[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1072 Reported in Senate (RS)]
Calendar No. 187
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1072
[Report No. 113-108]
To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration advances the safety
of small airplanes and the continued development of the general
aviation industry, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 23, 2013
Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Moran, Mr. Roberts, Mr.
Johanns, Mr. Begich, Mr. Risch, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Tester,
Mr. Inhofe, Ms. Heitkamp, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Franken, Mr.
Pryor, and Mr. Nelson) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
September 17, 2013
Reported by Mr. Rockefeller, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration advances the safety
of small airplanes and the continued development of the general
aviation industry, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Small Airplane
Revitalization Act of 2013''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Congress makes the following findings:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) A healthy small aircraft industry is integral
to economic growth and to maintaining an effective
transportation infrastructure for communities and countries
around the world.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Small airplanes comprise nearly 90 percent of
general aviation aircraft certified by the Federal Aviation
Administration.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) General aviation provides for the cultivation
of a workforce of engineers, manufacturing and maintenance
professionals, and pilots who secure the economic success and
defense of the United States.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) General aviation contributes to well-paying
jobs in the manufacturing and technology sectors in the United
States and products produced by those sectors are exported in
great numbers.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) Technology developed and proven in general
aviation aids in the success and safety of all sectors of
aviation and scientific competence.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) The average small airplane in the United
States is now 40 years old and the regulatory barriers to
bringing new designs to the market are resulting in a lack of
innovation and investment in small airplane design.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) Since 2003, the United States lost 10,000
active private pilots per year on average, partially due to a
lack of cost-effective, new small airplanes.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) General aviation safety can be improved by
modernizing and revamping the regulations relating to small
airplanes to clear the path for technology adoption and cost-
effective means to retrofit the existing fleet with new safety
technologies.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. SAFETY AND REGULATORY IMPROVEMENTS FOR GENERAL
AVIATION.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) In General.--Not later than December 15, 2015, the
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue a
final rule--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) to advance the safety and continued
development of small airplanes by reorganizing the
certification requirements for such airplanes under part 23 to
streamline the approval of safety advancements; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) that meets the objectives described in
subsection (b).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Objectives Described.--The objectives described in
this subsection are the following objectives of the Part 23
Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) The establishment of a regulatory regime for
small airplanes that will improve safety and decrease
certification costs.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) The establishment of broad, outcome-driven
safety objectives that will spur innovation and technology
adoption.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) The replacement of current, prescriptive
requirements under part 23 with performance-based
regulations.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) The use of consensus standards accepted by the
Federal Aviation Administration to clarify how the safety
objectives of part 23 may be met using specific designs and
technologies.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Consensus-Based Standards.--In prescribing regulations
under this section, the Administrator shall use consensus standards, as
described in section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act of 1996 (15 U.S.C. 272 note), to the extent practicable
while continuing to evaluate traditional methods for meeting the
objectives of part 23.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (d) Safety Cooperation.--The Administrator shall lead the
effort to improve general aviation safety by working with leading
aviation regulators to assist them in adopting a complementary
regulatory approach for small airplanes.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (e) Definitions.--In this section:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Consensus standards.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) In general.--The term ``consensus
standards'' means standards developed by an
organization described in subparagraph (B) that may
include provisions requiring that owners of relevant
intellectual property have agreed to make that
intellectual property available on a nondiscriminatory,
royalty-free, or reasonable royalty basis to all
interested persons.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Organizations described.--An
organization described in this subparagraph is a
domestic or international organization that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) plans, develops, establishes,
or coordinates, through a process based on
consensus and using agreed-upon procedures,
voluntary standards; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) operates in a transparent
manner, considers a balanced set of interests
with respect to such standards, and provides
for due process and an appeals process with
respect to such standards.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) General aviation.--The term ``general
aviation'' means all aviation activities other than scheduled
commercial air carrier operations and military
aviation.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Part 23.--The term ``part 23'' means part 23
of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) Part 23 reorganization aviation rulemaking
committee.--The term ``Part 23 Reorganization Aviation
Rulemaking Committee'' means the aviation rulemaking committee
established by the Federal Aviation Administration in August
2011 to consider the reorganization of the regulations under
part 23.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) Small airplane.--The term ``small airplane''
means an airplane to which part 23 applies.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Small Airplane Revitalization Act of
2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) A healthy small aircraft industry is integral to
economic growth and to maintaining an effective transportation
infrastructure for communities and countries around the world.
