQUESTS BY DESIGNATED ORGANI-
ZATION.—The organization designated for an 
accident under subsection (a)(2) may request 
from the air carrier or foreign air carrier in-
volved in the accident a passenger list. 
‘‘(B) USE
OF
INFORMATION.—The des-
ignated organization may not release to any 
person information on a passenger list but may 
provide information on the list about a pas-
senger to the family of the passenger to the ex-
tent the organization considers appropriate.’’; 
(5) in subsection (g)(1) by striking ‘‘the fami-
lies of passengers involved in the accident’’ and in-
serting ‘‘passengers involved in the accident and the 
families of such passengers’’; 
(6) in subsection (g)(3)— 
(A) in the paragraph heading by striking 
‘‘PREVENT MENTAL HEALTH AND COUNSELING’’ 
and inserting ‘‘PREVENT CERTAIN CARE AND 
SUPPORT’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘providing mental health 
and counseling services’’ and inserting ‘‘pro-
viding emotional, psychological, and spiritual 
care and support’’; and 
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(C) by inserting ‘‘passengers and’’ before 
‘‘families’’; 
(7) in subsection (h)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘National Transportation 
Safety’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) PASSENGER LIST.—The term ‘passenger 
list’ means a list based on the best available infor-
mation at the time of a request, of the name of each 
passenger aboard the aircraft involved in the acci-
dent.’’; and 
(8) in subsection (i) by striking ‘‘the families of 
passengers involved in an aircraft accident’’ and in-
serting ‘‘passengers involved in the aircraft accident 
and the families of such passengers’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 11 of title 49, United States Code, is further amended 
by striking the item relating to section 1136 and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘1136. Assistance to passengers involved in aircraft accidents and families of 
such passengers.’’. 
(c) RAIL ACCIDENTS.—Section 1139 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the heading by striking ‘‘to families of 
passengers involved in rail passenger ac-
cidents’’ and inserting ‘‘to passengers in-
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volved in rail passenger accidents and 
families of such passengers’’; 
(2) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘National 
Transportation Safety Board shall’’ and inserting 
‘‘Board shall’’; 
(3) in subsection (a)(2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘emotional care and sup-
port’’ and inserting ‘‘emotional, psychological 
and spiritual care and support services’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘the families of passengers 
involved in the accident’’ and inserting ‘‘pas-
sengers involved in the accident and the fami-
lies of such passengers’’; 
(4) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) 
by striking ‘‘the families of passengers involved 
in the accident’’ and inserting ‘‘passengers in-
volved in the accident and the families of such 
passengers’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘mental 
health and counseling services’’ and inserting 
‘‘emotional, psychological, and spiritual care 
and support services’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘the families who have 
traveled to the location of the accident’’ 
and inserting ‘‘passengers involved in the 
accident and the families of such pas-
sengers who have traveled to the location 
of the accident’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘passengers and’’ be-
fore ‘‘affected families’’; and 
(D) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘pas-
sengers and’’ before ‘‘families’’; 
(5) by amending subsection (d) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(d) PASSENGER LISTS.— 
‘‘(1) REQUESTS FOR PASSENGER LISTS BY THE 
DIRECTOR OF FAMILY SERVICES.— 
‘‘(A) REQUESTS BY DIRECTOR OF FAMILY 
SUPPORT SERVICES.—It shall be the responsi-
bility of the director of family support services 
designated for an accident under subsection 
(a)(1) to request, as soon as practicable, from 
the rail passenger carrier involved in the acci-
dent a passenger list, which is based on the best 
available information at the time of the request. 
‘‘(B) USE OF INFORMATION.—The director 
of family support services may not release to 
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767 
any person information on a list obtained under 
subparagraph (A), except that the director may, 
to the extent the director considers appropriate, 
provide information on the list about a pas-
senger to— 
‘‘(i) the family of the passenger; or 
‘‘(ii) a local, State, or Federal agency 
responsible for determining the where-
abouts or welfare of a passenger. 
‘‘(2) REQUESTS FOR PASSENGER LISTS BY DES-
IGNATED ORGANIZATION.— 
‘‘(A) REQUESTS BY DESIGNATED ORGANI-
ZATION.—The organization designated for an 
accident under subsection (a)(2) may request 
from the rail passenger carrier involved in the 
accident a passenger list. 
