Title: FLIGHT R&D Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
FAA Leadership in Groundbreaking High-Tech Research and Development Act or the FLIGHT R&D Act
This bill reauthorizes Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) research and development (R&D) programs for FY2018-FY2023.
No funds are authorized to be appropriated for a fiscal year for: (1) Environmental Sustainability Research and Development programs unless the full amount authorized for that fiscal year is appropriated for Safety Research and Development programs, Economic Competitiveness Research and Development programs, and Mission Support programs; or (2) the FAA's Office of the Administrator unless the Secretary of Transportation has submitted the National Aviation Research Plan to Congress no later than the submission of the President's budget request for that fiscal year.
The FAA shall appoint an Associate Administrator for Research and Development.
The FAA shall develop a plan in the event of the transition of FAA R&D activities to a non-federal entity.
The bill amends the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 to revise requirements with respect to the FAA's five-year roadmap for the introduction of civil unmanned aircraft systems (drones) into the national airspace system. The roadmap shall include, at a minimum, a description of how the FAA plans to use R&D to integrate drones into the system. No funds are authorized to be appropriated for the Office of the Administrator for a fiscal year unless the Secretary has submitted the unmanned aircraft systems roadmap to Congress on an annual basis. The FAA shall coordinate with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to research the collision of drones with manned aircraft. The bill prohibits the FAA, with a specified exception, from promulgating regulations regarding the operation of drones for R&D purposes.
The FAA shall establish R&D programs:
The FAA shall submit to Congress a research plan for certification and implementation of new technologies (including Next Generation) into the system.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3198 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3198

      To provide for Federal Aviation Administration research and 
                  development, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 12, 2017

Mr. Knight (for himself, Mr. Smith of Texas, and Mr. Babin) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, 
      Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To provide for Federal Aviation Administration research and 
                  development, and for other purposes.

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

                      TITLE I--GENERAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``FAA Leadership in 
Groundbreaking High-Tech Research and Development Act'' or the ``FLIGHT 
R&D Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

                      TITLE I--GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. Authorization of appropriations.
          TITLE II--FAA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

Sec. 11. Associate Administrator for Research and Development.
Sec. 12. Research advisory committee.
Sec. 13. Plan to determine research and development responsibility.
                  TITLE III--UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

Sec. 21. Unmanned aircraft systems research and development roadmap.
Sec. 22. Probabilistic metrics for exemptions.
Sec. 23. Probabilistic assessment of risks.
Sec. 24. Unmanned aerial vehicle-manned aircraft collision research.
Sec. 25. Special rule for research and development.
Sec. 26. Beyond line-of-sight research and development.
                        TITLE IV--CYBERSECURITY

