(a) Short title.—This Act may be cited as the “FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023”.

(b) Table of contents.—The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.

In this Act:

(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—Unless otherwise specified, the term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

(2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.—The term “appropriate committees of Congress” means the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.

(3) COMPTROLLER GENERAL.—The term “Comptroller General” means the Comptroller General of the United States.

(4) FAA.—The term “FAA” means the Federal Aviation Administration.

(5) SECRETARY.—Unless otherwise specified, the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Transportation.

(a) Authorization.—Section 48103(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking paragraphs (1) through (6) and inserting the following:

“(1) $4,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;

“(2) $4,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2025;

“(3) $4,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;

“(4) $4,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and

“(5) $4,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.”.

(b) Obligation authority.—Section 47104(c) of title 49, United States Code, is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “2023,” and inserting “2028,”.

Section 48101(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking paragraphs (1) through (6) and inserting the following:

“(1) $3,575,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.

“(2) $3,625,000,000 for fiscal year 2025.

“(3) $3,675,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.

“(4) $3,675,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.

“(5) $3,675,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.”.

(a) In general.—Section 106(k)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) through (F) and inserting the following:

“(A) $12,740,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;

“(B) $13,033,000,000 for fiscal year 2025;

“(C) $13,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;

“(D) $13,900,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and

“(E) $14,400,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.”.

(b) Authority to transfer funds.—Section 106(k)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “fiscal years 2018 through 2023” and inserting “fiscal years 2024 through 2028”.

(a) Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau.—Section 47115(i) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “fiscal years 2018 through 2023” and inserting “fiscal years 2024 through 2028”.

(b) Extension of compatible land use planning and projects by State and local governments.—Section 47141(f) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “September 30, 2023” and inserting “September 30, 2028”.

(c) Midway Island airport.—Section 186(d) of the Vision 100—Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (Public Law 108–176; 117 Stat. 2518) is amended by striking “fiscal years 2018 through 2023” and inserting “fiscal years 2024 through 2028”.

(d) Authority to provide insurance.—Section 44310(b) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “September 30, 2023” and inserting “September 30, 2028.”.

Section 46104(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “and records” and inserting “, records, including documents and data, whether stored in a physical or electronic format, and tangible objects”.

Section 48102(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in paragraph (14), by striking “and” at the end;

(2) by paragraph (15), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(16) $344,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;

“(17) $360,000,000 for fiscal year 2025;

“(18) $367,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;

“(19) $374,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and

“(20) $390,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.”.

The amendments made by this subtitle (other than in section 105) shall take effect on October 1, 2023.

(a) Completion and sunset.—

(1) KEY PROGRAMS.—Not later than December 31, 2025, the FAA shall operationalize all the key programs under the NextGen project as described in the FAA’s deployment plan.

(2) OFFICE; ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The NextGen Office and the NextGen Advisory Committee shall terminate on December 31, 2025.

(3) TRANSFER OF RESIDUAL NEXTGEN IMPLEMENTATION FUNCTIONS; STATUS REPORT.—If the FAA does not complete the NextGen project by the deadline specified in paragraph (1), the Administrator shall transfer the residual functions of completing NextGen to the Airspace Innovation Office established under section 202.

(4) TRANSFER OF ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY FUNCTIONS.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, any AAM (as defined in section 106(u)(7) of title 49, United States Code (as added by section 801)) relevant functions, duties, and responsibilities of the NAS Systems, Engineering, & Integration Office or other Offices within the Office of NextGen shall be incorporated into the Office of Advanced Aviation Technology and Innovation established under section 106(u) of title 49, United States Code (as so added).

(5) STATUS REPORTS.—If the FAA does not complete the NextGen project by the deadline specified in paragraph (1), the Administrator shall, not later than 30 days after such deadline, and quarterly thereafter until all key programs under the NextGen project are deployed, brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the status of each incomplete program, including, with respect to each such incomplete program—

(A) an explanation as to why the program deployment was delayed or not completed by such deadline;

(B) an assessment of the key risks to the full implementation of the program and a description of how the FAA is mitigating, or plans to mitigate, those risks; and

(C) a detailed schedule of actions necessary to complete the program, including updated milestones and deadlines.

(b) Independent report.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days of the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall contract with an independent third-party contractor or a Federally funded research and development center to develop a report reviewing and assessing the implementation of the NextGen project.

(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The report developed under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) Evaluation of the promised operational benefits at the time of initiation and the realized benefits upon completion of the NextGen project.

(B) Recommendations for the technical capacity and resources needed by the FAA in order to oversee a comprehensive airspace modernization project on-schedule and on-budget.

(C) Identification of programs under the NextGen project that were significantly delayed, significantly diminished, or ultimately not implemented, including an explanation of the cause of the delay, reduction, or removal of the program from the NextGen project by the FAA. This discussion shall include at a minimum, programs relating to expanding surveillance coverage across the country, increasing performance-based navigation, and improving enroute data communications.

(D) Identification of any challenges that impacted the implementation of the NextGen project.

(E) Identification of any lessons learned during the NextGen project effort, and whether, how, and to what effect those lessons may be applied to future national airspace system modernization efforts.

(F) Assessment of national airspace system user engagement in the NextGen project priorities and implementation.

(G) Recommendations of the justifications for further national airspace system modernization efforts including economic, safety, efficiency, capacity, predictability, and resiliency of the United States air transportation system.

(3) DEADLINE.—Not later than June 30, 2026, the report developed under paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the Administrator and the appropriate committees of Congress.

(a) Establishment.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—On January 1, 2026, the Administrator shall establish within the FAA the Airspace Innovation Office (in this section referred to as the “Office”).

(2) ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR.—The Office shall be led by the Assistant Administrator.

(3) DUTIES.—The Office shall be responsible for—

(A) the research and development, systems engineering, enterprise architecture, and portfolio management for the continuous modernization of the national airspace system; and

(B) developing an integrated plan for the future state of the national airspace system and overseeing the deployment of the system.

(4) CONSULTATION.—The Assistant Administrator shall consult, as necessary, with the Chief Technology Officer appointed under section 106(s) of title 49, United States Code, and the Associate Administrator for Advanced Aviation Technology and Innovation appointed under section 106(u) of title 49, United States Code (as added by section 801).

(b) Integrated plan requirements.—The integrated plan developed by the Office shall be designed to ensure that the national airspace system meets future safety, security, mobility, efficiency, and capacity needs of a diverse set of airspace users. The integrated plan shall include the following:

(1) A description of the demand for services that will be required of the Nation’s future air transportation system, and an explanation of how those demand projections were derived, including—

(A) the most likely range of average annual resources required over the duration of the plan to cost-effectively maintain the safety, sustainability, and other characteristics of national airspace operation and the FAA’s mission; and

(B) an estimate of FAA resource requirements by user group, including expectations concerning the growth of new entrants and potential new users.

(2) A roadmap for creating and implementing the integrated plan, including—

(A) the most significant technical, operational, and personnel obstacles and the activities necessary to overcome such obstacles, including the role of other Federal agencies, corporations, institutions of higher learning, and non-profit organizations in carrying out such activities;

(B) the annual anticipated cost of carrying out such activities; and

(C) the technical milestones that will be used to evaluate the activities.

(3) A description of the operational concepts to meet the system performance requirements for all system users and a timeline and anticipated expenditures needed to develop and deploy the system.

(4) The management of the enterprise architecture framework for the introduction of these operational improvements and to inform FAA financial decision-making.