(2) Small airplanes comprise nearly 90 percent of general
aviation aircraft certified by the Federal Aviation
Administration.
(3) General aviation provides for the cultivation of a
workforce of engineers, manufacturing and maintenance
professionals, and pilots who secure the economic success and
defense of the United States.
(4) General aviation contributes to well-paying jobs in the
manufacturing and technology sectors in the United States and
products produced by those sectors are exported in great
numbers.
(5) Technology developed and proven in general aviation
aids in the success and safety of all sectors of aviation and
scientific competence.
(6) The average small airplane in the United States is now
40 years old and the regulatory barriers to bringing new
designs to the market are resulting in a lack of innovation and
investment in small airplane design.
(7) Since 2003, the United States lost 10,000 active
private pilots per year on average, partially due to a lack of
cost-effective, new small airplanes.
(8) General aviation safety can be improved by modernizing
and revamping the regulations relating to small airplanes to
clear the path for technology adoption and cost-effective means
to retrofit the existing fleet with new safety technologies.
SEC. 3. SAFETY AND REGULATORY IMPROVEMENTS FOR GENERAL AVIATION.
(a) In General.--Not later than December 15, 2015, the
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue a
final rule--
(1) to advance the safety and continued development of
small airplanes by reorganizing the certification requirements
for such airplanes under part 23 to streamline the approval of
safety advancements; and
(2) that meets the objectives described in subsection (b).
(b) Objectives Described.--The objectives described in this
subsection are based on the recommendations of the Part 23
Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee:
(1) The establishment of a regulatory regime for small
airplanes that will improve safety and reduce the regulatory
cost burden for the Federal Aviation Administration and the
aviation industry.
(2) The establishment of broad, outcome-driven safety
objectives that will spur innovation and technology adoption.
(3) The replacement of current, prescriptive requirements
under part 23 with performance-based regulations.
(4) The use of consensus standards accepted by the Federal
Aviation Administration to clarify how the safety objectives of
part 23 may be met using specific designs and technologies.
(c) Consensus-Based Standards.--In prescribing regulations under
this section, the Administrator shall use consensus standards, as
described in section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act of 1996 (15 U.S.C. 272 note), to the extent practicable
while continuing traditional methods for meeting part 23.
(d) Safety Cooperation.--The Administrator shall lead the effort to
improve general aviation safety by working with leading aviation
regulators to assist them in adopting a complementary regulatory
approach for small airplanes.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Consensus standards.--
(A) In general.--The term ``consensus standards''
means standards developed by an organization described
in subparagraph (B) that may include provisions
requiring that owners of relevant intellectual property
have agreed to make that intellectual property
available on a nondiscriminatory, royalty-free, or
reasonable royalty basis to all interested persons.
(B) Organizations described.--An organization
described in this subparagraph is a domestic or
international organization that--
(i) plans, develops, establishes, or
coordinates, through a process based on
consensus and using agreed-upon procedures,
voluntary standards; and
(ii) operates in a transparent manner,
considers a balanced set of interests with
respect to such standards, and provides for due
process and an appeals process with respect to
such standards.
(2) Part 23.--The term ``part 23'' means part 23 of title
14, Code of Federal Regulations.
(3) Part 23 reorganization aviation rulemaking committee.--
The term ``Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking
Committee'' means the aviation rulemaking committee established
by the Federal Aviation Administration in August 2011 to
consider the reorganization of the regulations under part 23.
(4) Small airplane.--The term ``small airplane'' means an
airplane which is certified to part 23 standards.
Calendar No. 187
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1072
[Report No. 113-108]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration advances the safety
of small airplanes and the continued development of the general
aviation industry, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 17, 2013
Reported with an amendment