Sec. 31. Cyber Testbed.
Sec. 32. Cabin communications, entertainment, and information 
                            technology systems cybersecurity 
                            vulnerabilities.
Sec. 33. Cybersecurity threat modeling.
Sec. 34. National Institute of Standards and Technology cybersecurity 
                            standards.
Sec. 35. Cybersecurity research coordination.
Sec. 36. Cybersecurity research and development program.
            TITLE V--FAA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Sec. 41. Research plan for the certification of new technologies into 
                            the national airspace system.
Sec. 42. Aviation fuel research, development, and usage.
Sec. 43. Air traffic surveillance over oceans and other remote 
                            locations.
Sec. 44. Single-piloted commercial cargo aircraft.
Sec. 45. Electromagnetic spectrum research and development.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
            (2) FAA.--The term ``FAA'' means the Federal Aviation 
        Administration.
            (3) NASA.--The term ``NASA'' means the National Aeronautics 
        and Space Administration.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Authorizations.--Section 48102(a) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in the matter before paragraph (1) by striking ``and, 
        for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2015, under subsection 
        (g)'';
            (2) at the end of paragraph (8), by striking ``and'';
            (3) in paragraph (9) by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(10) for fiscal year 2018, $181,000,000, including--
                    ``(A) $128,500,000 for Safety Research and 
                Development programs, including--
                            ``(i) Fire Research and Safety;
                            ``(ii) Propulsion and Fuel Systems;
                            ``(iii) Advanced Materials/Structural 
                        Safety;
                            ``(iv) Aircraft Icing/Digital System 
                        Safety;
                            ``(v) Continued Airworthiness;
                            ``(vi) Aircraft Catastrophic Failure 
                        Prevention Research;
                            ``(vii) Flightdeck/Maintenance/System 
                        Integration Human Factors;
                            ``(viii) System Safety Management;
                            ``(ix) Air Traffic Control/Technical 
                        Operations Human Factors;
                            ``(x) Aeromedical Research;
                            ``(xi) Weather Program;
                            ``(xii) Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research;
                            ``(xiii) NextGen-Alternative Fuels for 
                        General Aviation;
                            ``(xiv) Joint Planning and Development 
                        Office;
                            ``(xv) Ocean and Other Remote Locations ATS 
                        Research Program;
                            ``(xvi) Cybersecurity Research Program;
                            ``(xvii) Cybersecurity Threat Modeling 
                        Program;
                            ``(xviii) Single Piloted Commercial Cargo 
                        Aircraft Program; and
                            ``(xix) UAV-Manned Aircraft Collision 
                        Research Program;
                    ``(B) $26,000,000 for Economic Competitiveness 
                Research and Development programs, including--
                            ``(i) NextGen-Wake Turbulence;
                            ``(ii) NextGen-Air Ground Integration Human 
                        Factors;
                            ``(iii) Next Gen-Weather Technology in the 
                        Cockpit; and
                            ``(iv) Commercial Space Transportation 
                        Safety;
                    ``(C) $20,000,000 for Environmental Sustainability 
                Research and Development programs, including--
                            ``(i) Environment and Energy; and
                            ``(ii) NextGen-Environmental Research-
                        Aircraft Technologies, Fuels and Metrics; and
                    ``(D) $6,500,000 for Mission Support programs, 
                including--
                            ``(i) System Planning and Resource 
                        Management; and
                            ``(ii) William J. Hughes Technical Center 
                        Laboratory Facility;
            ``(11) for fiscal year 2019, $186,000,000, including--
                    ``(A) $131,000,000 for Safety Research and 
                Development programs, including--
                            ``(i) Fire Research and Safety;
                            ``(ii) Propulsion and Fuel Systems;
                            ``(iii) Advanced Materials/Structural 
                        Safety;
                            ``(iv) Aircraft Icing/Digital System 
                        Safety;
                            ``(v) Continued Airworthiness;
                            ``(vi) Aircraft Catastrophic Failure 
                        Prevention Research;
                            ``(vii) Flightdeck/Maintenance/System 
                        Integration Human Factors;
                            ``(viii) System Safety Management;
                            ``(ix) Air Traffic Control/Technical 
                        Operations Human Factors;
                            ``(x) Aeromedical Research;
                            ``(xi) Weather Program;
                            ``(xii) Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research;
                            ``(xiii) NextGen-Alternative Fuels for 
                        General Aviation;
                            ``(xiv) Joint Planning and Development 
                        Office;