(5) A business case for the operational improvements that the Office will develop and deploy not later than 2040, including the benefits, costs, and risks of the preferred and alternative options.

(c) Considerations.—In developing and carrying out the integrated plan, the Office shall consider—

(1) the results and recommendations of the independent report on implementation of the NextGen project under section 201(b);

(2) the status of the transition to, and deployment of, trajectory-based operations within the national airspace system; and

(3) the audit of legacy systems required by section 407, and the resulting plan to replace or enhance the identified legacy systems within a reasonable time frame.

(d) Consultation.—In developing and carrying out the integrated plan, the Office shall consult with representatives from—

(1) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;

(2) airlines;

(3) business aviation;

(4) general aviation;

(5) aviation labor groups;

(6) aviation research and development entities;

(7) aircraft and avionics manufacturers;

(8) air traffic control suppliers;

(9) commercial space industry;

(10) commercial and recreational drone industry; and

(11) any other entities the Office deems necessary.

(e) Plan deadline; briefings.—

(1) PLAN DEADLINE.—Not later than November 30, 2026, the Administrator shall submit the integrated plan required by subsection (a)(3)(B) to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

(2) ANNUAL BRIEFINGS.—The Administrator shall provide the committees of Congress specified in paragraph (1) with an annual briefing describing the progress in carrying out the integrated plan required by subsection (a)(3)(B), including any changes to the plan.

(f) DOT Inspector General review.—Not later than 180 days following submission of the integrated plan under subsection (e)(1), the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation shall review the integrated plan and submit to the committees of Congress specified in paragraph (1) a report that—

(1) assesses the business case for the integrated plan;

(2) provides any recommendations for improving the integrated plan; and

(3) includes any other information that the Inspector General determines appropriate.

(g) Limitation.—The FAA is not authorized to spend any amounts on the deployment of new air traffic management technologies and operational improvements that have yet to be deployed and identified in the integrated plan until the committees of Congress specified in paragraph (1) have been briefed under subsection (e)(2).

(a) ASIAS analytics.—

(1) EVALUATION.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall evaluate whether commercial software solutions are available to improve the FAA’s Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system to advance the system’s predictive capabilities and analytical solutions developed.

(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the evaluation required by paragraph (1), the Administrator shall—

(A) prioritize production-ready configurable solutions over custom development to support FAA critical aviation safety programs; and

(B) ensure that adequate market research is completed in accordance with FAA acquisition management system requirements, including appropriate live demonstrations of proposed solutions, as part of the evaluation criteria.

(b) Congressional briefing.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a briefing on the results of the evaluation carried out under subsection (a) that—

(1) includes an assessment of the FAA’s progress toward achieving previously identified milestones for ASIAS by the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation and the Special Committee to Review FAA Aircraft Certification Reports; and

(2) outlines the FAA’s plan to use rapidly deployable commercial solutions to assist the FAA in meeting such milestones.

Section 46103 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking “or” after the semicolon;

(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following:

“(D) by electronic or facsimile transmission to the person to be served or the designated agent of the person; or

“(E) as designated by regulation or guidance published in the Federal Register.”; and

(B) by adding at the end the following:

“(3) The date of service made by an electronic or facsimile method is—

“(A) the date an electronic or facsimile transmission is sent; or

“(B) the date a notification is sent by an electronic or facsimile method that a notice, process, or action is immediately available and accessible in an electronic database.”; and

(2) in subsection (c) by striking the first sentence and inserting “Service on an agent designated under this section shall be made at the office or usual place of residence of the agent or at the electronic or facsimile address designated by the agent.”.

(a) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall—

(1) identify, at the discretion of the Administrator, 3 processes of the FAA that result in a certification (such as an aircraft certification, aircraft registration, or airmen certification) or authorization, an exemption, or a letter of authorization; and

(2) initiate the digitization of such processes.

(b) Requirements.—In carrying out the digitization required by subsection (a), the Administrator shall ensure that the digitization of any process allows for—

(1) an applicant to track their application throughout the period of submission and review of such application; and

(2) the status of the application to be available upon demand to the applicant, as well as FAA employees responsible for reviewing and making a decision on the application.

(c) Briefing to Congress.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Administrator initiates the digitization under subsection (a)(2), the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the progress of such digitization.

(d) Definition of digitization.—In this section, the term “digitization” means the transition from a predominantly paper-based system to a system centered on the use of a data management system and the internet.

(a) Reports modified.—

(1) REPORT ON THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 47131(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking the first sentence and inserting “Not later than June 1, 2025, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to Congress a report on activities carried out under this subchapter during the prior 2 fiscal years.”.

(B) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—

(i) Section 47131 of title 49, United States Code, is amended in the section heading by striking “Annual” and inserting “Biennial”.

(ii) The analysis for chapter 471 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 47131 and inserting the following:

“47131. Biennial report.”.

(2) NATIONAL AVIATION RESEARCH PLAN.—

(A) Section 44501(c)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “the date of submission” and inserting “90 days after the date of submission”.

(B) Section 48102(g) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “the date of submission” and inserting “90 days after the date of submission”.

(b) Reports eliminated.—

(1) LASER POINTER INCIDENTS.—Section 2104(a) of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (49 U.S.C. 46301 note) is amended by striking “Beginning 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in coordination with appropriate Federal law enforcement agencies, shall provide quarterly updates to the appropriate committees of Congress regarding” and inserting “The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in coordination with appropriate Federal law enforcement agencies, shall provide an annual briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress regarding”.

(2) REPORT ON HELICOPTER AIR AMBULANCE OPERATIONS.—Section 44731 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(A) in subsection (d)—

(i) in the subsection heading, by striking “Report to Congress” and inserting “Briefing”;

(ii) by striking the first sentence and inserting “The Administrator shall provide a briefing to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate annually on the data collected under subsection (a).”; and

(iii) in the second sentence by striking “report” and inserting “briefing”; and

(B) in subsection (e)(2), by striking “the report” and inserting “the briefing”.

(a) In general.—The Secretary shall establish an internal regulatory process review team (in this section referred to as the “review team”) comprising of FAA employees and individuals described in subsection (b) to develop recommendations to improve the timeliness of, and performance accountability in, the development and promulgation of regulatory materials (as defined in subsection (g)). The review team shall deliver a report with recommendations to the Secretary in accordance with the deadlines specified in subsection (e).

(b) Other members; consultation.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The review team shall include outside experts and academics with relevant experience or expertise in aviation safety and in improving the performance, accountability, and transparency of the Federal regulatory process, particularly as it relates to aviation safety. The review team shall include at least 3 outside experts or academics with relevant experience or expertise in aviation safety and at least 1 outside expert or academic with relevant experience or expertise in improving the performance, accountability, and transparency of the Federal regulatory process, particularly as it relates to aviation safety.

(2) CONSULTATION.—The review team may, as appropriate, consult with industry stakeholders.

(c) Contents of review.—In conducting the review required under subsection (a), the review team shall do the following:

(1) Develop a proposal for rationalizing processes and eliminating redundant administrative review of regulatory materials within the FAA, particularly when FAA-sponsored rule-making committees and stakeholders have collaborated on the proposed regulations to address airworthiness standards deficiencies.

(2) With respect to each office within the FAA that reviews regulatory materials, assess—

(A) the timeline assigned to each such office to complete the review of regulatory materials;

(B) the actual time spent for such review;

(C) opportunities to reduce the actual time for such review; and

(D) whether clear roles, responsibilities, requirements, and expectations are clearly defined for each office required to review the regulatory materials.

