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Title II — FAA Research and Development Organization

H.R. 3198 · 115th Congress · Jul 12, 2017 · Lineage

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.