                            ``(xv) Ocean and Other Remote Locations ATS 
                        Research Program;
                            ``(xvi) Cybersecurity Research Program;
                            ``(xvii) Cybersecurity Threat Modeling 
                        Program;
                            ``(xviii) Single Piloted Commercial Cargo 
                        Aircraft Program; and
                            ``(xix) UAV-Manned Aircraft Collision 
                        Research Program;
                    ``(B) $28,000,000 for Economic Competitiveness 
                Research and Development programs, including--
                            ``(i) NextGen-Wake Turbulence;
                            ``(ii) NextGen-Air Ground Integration Human 
                        Factors;
                            ``(iii) Next Gen-Weather Technology in the 
                        Cockpit; and
                            ``(iv) Commercial Space Transportation 
                        Safety;
                    ``(C) $20,000,000 for Environmental Sustainability 
                Research and Development programs, including--
                            ``(i) Environment and Energy; and
                            ``(ii) NextGen-Environmental Research-
                        Aircraft Technologies, Fuels and Metrics; and
                    ``(D) $7,000,000 for Mission Support programs, 
                including--
                            ``(i) System Planning and Resource 
                        Management; and
                            ``(ii) William J. Hughes Technical Center 
                        Laboratory Facility;
            ``(12) for fiscal year 2020, $190,000,000, including--
                    ``(A) $133,500,000 for Safety Research and 
                Development programs, including--
                            ``(i) Fire Research and Safety;
                            ``(ii) Propulsion and Fuel Systems;
                            ``(iii) Advanced Materials/Structural 
                        Safety;
                            ``(iv) Aircraft Icing/Digital System 
                        Safety;
                            ``(v) Continued Airworthiness;
                            ``(vi) Aircraft Catastrophic Failure 
                        Prevention Research;
                            ``(vii) Flightdeck/Maintenance/System 
                        Integration Human Factors;
                            ``(viii) System Safety Management;
                            ``(ix) Air Traffic Control/Technical 
                        Operations Human Factors;
                            ``(x) Aeromedical Research;
                            ``(xi) Weather Program;
                            ``(xii) Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research;
                            ``(xiii) NextGen-Alternative Fuels for 
                        General Aviation;
                            ``(xiv) Joint Planning and Development 
                        Office;
                            ``(xv) Ocean and Other Remote Locations ATS 
                        Research Program;
                            ``(xvi) Cybersecurity Research Program;
                            ``(xvii) Cybersecurity Threat Modeling 
                        Program;
                            ``(xviii) Single Piloted Commercial Cargo 
                        Aircraft Program; and
                            ``(xix) UAV-Manned Aircraft Collision 
                        Research Program;
                    ``(B) $29,000,000 for Economic Competitiveness 
                Research and Development programs, including--
                            ``(i) NextGen-Wake Turbulence;
                            ``(ii) NextGen-Air Ground Integration Human 
                        Factors;
                            ``(iii) Next Gen-Weather Technology in the 
                        Cockpit; and
                            ``(iv) Commercial Space Transportation 
                        Safety;
                    ``(C) $20,000,000 for Environmental Sustainability 
                Research and Development programs, including--
                            ``(i) Environment and Energy; and
                            ``(ii) NextGen-Environmental Research-
                        Aircraft Technologies, Fuels and Metrics; and
                    ``(D) $7,500,000 for Mission Support programs, 
                including--
                            ``(i) System Planning and Resource 
                        Management; and
                            ``(ii) William J. Hughes Technical Center 
                        Laboratory Facility;
            ``(13) for fiscal year 2021, $126,000,000;
            ``(14) for fiscal year 2022, $130,000,000; and
            ``(15) for fiscal year 2023, $132,000,000.''.
    (b) Contingency Funding.--Section 48102(b) of title 49, United 
States, Code, is amended by inserting after paragraph (3) the 
following:
    ``(4) Notwithstanding subsection (a), no funds are authorized for a 
fiscal year for Environmental Sustainability Research and Development 
programs unless the full amount authorized for that fiscal year under 
subsection (a) for the all of the following programs is appropriated 
for that fiscal year:
            ``(A) Safety Research and Development programs.
            ``(B) Economic Competitiveness Research and Development 
        programs.
            ``(C) Mission Support programs.''.
    (c) Annual Submission of the National Aviation Research Plan.--
Section 48102(g) of title 49, United States, Code, is amended to read 
as follows:
    ``(g) Annual Submission of the National Aviation Research Plan.--
Notwithstanding subsection (a), no funds are authorized to be 
appropriated for the Office of the Administrator for a fiscal year 
unless the Secretary has submitted the National Aviation Research Plan 
to Congress no later than the date of submission of the President's 
budget request to Congress for that fiscal year, as required under 
section 44501(c).''.