(3) Define and document the roles and responsibilities of each office within the FAA that develops, drafts or reviews each kind of regulatory material in order to ensure that hiring reflects who, where, and how these employees function in the rulemaking framework.

(4) Describe any organizational changes or the need to hire additional FAA employees, if necessary and taking into consideration whether current positions are staffed, to reduce delays in publication of proposed and final regulatory materials.

(5) In order to provide the public with detailed information on the progress of the development of regulatory materials, identify reporting mechanisms and develop a template and appropriate system metrics for making publicly available on a website a real-time progress tracker that updates itself to show the major stages (as determined by the Secretary) of the development of regulatory materials as they are initiated, in progress, and completed, from inception of a proposed development of regulatory materials to publication of the final version of such materials.

(6) Consider changes to the FAA’s best practices under rules governing ex parte communications with other validating authorities, including international validating authorities, and with consideration of the public interest in transparency, to provide flexibility for FAA employees to discuss regulatory materials, particularly for those related to enhancing aviation safety and the United States’ aviation international leadership.

(7) Recommend methods by which the FAA can incorporate research funded by the Department of Transportation, in addition to consensus standards and conformance assessment processes set by private sector standards-developing organizations into regulatory materials, to keep pace with rapid changes in aviation technologies and processes.

(8) Recommend mechanisms to optimize the roles of the Office of the Secretary of Transportation and the Office of Management and Budget, with the objective of improving the efficiency of regulatory activity.

(d) Action plan.—The Administrator shall develop an action plan to implement the recommendations developed by the review team. The Administrator shall publish the action plan on the Internet website of the FAA and shall transmit the plan to the appropriate committees of Congress.

(e) Deadlines.—The requirements of this section shall be subject to the following deadlines:

(1) The review team shall complete the evaluation required under subsection (a) and submit the review team’s report on such evaluation to the Secretary not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this section.

(2) The Administrator shall develop and publish the action plan under subsection (d) not later than 30 days after the date on which the review team submits the report required by subsection (a) to the Administrator.

(f) Administrative procedure requirements inapplicable.—The provisions of subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the “Administrative Procedure Act”) shall not apply to any activities of the review team in carrying out the requirements of this section.

(g) Regulatory materials defined.—In this section, the term “regulatory materials” means rules, orders, advisory circulars, statements of policy, guidance, and other materials related to aviation safety regulations, as well as other materials pertaining to training and operation of aeronautical products.

Not later than 2 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall—

(1) identify each categorical exclusion under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Department”), including any operating administration within the Department; and

(2) review, adopt, and broaden the applicability of categorical exclusions to enable the use by operating administrations of the Department, as relevant and appropriate, of categorical exclusions identified in paragraph (1).

(a) Review and study.—Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this section, subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator shall enter into an agreement with an appropriate Federally-funded research and development center, or other independent nonprofit organization that recommends solutions to aviation policy challenges through objective analysis, to conduct a review and study in accordance with the requirements and elements set forth in this section.

(b) Elements.—The review and study under subsection (a) shall provide analyses, assessments, and recommendations that address the following:

(1) A vision for a future state of type certification that reflects the highly complex, highly integrated nature of today’s aircraft and improvements in aviation safety.

(2) A review of the current tools and techniques used for type certification and an evaluation of whether use of advanced digital tools and techniques, including model-based system engineering, would improve the type certification process and enhance aviation safety.

(3) How the FAA could develop a risk-based model for type certification that improves the safety of aircraft.

(4) What changes are needed to ensure that corrective actions for continued operational safety issues can be approved and implemented quickly, particularly with respect to software modifications, while maintaining the safety of the type certification process.

(5) What efficiencies and safety process improvements are needed in the FAA’s type certification system that will facilitate the assessment and integration of innovating technologies that advance aviation safety, such as conducting product familiarization, developing certification requirements, and demonstrating flight test safety readiness.

(6) Best practices and tools used by other certification authorities that could be adopted by the FAA and the United States, as well as the best practices and tools used by the United States which can be shared with other certification authorities.

(c) Report.—Not later than 15 months after the date of enactment of this section, the organization conducting the review and study shall submit to the Administrator and the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the results of the review and study that includes the findings and recommendations of the organization.

(d) Congressional briefing.—Not later than 270 days after the report required under subsection (c) is submitted to the Administrator, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress regarding the FAA’s response to the findings and recommendations of such report, what actions the FAA will take as a result of such findings and recommendations, and the FAA rationale for not taking action on any specific recommendation.

(a) In general.—Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall evaluate the performance of the FAA’s type certificate validation program under bilateral agreements, with reference to agreed implementation procedures.

(b) Contents.—The evaluation under subsection (a) shall consider, at minimum, the following:

(1) Progress under section 243(a) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 44701 note) with respect to improving the FAA’s leadership abroad.

(2) Performance, with reference to metrics such as the number and types of projects, timeline milestones, the validating authority level of involvement and certifying authority delegation, and trends relating to the repeated use of non-basic criteria, relating to review systems or methods of compliance that have been validated previously in similar context.

(3) Training on the minimum standards for validation work plan content, such as the validating authority level of involvement, and what constitutes justification for level of involvement and compliance document requests.

(4) The perspectives of FAA employees responsible for type validation projects, bilateral civil aviation regulatory partners, and industry applicants, on the FAA’s performance in carrying out validation projects.

(5) The levels of funding and staffing for the International Validation Branch of the Compliance and Airworthiness Division of the Aircraft Certification Service of the FAA compared to the Branch’s workload and goals.

(6) The effectiveness of FAA training for employees and of outreach conducted to improve and enforce validation processes.

(7) Efforts undertaken to strengthen relationships with international certification authorities to maximize safety cooperation and the use of approvals issued by other certifying authorities in compliance with applicable bilateral agreements and implementation procedures.

(c) Report.—The Administrator shall issue a report regarding the evaluation required under subsection (a) to the appropriate committees of Congress not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section.

(a) In general.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall take necessary actions, including as appropriate, amending part 21 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, and revising or modifying any associated advisory circulars, guidance, or policy of the FAA, in accordance with this section to improve flight test safety risk.

(b) Requirements.—In developing, amending, revising, or modifying regulations, advisory circulars, guidance, or policy under subsection (a), the Administrator shall do the following:

(1) Develop validation criteria and procedures whereby data produced in high fidelity engineering laboratories and facilities may be allowed in conjunction with, or in lieu of, data produced on a flying test article to support an applicant’s showing of compliance required under section 21.35(a)(1) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(2) Develop criteria and procedures whereby an Organization Designation Authorization (as defined in section 44736(c)(5) of title 49, United States Code) may recommend that certain data produced during an applicant’s company flight test program may be accepted by the FAA as final compliance data in accordance with section 21.35(b) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, at the sole discretion of the FAA.

(3) Work with other civil aviation authorities representing States of Design to identify their best practices relative to high-risk flight testing and adopt those practices into the FAA's flight-testing requirements to the maximum extent practicable.

(a) In general.—Chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

(b) Clerical amendment.—The analysis for chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 44744 the following:

“44745. Recording devices.”.

(a) In general.—Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall task the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as the “Committee”) with reviewing and assessing the need for changes to the safety requirements for turbine-powered rotorcraft certificated for 6 or more passenger seats in relation to flight data recorders, flight data monitoring, and terrain awareness and warning systems. The Committee shall submit to the Administrator a report on the findings from such review and assessment, together with recommendations for such legislative or administrative action the Committee deems appropriate.

