RESPECT Act
Bill: H.R.4928 | Sponsor: Rep. Speier, Jackie (D-CA)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Responsive Employees Support Productive Educated Congressional Talk Act or the RESPECT Act
This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to respond in writing within 90 days to requests for data and information from Congress.
Specifically, the FAA must respond if
The FAA must also provide staff at a private or public meeting with a Member of Congress if certain conditions are met.

To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 respond to requests for information from Members of Congress, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Responsive Employees Support 
Productive Educated Congressional Talk Act'' or the ``RESPECT Act''.

SEC. 2. FAA RESPONSIVENESS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Purpose.--This section is enacted pursuant to the legislative 
oversight responsibilities of Congress and to enable a Member of 
Congress to effectively represent their constituents and respond to 
constituent inquiries.
    (b) Requirements.--If a Member of Congress submits to the FAA a 
written request for information on proposed, previous, or current 
flight procedures or other data or information relating to the District 
of such Member, the following conditions apply:
            (1) Data request.--Not later than 90 days after receipt of 
        such request, the Administrator of the FAA shall substantively 
        respond in writing with the requested data or information in 
        the format requested by the Member of Congress, if--
                    (A) the data is within the control of the FAA; and
                    (B) the data would be otherwise appropriate to 
                provide if requested--
                            (i) by an airline, an airport, a flight 
                        procedure proponent, an Aviation Roundtable, or 
                        anyone not employed by the FAA; or
                            (ii) via a Freedom of Information request 
                        from any individual or any entity.
            (2) Notification.--If the Administrator does not provide 
        the requested information pursuant to paragraph (1), the 
        Administrator shall notify the requesting Member of Congress, 
        Congress, and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the 
        Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the House of 
        Representatives.
    (c) Staffing of Meetings.--If a Member of Congress submits to the 
FAA a written request for the FAA to provide staff at a private or 
public meeting with the Member, the Administrator shall provide such 
staff if--
            (1) the request is made in writing at least 30 days before 
        the meeting date; and
            (2) the request is made on the same terms and conditions as 
        specified by FAA appearances at Aviation Roundtable meetings.
    (d) Notification.--If the Administrator does not comply with a 
request made by a Member of Congress (as described in subsection (c)), 
the Administrator shall provide the requesting Member of Congress, 
Congress, and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee of the House of Representatives with an 
explanation why the request will not be fulfilled.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Flight procedure.--The term ``flight procedure'' means 
        a preplanned Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) procedure published 
        for pilot use, in graphic or textual format, that provides 
        obstruction clearance from the terminal area to the en route 
        structure (departure) or from the en route structure to the 
        terminal area (arrival).
            (2) Procedure proponent.--The term ``procedure proponent'' 
        means a person or entity proposing a new or modified flight 
        procedure.
            (3) Aviation roundtable.--The term ``Aviation Roundtable'' 
        means an organization designed to address community concerns 
        over a sustained period of time regarding aircraft operations 
        often associated with a nearby airport.
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