          TITLE II--FAA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

SEC. 11. ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) Appointment.--Not later than 3 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall appoint an Associate 
Administrator for Research and Development.
    (b) Senior Executive Service.--The Associate Administrator for 
Research and Development shall be a Senior Executive Service position.
    (c) Responsibilities.--The Associate Administrator for Research and 
Development shall, at a minimum, be responsible for--
            (1) management and oversight of all the FAA's research and 
        development programs and activities; and
            (2) production of all congressional reports from the FAA 
        relevant to research and development, including the National 
        Aviation Research Plan.
    (d) Dual Appointment.--The Associate Administrator for Research and 
Development may be a dual appointment, holding the responsibilities of 
another Associate Administrator.

SEC. 12. RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Advice and Recommendations.--Section 44508(a)(1)(A) of title 
49, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
            ``(A) provide advice and recommendations to the 
        Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and 
        Congress about needs, objectives, plans, approaches, content, 
        and accomplishments of all aviation research and development 
        activities and programs carried out, including those under 
        sections 40119, 44504, 44505, 44507, 44511-44513, and 44912 of 
        this title;''.
    (b) Written Reply to Research Advisory Committee.--Section 44508 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(f) Written Reply.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after receiving 
        any recommendation from the research advisory committee, the 
        Administrator shall provide a written reply to the research 
        advisory committee that, at a minimum--
                    ``(A) clearly states whether the Administrator 
                accepts or rejects the recommendations;
                    ``(B) explains the rationale for the 
                Administrator's decision;
                    ``(C) sets forth the timeframe in which the 
                Administrator will implement the recommendation; and
                    ``(D) describes the steps the Administrator will 
                take to implement the recommendation.
            ``(2) Transparency.--The written reply to the research 
        advisory committee, when transmitted to the research advisory 
        committee, shall be--
                    ``(A) made publicly available on the research 
                advisory committee website; and
                    ``(B) transmitted to the Committee on Science, 
                Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives 
                and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate.
            ``(3) National aviation research plan.--The National 
        Aviation Research Plan shall include a summary of all research 
        advisory committee recommendations and a description of the 
        status of their implementation.''.

SEC. 13. PLAN TO DETERMINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT RESPONSIBILITY.

    (a) Plan.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the Research, 
Engineering, and Development Advisory Committee, NASA, and other 
relevant agencies, shall enter into an arrangement with an external 
independent systems engineering and technical assistance organization 
to develop a plan, in the event that the national air traffic control 
system is required to be transferred to a non-Federal entity, for the 
transition of FAA research and development activities to such entity.
    (b) Plan Contents.--At a minimum, the plan developed pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall--
            (1) examine all FAA research and development activities, 
        regardless of the budget account funding such activities;
            (2) take into account such required transfer of the 
        national air traffic control system;
            (3) recommend research and development activities that--
                    (A) should be transferred to such non-Federal 
                entity;
                    (B) should not be transferred to such non-Federal 
                entity; and
                    (C) should be shared between the FAA and such non-
                Federal entity;
            (4) identify the necessary authorities that exist or are 
        required to carry out the recommendations under paragraph (3);
            (5) assess the pros and cons of transferring particular 
        categories of research and development activities from the FAA 
        to such non-Federal entity; and
            (6) take into account the safety of the national airspace 
        system, national security, foreign policy, and the economic 
        interests of the United States.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall submit the plan required under 
subsection (a) to--
            (1) the Research, Engineering, and Development Advisory 
        Committee; and
            (2) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
        House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
        Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
    (d) Advisory Committee Assessment.--Not later than 6 months after 
receiving the report under subsection (c), the Research, Engineering, 
and Development Advisory Committee shall submit an assessment of the 
plan required under subsection (a) to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

                  TITLE III--UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

SEC. 21. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP.

    (a) Amendments.--Section 332(a)(5) of the FAA Modernization and 
Reform Act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``, in coordination with NASA and relevant 
        stakeholders, including those in industry and academia,'' after 
        ``Web site''; and
            (2) by inserting after ``annually.'' the following: ``The 
        roadmap shall include, at a minimum--
                    ``(A) cost estimates, planned schedules, and 
                performance benchmarks, including specific tasks, 
                milestones, and timelines for unmanned aircraft systems 
                integration into the national airspace system, 
                including--
                            ``(i) the role of the 6 unmanned aircraft 
                        systems test ranges established under 
                        subsection (c) and the Unmanned Aircraft 
                        Systems Center of Excellence;
                            ``(ii) performance and certification 
                        standards for unmanned aircraft systems that 
                        operate in the national airspace system; and
                            ``(iii) an identification of tools needed 
                        to assist air traffic controllers in managing 
                        unmanned aircraft systems in the national 
                        airspace system;
                    ``(B) a description of how the FAA plans to use 
                research and development, including research and 
                development conducted through NASA's Unmanned Aircraft 
                Systems Traffic Management, to accommodate, integrate, 
                and provide for the evolution of unmanned aircraft 
                systems into the national airspace system;
                    ``(C) an assessment of critical performance 
                abilities necessary to integrate unmanned aircraft 
                systems into the national airspace system, and how 
                these performance abilities can be demonstrated; and
                    ``(D) an update on the advancement of technologies 
                needed to integrate unmanned aircraft systems into the 
                national airspace system, including decisionmaking by 
                adaptive systems such as sense-and-avoid, availability 
                of frequency spectrum, and cyber physical security.''.
    (b) Limitation.--No funds are authorized to be appropriated for the 
Office of the Administrator for a fiscal year unless the Secretary has 
submitted the unmanned aircraft systems roadmap to Congress on an 
annual basis as required under section 332(a) of the FAA Modernization 
and Reform Act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note).