(b) Considerations.—In reviewing and assessing the safety requirements under subsection (a), the Committee shall consider—

(1) any applicable safety recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board; and

(2) the operational requirements and safety considerations for operations under parts 121 and 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(c) Briefing.—Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Committee submits the report under subsection (a), the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on—

(1) the findings and recommendations included in the Committee's report; and

(2) the Administrator’s plan, if any, to implement such recommendations.

(a) Findings.—Congress finds the following:

(1) Proper attention to human factors during the development of technological systems is a significant factor in minimizing or preventing human error.

(2) The evaluation and monitoring of a new aviation technology or system with respect to human use throughout its design and development may reduce human error in new systems and technologies when used in operational conditions.

(3) The technical standard “ANSI/HFES 400–2021, Human Readiness Level Scale in the System Development Process” defines the 9 levels of a Human Readiness Level scale and their application in systems engineering and human systems integration processes.

(b) Review.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall initiate a process to review ANSI/HFES Standard 400–2021 and determine whether any materials from this standard can and should be incorporated or referenced in agency procedures and guidance material in order to enhance safety in relation to human factors.

(c) Consultation.—In carrying out subsection (b), the Administrator shall conduct a review of the ANSI/HFES 400–2021 technical standard and may consult with subject matter experts affiliated with the authoring organization for such technical standard.

(d) Briefing.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the progress of the review required by subsection (b).

(a) Annual congressional briefings.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on compliance during the preceding year with requirements relating to Service Difficulty Reports, specifically—

(1) compliance by operators with the requirements of section 121.703 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations;

(2) compliance by approval or certificate holders with the requirements of section 183.63 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and

(3) compliance by FAA offices with the requirements for investigation of Service Difficulty Reports, as documented in the following FAA Orders (and any subsequent revisions of such Orders):

(A) FAA Order 8900.1A, Flight Standards Information Management System (issued October 27, 2022);

(B) FAA Order 8120.23A, Certificate Management of Production Approval Holders (issued March 6, 2017); and

(C) FAA Order 8110.107A, Monitor Safety/Analyze Data (issued October 1, 2012).

(b) Requirements.—The briefings required by subsection (a) shall include the following with respect to the preceding year:

(1) Identification of categories of service difficulties reported, as determined by the Administrator, including repetitive service difficulties reported.

(2) The causes of the service difficulties, as determined by the Administrator.

(3) Actions taken by, or required by, the Administrator to address the identified causes of service difficulties.

(4) Violations of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, and what, if any, action the FAA took in response to a violation, including any actions set forth in FAA Order 2150.3C, FAA Compliance and Enforcement Program w/Changes 1-10 (issued September 18, 2018) (or any subsequent revisions of such Order).

(a) In general.—Section 44704(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “When an applicant submits design data to the Administrator for a finding of compliance as part of an application for a type certificate, the applicant shall certify to the Administrator that the submitted design data demonstrates compliance with the applicable airworthiness standards or that any airworthiness standards not complied with are compensated for by factors that provide an equivalent level of safety as agreed upon by the Administrator.”

(b) Report to Congress.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall provide to the appropriate committees of Congress a briefing on the implementation of the certification required by the amendment made by subsection (a).

The Administrator shall review the process of reserving aircraft registration numbers and implement appropriate changes to ensure the fair participation by the general public, including the implementation of readily available software to prevent any computer auto-fill systems from reserving aircraft registration numbers in bulk.

(a) In general.—Chapter 441 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

(b) Effective date.—The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of enactment of this section.

(c) Clerical amendment.—The analysis for chapter 441 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 44113 the following:

“44114. Reregistration of aircraft.”.

(a) In general.—Section 44733 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in the section heading by striking “Inspection” and inserting “Oversight”;

(2) in subsection (e)—

(A) in the first sentence—

(i) by inserting “, without prior notice to such repair stations,” after “annually”; and

(ii) by inserting “and the applicable laws of the country in which a repair station is located” after “international agreements”; and

(B) by striking the second sentence and inserting “The Administrator may carry out announced or unannounced inspections in addition to the annual unannounced inspection required under this subsection based on identified risks and in a manner consistent with United States obligations under international agreements and with the applicable laws of the country in which a repair station is located.”;

(3) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (i); and

(4) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:

“(g) Data analysis.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—An air carrier conducting operations under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, shall, if applicable, provide to the appropriate office of the Administration, not less than once every year, a report containing the information described in paragraph (2) with respect to heavy maintenance work on aircraft (including on-wing aircraft engines) performed in the preceding year.

“(2) INFORMATION REQUIRED.—A report under paragraph (1) shall contain the following information:

“(A) The location where any heavy maintenance work on aircraft (including on-wing aircraft engines) was performed outside the United States.

“(B) A description of the work performed at each such location.

“(C) The date of completion of the work performed at each such location.

“(D) If applicable, a list of all failures, malfunctions, or defects affecting the safe operation of such aircraft identified by the air carrier within 30 days after the date on which an aircraft is returned to service, organized by reference to aircraft registration number, that—

“(i) requires corrective action after the aircraft is approved for return to service; and

“(ii) results from the work performed on such aircraft.

“(E) The certificate number of the person approving such aircraft or on-wing aircraft engine, for return to service following completion of the work performed at each such location.

“(3) ANALYSIS.—The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall—

“(A) analyze information made available under paragraph (1) of this subsection and sections 121.703, 121.705, 121.707, and 145.221 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor provisions, to detect safety issues associated with heavy maintenance work on aircraft (including on-wing aircraft engines) performed outside the United States; and

“(B) require appropriate actions in response.

“(4) CONFIDENTIALITY.—Information made available under paragraph (1) shall be subject to the same protections given to voluntarily provided safety or security related information under section 40123.

“(h) Minimum qualifications for mechanics and others working on U.S. registered aircraft.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall require that, at each covered repair station—

“(A) all supervisory personnel are appropriately certificated as a mechanic or repairman under part 65 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, or under an equivalent certification or licensing regime, as determined by the Administrator; and

“(B) all personnel authorized to approve an article for return to service are appropriately certificated as a mechanic or repairman under part 65 of such title, or under an equivalent certification or licensing regime, as determined by the Administrator.

“(2) AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall require any individual who is responsible for approving an article for return to service or who is directly in charge of aircraft (including on-wing aircraft engine) maintenance performed on aircraft operated under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, be available for consultation while work is being performed at a covered repair station.”.

(b) Definition of covered repair station.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 44733(i) of title 49, United States Code (as redesignated by subsection (a)(3)), is amended—

(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (3) as paragraphs (2) through (4), respectively; and

(B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, the following:

“(1) COVERED REPAIR STATION.—The term ‘covered repair station’ means a facility that—

“(A) is located outside the United States;

“(B) is certificated under part 145 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and

“(C) performs heavy maintenance work on aircraft (including on-wing aircraft engines) operated under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.”.

(2) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 44733(a)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “covered part 145 repair stations” and inserting “part 145 repair stations”.

(c) Clerical amendments.—The analysis for chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 44733 and inserting the following:

“44733. Oversight of repair stations located outside the United States.”.

(a) In general.—Subject to subsection (c), beginning on the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator may not approve or authorize international travel for any employee of the FAA until a final rule carrying out the requirements of subsection (b) of section 2112 of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (49 U.S.C. 44733 note) has been published in the Federal Register.

