[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4082 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4082
To provide for Federal Aviation Administration research and development
on severe turbulence, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 13, 2023
Ms. Stevens introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for Federal Aviation Administration research and development
on severe turbulence, 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 ``FAA Severe Turbulence Research and
Development Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. TURBULENCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations for
such purpose, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
(in this section referred to as the ``Administrator''), in
collaboration with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and in consultation with the Administrator
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall carry out
applied research and development to--
(1) enhance the monitoring and understanding of severe
turbulence, including clear-air turbulence; and
(2) inform the development of measures to mitigate safety
impacts on crew and the flying public that may result from
severe turbulence.
(b) Research and Development Activities.--In conducting the
research and development on severe turbulence in accordance with
subsection (a), the Administrator shall--
(1) establish processes and procedures for comprehensive
and systematic data collection through both instrumentation and
pilot reporting, of severe turbulence, including clear-air
turbulence;
(2) establish measures for storing and managing such data
collection;
(3) support measures for monitoring and characterizing
incidents of severe turbulence;
(4) consider relevant existing research and development
from other entities, including Federal departments and
agencies, academia, and the private sector; and
(5) carry out research and development--
(A) to understand the impacts of climate change and
other factors on the nature of turbulence, including
severe turbulence and clear-air turbulence;
(B) to enhance turbulence forecasts for flight
planning and execution, seasonal predictions for
schedule and route-planning, and long-term projections
of severe turbulence, including clear-air turbulence;
and
(C) on other subject matters areas related to
severe turbulence, as determined by the Administrator;
and
(6) support the effective transition of the results of
research and development to operations, where appropriate.
(c) No Duplication.--The Administrator shall ensure that research
and development activities under this section do not duplicate other
Federal programs relating to turbulence.
(d) Turbulence Data.--
(1) Commercial providers.--In conducting research and
development activities under subsection (b), the Administrator
may enter into agreements with commercial providers for the
following:
(A) The purchase of turbulence data.
(B) The placement on aircraft of instruments
relevant to understanding and monitoring turbulence.
(2) Data access.--The Administrator shall make the data
collected pursuant to subsection (b) widely available and
accessible to the scientific research, user, and stakeholder
communities, including the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to the greatest extent
practicable and in accordance with Federal Aviation
Administration data management policies.
(e) Report on Turbulence Research.--Not later than 15 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in
collaboration with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, shall submit 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--
(1) details the activities conducted under this section,
including how the research and development activities under
subsection (b) have contributed to the goals specified in
subsection (a);
(2) assesses the current state of scientific understanding
of the causes, occurrence rates, and past and projected future
trends in occurrence rates of severe turbulence, including
clear-air turbulence;
(3) describes the processes and procedures for collecting,
storing, and managing, data in pursuant to subsection (b);
(4) assesses--
(A) the use of commercial providers pursuant to
subsection (d)(1); and
(B) the need for any future Federal Government
collection or procurement of data and instruments
related to turbulence, including an assessment of
costs;
(5) describes how such data will be made available to the
scientific research, user, and stakeholder communities; and
(6) identifies future research and development needed to
inform the development of measures to predict and mitigate the
safety impacts that may result from severe turbulence,
including clear-air turbulence.
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