SEC. 22. PROBABILISTIC METRICS FOR EXEMPTIONS.

    (a) Study.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall commission an independent study to--
            (1) develop parameters to conduct research and development 
        for probabilistic metrics to enable the identification of 
        hazards and the assessment of risks as necessary to make 
        determinations under section 333(a) of the FAA Modernization 
        and Reform Act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note) that certain 
        unmanned aircraft systems may operate safely in the national 
        airspace system;
            (2) identify additional research needed to more effectively 
        develop and use such metrics and make such determinations; and
            (3) in developing parameters for probabilistic metrics, 
        this study shall take into account the utility of performance 
        standards to make determinations under section 333(a) of the 
        FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.
    (b) Consideration of Results.--The Administrator shall consider the 
results of the study conducted under subsection (a) when making a 
determination described in subsection (a)(1).
    (c) Report.--Not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall transmit the results of the study 
conducted under subsection (a) to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

SEC. 23. PROBABILISTIC ASSESSMENT OF RISKS.

    The Administrator shall conduct research and development to enable 
a probabilistic assessment of risks to inform requirements for 
standards for operational certification of public unmanned aircraft 
systems in the national airspace.

SEC. 24. UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE-MANNED AIRCRAFT COLLISION RESEARCH.

    (a) Research.--The Administrator shall coordinate with NASA to 
conduct comprehensive testing of unmanned aerial vehicles colliding 
with a manned aircraft, including--
            (1) collisions between unmanned aerial vehicles of various 
        sizes, traveling at various speeds, and commercial jet 
        airliners of various sizes, traveling at various speeds;
            (2) collisions between unmanned aerial vehicles of various 
        sizes, traveling at various speeds, and propeller planes of 
        various sizes, traveling at various speeds;
            (3) collisions between unmanned aerial vehicles of various 
        sizes, traveling at various speeds, and blimps of various 
        sizes, traveling at various speeds;
            (4) collisions between unmanned aerial vehicles of various 
        sizes, traveling at various speeds, and rotorcraft of various 
        sizes, traveling at various speeds; and
            (5) collisions between unmanned aerial vehicles and various 
        parts of the aforementioned aircraft, including--
                    (A) windshields;
                    (B) noses;
                    (C) engines;
                    (D) radomes;
                    (E) propellers; and
                    (F) wings.
    (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall transmit a report summarizing the 
costs and results of research under this section to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

SEC. 25. SPECIAL RULE FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    Except as necessary to support enforcement action under applicable 
provisions of law against persons operating unmanned aircraft in a 
manner that endangers the safety of the national airspace system, 
notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to the 
incorporation of unmanned aircraft systems into FAA plans and policies, 
the Administrator may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding 
the operation of an unmanned aircraft system--
            (1) that is flown strictly for research and development 
        use;
            (2) that is operated less than 400 feet above the ground 
        and in Class G airspace;
            (3) that is operated in a manner that does not interfere 
        with and gives way to any manned aircraft; and
            (4) when flown within 5 miles of an airport, the operator 
        of the aircraft provides the airport operator and the airport 
        air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility is 
        located at the airport) with prior notice of the operation 
        (unmanned aircraft operators flying from a permanent location 
        within 5 miles of an airport should establish a mutually agreed 
        upon operating procedure with the airport operator and the 
        airport air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility 
        is located at the airport)).