(b) Rulemaking on assessment requirement.—With respect to any employee not covered under the requirements of section 1554.101 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, the Administrator shall initiate a rulemaking that requires a covered repair station to confirm that any such employee has successfully completed an assessment commensurate with a security threat assessment described in subpart C of part 1540 of such title.

(c) Exceptions.—The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to international travel that is determined by the Administrator on an individual-by-individual basis to be—

(1) exclusively for the purpose of conducting a safety inspection;

(2) directly related to aviation safety standards, certification, and oversight; or

(3) vital to the national interests of the United States.

(d) Definition of covered repair station.—For purposes of this section, the term “covered repair station” means a facility that—

(1) is located outside the United States;

(2) is certificated under part 145 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and

(3) performs heavy maintenance work on aircraft (including on-wing aircraft engines), operated under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(a) Aviation Rulemaking Committee.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish an Aviation Rulemaking Committee (in this section referred to as the “Committee”) to review and develop findings and recommendations regarding a standard that any high altitude balloon be equipped with a system for continuous aircraft tracking that shall transmit, at a minimum, the altitude, location, and identity of the high altitude balloon in a manner which is accessible to air traffic controllers, aircraft, and other users of the National Airspace System.

(2) COMPOSITION.—The Committee shall consist of members appointed by the Administrator, including the following:

(A) Representatives of industry.

(B) Aviation safety experts with specific knowledge of high altitude balloon operations.

(C) Representatives of the Department of Defense.

(D) Representatives of Federal agencies that conduct high altitude balloon operations.

(3) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Committee shall submit to the Administrator a report detailing the findings and recommendations of the Committee described in paragraph (1). Such report shall include recommendations regarding the following:

(A) How to update sections 91.215, 91.225, and 99.13 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to require any high altitude balloons to have a continuous aircraft tracking and transmission system.

(B) Any necessary updates to the requirements for unmanned free balloons under subpart D of part 101 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(C) Any necessary updates to other FAA regulations or requirements deemed appropriate and necessary by the Administrator to—

(i) ensure any high altitude balloon has a continuous aircraft tracking and transmission system

(ii) ensure all data relating to the altitude, location, and identity of any high altitude balloon is made available to air traffic controllers, aircraft, and other users of the National Airspace System; and

(iii) maintain airspace safety.

(b) Rulemaking and other requirements.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Committee submits the report under subsection (a)(3), the Administrator shall—

(1) issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to require a continuous aircraft tracking and transmission system for any high altitude balloon, in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee; and

(2) coordinate with foreign authorities (including bilateral partners and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)) to develop continuous aircraft tracking and transmission system standards for any high altitude balloon operating outside of the National Airspace System.

(c) Interim standard.—During the period beginning on the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this section and ending on the date on which the Administrator issues a notice of proposed rulemaking under subsection (b)(1), a person may only operate a high altitude balloon if such balloon meets the requirements described in section 91.215(b) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, notwithstanding the exemption provided in subsection (e)(1) of such section 91.215.

(d) Reports to Congress.—Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this section, and every 6 months thereafter until the Administrator promulgates a final rule under subsection (b), the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the status of the rulemaking and other requirements being developed under such subsection.

(e) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.—The term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—

(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;

(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;

(C) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; and

(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

(2) HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON.—The term “high altitude balloon” means a manned or unmanned free balloon operating not less than 10,000 feet above sea level.

(a) Plan.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall develop and implement a plan to enhance United States’ leadership in aviation safety and policy.

(2) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—The plan required under paragraph (1) shall include, at minimum, the following:

(A) Measures to advance international cooperation related to—

(i) approval of new safety-enhancing technologies and aeronautical products;

(ii) development of regulatory policy and plans related to advanced air mobility concepts;

(iii) innovation in the general aviation sector;

(iv) further integration of uncrewed aircraft systems and advanced air mobility aircraft and operators; and

(v) development of international standards and best practices for enhancing aviation safety consistent with United States policy and objectives.

(B) Initiatives to attain greater expertise among employees of the FAA on issues related to dispute resolution, intellectual property, and export control laws.

(C) Policy regarding the future direction and strategy of United States engagement with the International Civil Aviation Organization and bilateral partner countries, including the secondment of subject matter experts.

(D) Procedures for acceptance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information, such as airworthiness directives and other safety-related regulatory documents, consistent with section 44701(e)(5) of title 49, United States Code.

(E) Measures to align the FAA's technical assistance to foreign civil aviation regulators, taking into account, among other factors, with respect to each such foreign regulator, the particular aeronautical products for which the United States is the State of Design in operation in the State of such regulator’s jurisdiction.

(F) Measures, such as funding and the hiring of additional FAA personnel, necessary for the FAA to fully participate in global and bilateral activities related to aviation safety.

(G) Measures to facilitate and expand the FAA’s international programs, training, and technical assistance to foreign civil aviation authorities in order to—

(i) strengthen aviation safety oversight;

(ii) meet the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization standards; and

(iii) further United States policy and objectives.

(H) Initiatives to further develop and establish the FAA’s foreign offices in strategic regions, particularly Africa and Asia-Pacific, in order to support the FAA’s international mission to promote a safe, secure, seamless, and sustainable global aerospace system.

(b) Public availability of plan.—Not later than 210 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall make the plan developed under subsection (a) available on the internet website of the FAA.

(c) Submission to Congress.—

(1) PLAN.—Not later than 210 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a copy of the plan developed under subsection (a).

(2) UPDATES ON IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 1 year after the submission of the plan under paragraph (1), and annually thereafter through 2028, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the activities the FAA is conducting in order to implement such plan.

(d) International travel.—The Administrator, or the Administrator’s designee, may authorize international travel for any FAA employee, without the approval of any other person or office, for the purpose of—

(1) promotion of aviation safety and other relevant aviation standards;

(2) providing support for expedited acceptance of FAA design and production approvals by other civil aviation authorities;

(3) facilitation of adoption of United States approaches on standards and recommended practices at the International Civil Aviation Organization; or

(4) providing support for technical assistance and training by the FAA.

(a) Safety management system requirements for certain operators.—Not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall issue a final rule requiring each person holding a certificate under part 119 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, and authorized to conduct operations in accordance with the provisions of part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to implement a safety management system, as appropriate for the operations.

(b) Other safety requirements for commercial operators.—

(1) SAFETY REFORMS.—

(A) AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT NONSTOP COMMERCIAL AIR TOURS.—

(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clauses (ii) and (iii), beginning on the date that is 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, no person may conduct commercial air tours unless that person—

(I) holds a certificate identifying the person as an air carrier or commercial operator under part 119 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and

(II) conducts all commercial air tours under the applicable provisions of part 121 or part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(ii) SMALL BUSINESS EXCEPTION.—The provisions of clause (i) shall not apply to a person who conducts 50 or fewer commercial air tours in a year.

(iii) TEMPORARY EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding the requirements of clause (i), for a period of 5 years after the date described in clause (i), a person who holds a letter of authorization issued by the Administrator to conduct nonstop commercial air tours under section 91.147 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, may continue to conduct nonstop commercial air tours under such letter of authorization so long as the person—

(I) as of the date of enactment of this section, has submitted (or not later than 18 months after such date of enactment, submits) an application to the Administrator for an air carrier certificate under part 119, Code of Federal Regulations; and

(II) has not been issued such part 119 certificate or received a denial of the application submitted under subclause (I).