‘‘(B) USE
OF
INFORMATION.—The des-
ignated organization may not release to any 
person information on a passenger list but may 
provide information on the list about a pas-
senger to the family of the passenger to the ex-
tent the organization considers appropriate.’’; 
(6) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ‘‘the fami-
lies of passengers involved in the accident’’ and in-
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768 
serting ‘‘passengers involved in the accident and the 
families of such passengers’’; 
(7) in subsection (g)(3)— 
(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking 
‘‘PREVENT MENTAL HEALTH AND COUNSELING’’ 
and inserting ‘‘PREVENT CERTAIN CARE AND 
SUPPORT’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘providing mental health 
and counseling services’’ and inserting ‘‘pro-
viding emotional, psychological, and spiritual 
care and support’’; and 
(C) by inserting ‘‘passengers and’’ before 
‘‘families’’; and 
(8) in subsection (h)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘National Transportation 
Safety’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) PASSENGER LIST.—The term ‘passenger 
list’ means a list based on the best available infor-
mation at the time of the request, of the name of 
each passenger aboard the rail passenger carrier’s 
train involved in the accident. A rail passenger car-
rier shall use reasonable efforts, with respect to its 
unreserved trains, and passengers not holding res-
ervations on its other trains, to ascertain the names 
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769 
of passengers aboard a train involved in an acci-
dent.’’. 
(d) PLANS TO ADDRESS NEEDS OF FAMILIES OF 
PASSENGERS
INVOLVED
IN
RAIL
PASSENGER
ACCI-
DENTS.—Section 24316(a) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘a major’’ and inserting 
‘‘any’’. 
(e) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 11 of title 49, United States Code, is further amended 
by striking the item relating to section 1139 and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘1139. Assistance to passengers involved in rail passenger accidents and families 
of such passengers.’’. 
SEC. 920. UPDATING CIVIL PENALTY AUTHORITY. 
Section 1155 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘Aviation 
penalties’’ and inserting ‘‘Penalties’’; and 
(2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘or section 
1136(g) (related to an aircraft accident)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 1136(g), or 1139(g)’’. 
SEC. 921. ELECTRONIC AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC DOCKET 
RECORDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 24 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the National Transpor-
tation Safety Board shall make all records included in the 
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public docket of an accident or incident investigation con-
ducted by the Board (or the public docket of a study, re-
port, or other product issued by the Board) electronically 
available in a publicly accessible database on a website of 
the Board, regardless of the date on which such public 
docket or record was created. 
(b) DATABASE.—In carrying out subsection (a), the 
Board may utilize the multimodal accident database man-
agement system established pursuant to section 1108 of 
the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 1119 
note) or such other publicly available database as the 
Board determines appropriate. 
(c) BRIEFINGS.—The Board shall provide the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate an annual 
briefing on the implementation of this section until re-
quirements of subsection (a) are fulfilled. Such briefings 
shall include— 
(1) the number of public dockets that have been 
made electronically available pursuant to this sec-
tion; and 
(2) the number of public dockets that were un-
able to be made electronically available, including all 
reasons for such inability. 
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771 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘public 
docket’’ and ‘‘record’’ have the same meanings given such 
terms in section 801.3 of title 49, Code of Federal Regula-
tions, as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 922. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE. 
Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the National Transportation Safety Board 
shall implement a drug testing program applicable to 
Board employees, including employees in safety or security 
sensitive positions, in accordance with Executive Order 
12564 (51 Fed. Reg. 32889). 
SEC. 923. ACCESSIBILITY IN WORKPLACE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the National Transpor-
tation Safety Board shall conduct an assessment of the 
headquarters and regional offices of the Board to deter-
mine barriers to accessibility to facilities. 
(b) CONTENTS.—In conducting the assessment under 
subsection (a), the Board shall consider— 
(1) compliance with— 
(A) the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 
(42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.) and the corresponding 
accessibility guidelines established under part 
1191 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations; 
and 
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772 
(B) the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); and 
(2) the best accessibility practices that exceed 
the requirements and recommendations of the Acts 
and guidelines described in paragraph (1). 
SEC. 924. MOST WANTED LIST. 
(a) TERMINATION OF PUBLICATION.—Not later than 
90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chair-
man of the National Transportation Safety Board shall 
terminate publication of the Most Wanted List and any 
activities associated with production of any future Most 
Wanted List. 
(b) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to prohibit the Board from— 
(1) conducting advocacy activities unrelated to 
the Most Wanted List that the Board had the au-
thority to conduct prior to the date of enactment of 
this Act; and 
(2) maintaining materials related to previously 
issued Most Wanted Lists. 
(c) MOST WANTED LIST DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘Most Wanted List’’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 1102 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 
2018 (49 U.S.C. 1101 note). 
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773 
SEC. 925. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 
(a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—Section 1131(a)(1)(E) 
of title 49, United States Code, is further amended by 
striking ‘‘section 2101(46)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 116’’. 
(b) EVALUATION AND AUDIT OF NATIONAL TRANS-
PORTATION SAFETY BOARD.—Section 1138(a) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘expenditures 
of the National Transportation Safety’’ and inserting ‘‘ex-
penditures of the’’. 
(c) ORGANIZATION
AND
ADMINISTRATIVE.—The 
analysis for chapter 11 of title 49, United States Code, 
is further amended— 
(1) by striking the items relating to sections 
117 and 1117; and 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 1116 the following: 
‘‘1117. Methodology.’’. 
(d) SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD.—The anal-
ysis for subtitle II of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter 
11 the following: 
‘‘13. Surface Transportation Board.’’. 
Æ 
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