SEC. 26. BEYOND LINE-OF-SIGHT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) Amendments.--Section 332(c)(2) of the FAA Modernization and 
Reform Act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Administrator shall'' and inserting 
        ``Administrator'';
            (2) at the beginning of each of subparagraphs (A) through 
        (F), by inserting ``shall'';
            (3) at the end of subparagraph (E), by striking ``and'';
            (4) at the end of subparagraph (F), by striking the period 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
                    ``(G) shall allow beyond line-of-sight operation of 
                unmanned aircraft systems to be flown within the 
                boundaries of a test range established under this 
                subsection;
                    ``(H) may promulgate regulations governing beyond 
                line-of-sight operation of unmanned aircraft systems 
                flown within the boundaries of a test range established 
                under this subsection for the purposes of public 
                safety; and
                    ``(I) shall allow NASA to authorize operation of 
                beyond line-of-sight unmanned aircraft systems within 
                the boundaries of any NASA center or facility.''.
    (b) Statutory Construction.--Nothing in the amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall be construed to limit the authority of the 
Administrator to pursue enforcement action under applicable provisions 
of law against persons operating unmanned aircraft in a manner that 
endangers the safety of the national airspace system.

                        TITLE IV--CYBERSECURITY

SEC. 31. CYBER TESTBED.

    Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator shall develop an integrated Cyber Testbed for 
research, development, evaluation, and validation of air traffic 
control modernization programs or technologies, before they enter the 
national airspace system, as being compliant with FAA data security 
regulations. The Cyber Testbed shall be part of an integrated research 
and development test environment capable of creating, identifying, 
defending, and solving cybersecurity-related problems for the national 
airspace system. This integrated test environment shall incorporate 
integrated test capacities within the FAA related to the national 
airspace system and NextGen.

SEC. 32. CABIN COMMUNICATIONS, ENTERTAINMENT, AND INFORMATION 
              TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS CYBERSECURITY VULNERABILITIES.

    (a) Evaluation.--The Administrator shall evaluate and determine the 
research and development needs associated with cybersecurity 
vulnerabilities of cabin communications, entertainment, and information 
technology systems on civil passenger aircraft. This evaluation shall 
include research and development to address--
            (1) technical risks and vulnerabilities;
            (2) potential impacts on the national airspace and public 
        safety; and
            (3) identification of deficiencies in cabin-based 
        cybersecurity.
    (b) Assessment.--The Administrator shall--
            (1) conduct an assessment of opportunities to cooperate 
        with the private sector in conducting aircraft in-cabin 
        cybersecurity research and development; and
            (2) provide recommendations to improve research and 
        development on cabin-based cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall transmit a report on the results of 
activities under this section to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. This report may 
contain classified annexes.

SEC. 33. CYBERSECURITY THREAT MODELING.

    (a) Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall consult the 
        National Institute of Standards and Technology to research and 
        develop an internal FAA cybersecurity threat modeling program 
        to detect cybersecurity vulnerabilities, track how those 
        vulnerabilities might be exploited, and assess the magnitude of 
        harm that could be caused by the exploitation of those 
        vulnerabilities.
            (2) Updates.--This program shall be updated regularly, not 
        less than once every 5 years.
    (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and within 7 days of each threat modeling program update 
under subsection (a)(2), the Administrator shall transmit a report to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate detailing the status, results, and 
composition of the threat modeling program.

SEC. 34. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY CYBERSECURITY 
              STANDARDS.

    Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the FAA shall, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that 
includes--
            (1) a cybersecurity standards plan to implement National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology revisions to 
        cybersecurity guidance documents within timeframes set by the 
        Office of Management and Budget; and
            (2) an explanation of why any such recommendations are not 
        incorporated in the plan or are not incorporated within such 
        timeframes.

SEC. 35. CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH COORDINATION.

    The Administrator shall, where feasible, cooperate on cybersecurity 
research and development with other international air traffic 
management organizations, including the European Aviation Safety 
Agency, the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority, Nav Canada, and 
Airservices Australia.

SEC. 36. CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the FAA, in consultation with other agencies as 
appropriate, shall establish a research and development program to 
improve the cybersecurity of civil aircraft and the national airspace 
system.
    (b) Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the FAA shall develop a plan for the 
        research and development program established under subsection 
        (a) that contains objectives, proposed tasks, milestones, and a 
        5-year budgetary profile.
            (2) National academies' study.--The Administrator shall--
                    (A) enter into an arrangement with the National 
                Academies for a study of the plan developed under 
                paragraph (1); and
                    (B) provide the results of that study to the 
                Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
                House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
                Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later 
                than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