(iv) REPORTING REQUIRED.—Beginning on the date that is 3 years after the date of enactment, and every 12 months thereafter, each person that conducts commercial air tours (including any person excluded from the certificate requirement under clause (ii) or (iii)) shall report to the Administrator the total number of commercial air tours that person conducted during the previous 12 months.

(v) OTHER TERMS.—The Administrator shall—

(I) revise title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to include definitions for the terms “aerial work” and “aerial photography” that are limited to aerial operations performed for compensation or hire with an approved operating certificate; and

(II) to the extent necessary, revise section 119.1(e)(4)(iii) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to conform with the requirements of such definitions.

(B) ADDITIONAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall issue new or revised regulations that shall require all certificated commercial air tour operators to ensure that the doors of the airplane or helicopter used for such tour remain closed during the period of the tour in which the airplane or helicopter is airborne, except for those conducting parachute operations, and incorporate avoidance training for controlled flight into terrain and in-flight loss of control into the training program required under part 121 or 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, as applicable. The training shall address reducing the risk of accidents involving unintentional flight into instrument meteorological conditions to address day, night, and low visibility environments with special attention paid to research available as of the date of enactment of this section on human factors issues involved in such accidents, including but not limited to—

(i) specific terrain, weather, and infrastructure challenges relevant in the local operating environment that increase the risk of such accidents;

(ii) pilot decision-making relevant to the avoidance of instrument meteorological conditions while operating under visual flight rules;

(iii) use of terrain awareness displays;

(iv) spatial disorientation risk factors and countermeasures; and

(v) strategies for maintaining control, including the use of automated systems.

(2) AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITTEE.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, shall convene an aviation rulemaking committee to review and develop findings and recommendations to inform—

(i) establishing a performance-based standard for flight data monitoring for all commercial air tour operators that reviews all available data sources to identify deviations from established areas of operation and potential safety issues;

(ii) requiring all commercial air tour operators to install flight data recording devices capable of supporting collection and dissemination of the data incorporated in the Flight Operational Quality Assurance Program (or, if an aircraft cannot be retrofitted with such equipment, requiring the commercial air tour operator for such aircraft to collect and maintain flight data through alternative methods);

(iii) requiring all commercial air tour operators to implement a flight data monitoring program, such as a Flight Operational Quality Assurance Program;

(iv) establishing methods to provide effective terrain awareness and warning; and

(v) establishing methods to provide effective traffic avoidance in identified high-traffic tour areas, such as requiring air tour operators that operate within those areas be equipped with an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out- and In-supported traffic advisory system that—

(I) includes both visual and aural alerts;

(II) is driven by an algorithm designed to eliminate nuisance alerts; and

(III) is operational during all flight operations.

(B) MEMBERSHIP.—The aviation rulemaking committee shall consist of members appointed by the Administrator, including—

(i) representatives of industry, including manufacturers of aircraft and aircraft technologies;

(ii) representatives of aviation operator organizations; and

(iii) aviation safety experts with specific knowledge of safety management systems and flight data monitoring programs under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(C) DUTIES.—

(i) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall direct the aviation rulemaking committee to make findings and submit recommendations regarding each of the matters specified in clauses (i) through (v) of subparagraph (A).

(ii) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out its duties under clause (i), the Administrator shall direct the aviation rulemaking committee to consider—

(I) recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board;

(II) recommendations of previous aviation rulemaking committees that reviewed flight data monitoring program requirements on part 135 commercial operators;

(III) recommendations from industry safety organizations, including but not limited to the Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST), the General Aviation Joint Safety Committee, and the United States Helicopter Safety Team (USHST);

(IV) scientific data derived from a broad range of flight data recording technologies capable of continuously transmitting and that support a measurable and viable means of assessing data to identify and correct hazardous trends;

(V) appropriate use of data for modifying behavior to prevent accidents;

(VI) the need to accommodate technological advancements in flight data recording technology;

(VII) data gathered from aviation safety reporting programs;

(VIII) appropriate methods to provide effective terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) protections while mitigating nuisance alerts for aircraft;

(IX) the need to accommodate the diversity of airworthiness standards under part 27 and part 29 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations;

(X) the need to accommodate diversity of operations and mission sets;

(XI) benefits of third-party data analysis for large and small operations;

(XII) accommodations necessary for small businesses; and

(XIII) other issues as necessary.

(D) REPORTS AND REGULATIONS.—The Administrator shall—

(i) not later than 20 months after the date of enactment of this section, submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report based on the findings of the aviation rulemaking committee;

(ii) not later than 12 months after the date of submission of the report under clause (i), and after consideration of the recommendations of the aviation rulemaking committee, issue an intent to proceed with proposed rulemakings regarding each of the matters specified in clauses (i) through (v) of subparagraph (A); and

(iii) not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, issue a final rule with respect to each of the matters specified in such clauses of subparagraph (A).

(c) Expedited process for obtaining operating certificates.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall implement procedures to improve the process for obtaining operating certificates under part 119 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out paragraph (1), beginning on the date that is 18 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall give priority consideration to operators that must obtain a certificate in accordance with subsection (b)(1)(A).

(3) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing—

(A) how the procedures implemented under paragraph (1) will increase the efficiency of the process for obtaining operating certificates under part 119 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, and, if applicable, certificates authorizing operations under part 135 of such title;

(B) how considerations under paragraph (2) will be incorporated into procedures implemented under paragraph (1); and

(C) any additional resources required to implement procedures under paragraph (1).

(4) ADDITIONAL REPORTS REQUIRED.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter the Administrator shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress that—

(A) includes—

(i) data on certification approvals and denials; and

(ii) data on duration of key phases of the certification process; and

(B) identifies certification policies in need of reform or repeal.

(d) Safety requirements for sport parachute operations.—

(1) AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITTEE.—The Administrator, shall convene an aviation rulemaking committee to review and develop findings and recommendations to inform—

(A) rulemaking governing parachute operations conducted in the United States that are subject to the requirements of part 105 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to address—

(i) Federal Aviation Administration-approved aircraft maintenance and inspection programs that consider, at a minimum, requirements for compliance with engine manufacturers’ recommended maintenance instructions, such as service bulletins and service information letters for time between overhauls and component life limits;

(ii) initial and annual recurrent pilot proficiency checking programs for pilots conducting parachute operations that address, at a minimum, operation- and aircraft-specific weight and balance calculations, preflight inspections, emergency and recovery procedures, and parachutist egress procedures for each type of aircraft flown; and

(iii) initial and annual recurrent pilot review programs for parachute operations pilots that address, at a minimum, operation-specific and aircraft-specific weight and balance calculations, preflight inspections, emergency and recovery procedures, and parachutist egress procedures for each type of aircraft flown, as well as competency flight checks to determine pilot competence in practical skills and techniques in each type of aircraft;

(B) the revision of guidance material contained in Advisory Circular 105–2E (relating to sport parachute jumping), to include guidance for parachute operations in implementing the Federal Aviation Administration-approved aircraft maintenance and inspection program and the pilot training and pilot proficiency checking programs required under any new or revised regulations issued in accordance with paragraph (1); and

(C) the revision of guidance materials issued in Order 8900.1 entitled “Flight Standards Information Management System”, to include guidance for Federal Aviation Administration inspectors who oversee part 91 of title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, operations conducted under any of the exceptions specified in section 119.1(e) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, which include parachute operations.