            TITLE V--FAA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

SEC. 41. RESEARCH PLAN FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES INTO 
              THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator, in consultation with NASA, shall transmit a 
comprehensive research plan for the certification of new technologies 
into the national airspace system to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. This plan shall 
identify research necessary to support the certification and 
implementation of NextGen, including both ground and air elements, and 
explain the plan's relationship to other activities and procedures 
required for certification and implementation of new technologies into 
the national airspace system. This plan shall be informed by and 
conform to the recommendations of the National Research Council report 
titled ``Transformation in the Air--A Review of the FAA Research 
Plan'', issued on June 8, 2015. This report shall include, at a 
minimum--
            (1) a description of the strategic and prescriptive value 
        of the research plan;
            (2) an explanation of the expected outcomes from executing 
        the plan;
            (3) an assessment of the FAA's plan to use research and 
        development to improve cybersecurity over the next 5 years, 
        taking into account the cybersecurity research and development 
        plan developed under section 36(b);
            (4) an assessment of the current software assurance 
        practices, and the desired level or attributes to target in the 
        software assurance program;
            (5) cost estimates, planned schedules, and performance 
        benchmarks, including specific tasks, milestones, and timelines 
        and including an identification of cost and schedule reserves, 
        for the certification of new technologies into the national 
        airspace system, including NextGen, Automatic Dependent 
        Surveillance-Broadcast, Data Communications, National Airspace 
        System Voice System, Collaborative Air Traffic Management 
        Technologies, NextGen Weather, and System Wide Information 
        Management;
            (6) methods for integrating emerging technologies 
        throughout NextGen's development, certification, and 
        implementation process; and
            (7) best practices in research and development used by 
        other organizations, such as NASA, NavCanada, and Eurocontrol.

SEC. 42. AVIATION FUEL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND USAGE.

    The Administrator may conduct or supervise research, development, 
and service testing, currently being conducted under the Piston 
Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI) unleaded avgas program, that is 
required to allow the use of an unleaded aviation gasoline in existing 
aircraft as a replacement for leaded gasoline.

SEC. 43. AIR TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE OVER OCEANS AND OTHER REMOTE 
              LOCATIONS.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--The Administrator, in consultation 
with NASA and other relevant agencies, shall establish a research and 
development program on civilian air traffic surveillance over oceans 
and other remote locations. Such program shall--
            (1) take into account the need for international 
        interoperability of technologies and air traffic control 
        systems; and
            (2) recognize that Automatic Dependent Surveillance-
        Broadcast (ADS-B) is an element of the Next Generation Air 
        Transportation System.
    (b) Pilot Program.--The Administrator shall establish a pilot 
program to test, evaluate, and certify for integration into the 
national airspace system air traffic surveillance equipment for oceans 
and other remote locations.
    (c) Partnership With Private Industry.--The Administrator shall 
partner with private industry on the research, development, testing, 
and evaluation under this section.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit a report on activities 
under this section to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate.

SEC. 44. SINGLE-PILOTED COMMERCIAL CARGO AIRCRAFT.

    (a) Program.--The FAA, in consultation with NASA and other relevant 
agencies, shall establish a research and development program in support 
of single-piloted cargo aircraft assisted with remote piloting and 
computer piloting.
    (b) Review.--The FAA, in consultation with NASA, shall conduct a 
review of FAA research and development activities in support of single-
piloted cargo aircraft assisted with remote piloting and computer 
piloting.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall transmit a report to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate that 
describes--
            (1) the program established under subsection (a); and
            (2) the results of the review conducted under subsection 
        (b).

SEC. 45. ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    The Administrator shall develop a program to research the use of 
spectrum in the civil aviation domain, including aircraft and unmanned 
aircraft systems. This research shall, at a minimum, address--
            (1) how, operating within an Unmanned Aircraft System 
        Traffic Management system, unmanned aircraft systems can safely 
        use, for control link, tracking, diagnostics, payload 
        communication, collaborative-collision avoidance (e.g. vehicle-
        to-vehicle communications), and other purposes--
                    (A) aviation-protected spectrum;
                    (B) commercial communications networks, such as 
                mobile communications networks; and
                    (C) any other licensed or unlicensed spectrum;
            (2) how the reallocation of spectrum assigned for use 
        within frequency bands adjacent to those allocated for 
        position, navigation, and timing may impact the safety of civil 
        aviation; and
            (3) measures to protect and mitigate against spectrum 
        interference in frequency bands used by the civil aviation 
        community to ensure public safety.
                                 <all>