(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The aviation rulemaking committee under paragraph (1) shall consist of members appointed by the Administrator, including—

(A) representatives of industry, including manufacturers of aircraft and aircraft technologies;

(B) representatives of parachute operator organizations; and

(C) aviation safety experts with specific knowledge of safety management systems and flight data monitoring programs under part 135 and part 105 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(3) DUTIES.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall direct the aviation rulemaking committee to make findings and submit recommendations regarding each of the matters specified in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1).

(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out its duties under subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall direct the aviation rulemaking committee to consider—

(i) findings and recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board generally as relevant and specifically those related to parachute operations, including the June 21, 2019, incident in Mokuleia, Hawaii;

(ii) recommendations of previous aviation rulemaking committees that considered similar issues;

(iii) recommendations from industry safety organizations, including, but not limited to, the United States Parachute Association;

(iv) appropriate use of data for modifying behavior to prevent accidents;

(v) data gathered from aviation safety reporting programs;

(vi) the need to accommodate diversity of operations and mission sets;

(vii) accommodations necessary for small businesses; and

(viii) other issues as necessary.

(4) REPORTS AND REGULATIONS.—The Administrator shall—

(A) not later than 20 months after the date of enactment of this section, submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report based on the findings of the aviation rulemaking committee;

(B) not later than 12 months after the date of submission of the report under subparagraph (A), and after consideration of the recommendations of the aviation rulemaking committee, issue, as necessary, an intent to proceed with proposed rulemakings regarding each of the matters specified in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1); and

(C) not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, issue, as necessary, a final rule with respect to each of the matters specified in such subparagraphs of paragraph (1).

(e) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) AIR CARRIER.—The term “air carrier” has the meaning given that term in section 40102 of title 49, United States Code.

(2) COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR.—The term “commercial air tour” means a flight conducted for compensation or hire in an airplane or helicopter where a purpose of the flight is sightseeing.

(3) COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR OPERATOR.—The term “commercial air tour operator” means any person who conducts a commercial air tour.

(4) PARACHUTE OPERATION.—The term “parachute operation” has the meaning given that term in section 105.3 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

Section 44701 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(g) Aviation safety oversight measures carried out by foreign countries.—

“(1) ASSESSMENT.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—At intervals the Administrator considers necessary in the interests of safety, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of State, shall assess the effectiveness of the aviation safety oversight measures carried out by a foreign country—

“(i) from which a foreign air carrier serves the United States;

“(ii) from which a foreign air carrier seeks to serve the United States;

“(iii) whose air carriers code-share with a United States air carrier; or

“(iv) as the Administrator considers appropriate.

“(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting an assessment under subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall—

“(i) consult with the appropriate authorities of the government of the foreign country concerned;

“(ii) determine the extent to which such country effectively maintains and carries out its aviation safety oversight measures pursuant to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (in this section referred to as the ‘Chicago Convention’); and

“(iii) use a standard that will result in an analysis of the aviation safety oversight measures carried out by such country based on the minimum standards contained in Annexes 1, 6, and 8 to the Chicago Convention in effect on the date of the assessment.

“(C) NON-COMPLIANCE FINDINGS.—

“(i) IN GENERAL.—When the assessment required by this subsection identifies areas of non-compliance to the safety oversight measures in the Chicago Convention, the Administrator shall conduct final discussions with the foreign country within 90 days of the assessment to determine whether the non-compliance findings have been corrected and the foreign country is now in compliance with the applicable international standards for effective aviation safety oversight.

“(ii) CORRECTION.—If the Administrator determines that the foreign country has corrected identified area of non-compliance by the close of final discussions, the Federal Aviation Administration will issue or continue to issue operations specifications to the foreign operator to enable the United States air service or to the United States operator if the foreign operator is to carry its airline code.

“(iii) NON-CORRECTION.—If the Administrator determines that the foreign country has not has corrected identified area of non-compliance by the close of final discussions—

“(I) immediate notification will be made to the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of State, that a condition exists that threatens the safety of passengers, aircraft, or crew traveling to or from the foreign country; and

“(II) notwithstanding section 40105(b), the Administrator, after consulting with the appropriate civil aviation authority of the foreign country concerned and notification to the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of State, may withhold, revoke, or prescribe conditions on the operating authority of a foreign air carrier that provides foreign air transportation.

“(D) AUTHORITY.—Notwithstanding subparagraphs (B) and (C), the Administrator retains the ability to initiate immediate safety oversight action when justified based on available safety information.

“(2) NOTIFICATION.—At the conclusion of the international aviation safety assessment process, the Administrator, after advising the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of State, shall inform the foreign country of the determination regarding its compliance to ICAO standards. The determination shall—

“(A) for foreign countries determined to be compliant in ICAO standards, state that no further action is needed; and

“(B) for foreign countries determined to be non-compliant in ICAO standards, recommend the actions necessary to bring the aviation safety oversight measures carried out by that country into compliance with the international standards contained in the Chicago Convention, as used by the Federal Aviation Administration in making the assessment.

“(3) FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AND CARRY OUT STANDARDS.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (B), if the Administrator determines that a foreign country does not maintain and carry out effective aviation safety oversight measures, the Administrator shall—

“(i) notify the appropriate authorities of the government of the foreign country consistent with paragraph (2);

“(ii) publish the identity of the foreign country on the Federal Aviation Administration website, in the Federal Register, and through other mediums to provide notice to the public;

“(iii) transmit the identity of the foreign country to the Secretary of State to inform the relevant travel advisories; and

“(iv) provide the identity of the foreign country and any critical safety information resulting from the assessment to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.

“(B) IMMEDIATE EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY.—

“(i) IN GENERAL .—The Administrator may immediately exercise authority under subparagraph (A) if the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of State, determines that a condition exists that threatens the safety of passengers, aircraft, or crew traveling to or from the foreign country.

“(ii) NOTIFICATION TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.—The Administrator shall immediately notify the Secretary of State of a determination under clause (i) so that the Secretary of State may issue a travel advisory with respect to the foreign country.

“(4) ACCURACY OF THE IASA LIST.—To meet the need for the public to have timely and accurate information about the aviation safety oversight of foreign countries, the Administrator shall regularly review the activity of foreign air carriers serving the United States and carrying the code of a United States air carrier. Countries with no such operations for an extended period of time, as determined by the Administrator, will be removed from the public listings for inactivity, after advisement with the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of State.

“(5) TRAINING.—The Federal Aviation Administration shall use data, tools, and methods in order to ensure transparency and repeatable results of the assessments conducted under this subsection. The Federal Aviation Administration shall ensure that Federal Aviation Administration personnel are properly and adequately trained to carry out the assessments set forth in this subsection, including with respect to ICAO standards and their implementation by foreign countries.

“(6) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the assessments conducted under this subsection, including the results of any corrective action period.”.

(a) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to revise section 21.101 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to achieve the following objectives:

(1) For any significant design change, as determined by the Administrator, to require that any exception from the requirement to comply with the latest amendments of the applicable airworthiness standards in effect on the date of application for the change be approved only after providing public notice and opportunity to comment on such exception.

(2) To ensure appropriate documentation of any exception or exemption from airworthiness requirements codified in title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of application for the change.

(b) Congressional briefing.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall provide to the appropriate committees of Congress a briefing on the FAA's implementation of the recommendations of the Changed Product Rule International Authorities Working Group, established under Section 117 of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act (49 U.S.C. 44704 note), including recommendations on harmonized changes and reforms regarding the impractical exception.

(a) In general.—Not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator, working with representatives from industry groups, including pilots, aircraft owners, avionics manufacturers, and any others deemed necessary to offer technical expertise, shall develop a report regarding the development of a suitable position reporting system for voluntary use in airspace not mandated for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out equipment and use (in this section referred to as “ADS–B Out”) by section 91.225 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to facilitate traffic awareness.

(b) Requirements.—The report developed under subsection (a) shall—

(1) research and catalog equipment, standards, and systems (including international) relating to ADS-B Out available as of the date on which the report is submitted under subsection (c);

(2) address strengths and weaknesses of the such equipment, standards and systems, including with respect to costs;

(3) outline potential regulatory and procedural changes that may need to be undertaken by the FAA and other government entities, as well as equipment, standards, and systems that may need to be developed and required, to enable the development and voluntary use of equipment (existing or new) that enables the use of portable, and installed, low cost position reporting in airspace not mandated for ADS-B Out;

(4) determine market size, development costs, and barriers that may need to be overcome for the development of technology that enables the use of portable, and installed, low cost position reporting in airspace not mandated for ADS-B Out; and

(5) include a communication strategy that is targeted towards potential users and promotes the benefits of the position reporting solutions to enhance traffic awareness for voluntary use in airspace not mandated for ADS-B Out, when such technology is available for commercial use.

(c) Report to congress.—Not later than 30 day after the date on which the report developed under subsection (a) is finalized, the Administrator shall submit the report to the appropriate committees of Congress.

(a) Forestry and fire protection flight time logging.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, aircraft under the direct operational control of forestry and fire protection agencies are eligible to log pilot flight times, if the flight time was acquired by the pilot while engaged on an official forestry or fire protection flight, in the same manner as aircraft under the direct operational control of a Federal, State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency.

(2) RETROACTIVE APPLICATION.—Paragraph (1) shall be applied as if enacted on October 8, 2018.

(b) Regulations.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall make such regulatory changes as are necessary as a result of the enactment of subsection (a).

(a) Finding.—Congress finds that on January 11, 2023, the FAA released a notice of proposed rulemaking to update and expand the requirements for safety management systems.

(b) As the FAA reviews comments to the notice of proposed rulemaking described in subsection (a) and drafts the final rule, the Administrator shall ensure that safety management systems program requirements can be appropriately scaled to the size and complexity of each operator.

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress, a report on the FAA's progress with respect to the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) program that—

(1) describes the phased approach the FAA is following to construct the ASIAS system;

(2) describes the efforts of the FAA to secure increased safety data from—

(A) commercial air carriers;

(B) general aviation operators;

(C) helicopter operators;

(D) unmanned aircraft system operators; and

(E) other aircraft operators; and

(3) provides a summary of the efforts of the FAA to address gaps in safety data provided from any of the classes of operators described in paragraph (2).

(a) Establishment of working group.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, subject to subsection (b)(2), the Administrator shall establish a working group for purposes of reviewing, evaluating, and making recommendations on check pilot functions for air carriers operating under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(b) Membership.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The working group required by this section shall include—

(A) employees of the FAA who serve as check pilots (as described in section 91.1089 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations);

(B) representatives of air carriers operating under such part 135; and

(C) industry associations representing such air carriers.

(2) EXISTING WORKING GROUP.—The Administrator may assign the duties of the working group described in subsection (c) to an existing FAA working group if—

(A) the membership of the existing working group includes the members required under paragraph (1); or

(B) the members required under paragraph (1) are added to the membership of the existing working group.

(c) Duties.—The working group shall review, evaluate, and make recommendations on the following:

(1) Methods for approving check pilots for air carriers operating under such part 135.

(2) Actions required to ensure such air carriers are authorized an adequate number of check pilots to enable timely occurrence of pilot checks.

(3) Differences in qualification standards applied to—

(A) employees of the FAA who serve as check pilots; and

(B) check pilots of an authorized air carrier.

(4) Methods to standardize the qualification standards for check pilots, including check pilots who are employees of the FAA and or of an authorized air carrier.

(5) Methods to improve the training and qualification of check pilots.

(6) Prior recommendations made by FAA advisory committees or working groups regarding check pilot functions.

(7) Petitions for rulemaking submitted to the FAA regarding check pilot functions.

(d) Briefing to Congress.—Not later than 1 year after than the date on which the Administrator establishes the working group under subsection (a) (or tasks an existing FAA working group under subsection (b)(2) with the duties described in subsection (c)), the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the progress and recommendations of the working group, as well as the Administrator's efforts to implement such recommendations.

(a) Establishment of working group.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish a Part 135 Aircraft Conformity Working Group (in this section referred to as the “Working Group”). The Working Group shall study methods and make recommendations to clarify requirements and standardize the process for conducting and completing aircraft conformity processes for existing part 135 air carriers and operators in a timely manner and entering those aircraft into service.

(b) Membership.—The Working Group shall be comprised of representatives of the FAA, existing part 135 air carriers and operators, and associations or trade groups representing such class of air carriers or operators.

(c) Duties.—The Working Group shall consider all aspects of the current FAA processes for ensuring aircraft conformity and make recommendations to enhance those processes, including with respect to—

(1) methodologies for air carriers and operators to document and attest to aircraft conformity in accordance with the requirements of part 135;

(2) streamlined protocols for part 135 operators to add an aircraft that was listed on another part 135 certificate immediately prior to moving to the new air carrier; and

(3) changes to FAA policy and documentation necessary to implement the recommendations of the Working Group.

(d) Congressional briefing.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Administrator establishes the Working Group, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the progress made by the Working Group in carrying out the duties specified in subsection (c), recommendations of the Working Group, and the Administrator's efforts to implement such recommendations.

(e) Definition of part 135.—In this section the term “part 135” means part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(a) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress on implementation of the requirements of section 2110 of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (49 U.S.C. 44718 note) (as amended by section 576 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–254, 132 Stat. 3391)).

(b) Requirements.—The briefing required by subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) A description of, and timeframe for, the Administrator’s development of requirements to file notice of construction of meteorological evaluation towers and other renewable energy projects under the notice of proposed rulemaking RIN 2120-AK77.

(2) A description of the FAA’s use of existing publicly accessible databases to collect and make available information about certain structures that are required to, or voluntarily, file notice with the FAA.

(3) For the period beginning on July 15, 2016, and ending on the date the briefing required by subsection (a) is provided, a list of aircraft accidents during such period that are associated with covered towers (as such term is defined in section 2110(b)(1)(A) of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (49 U.S.C. 44718 note) that are not marked in accordance with applicable guidance in the advisory circular of the FAA issued December 4, 2015 (AC 70/7460-IL).

Section 46301(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in paragraph (4), by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:

“(A) the amount in controversy is more than—

“(i) $400,000 if the violation was committed by any person other than an individual or small business concern before the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023;

“(ii) $50,000 if the violation was committed by an individual or small business concern before the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023;

“(iii) $10,000,000 if the violation was committed by a person other than an individual or small business concern on or after the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023;

“(iv) $250,000 if the violation was committed by an individual on or after the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023; or

“(v) $2,500,000 if the violation was committed by a small business concern on or after the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023;”;

(2) by striking paragraph (8) and inserting the following:

“(8) The maximum civil penalty the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, or Board may impose under this subsection is—

“(A) $400,000 if the violation was committed by a person other than an individual or small business concern before the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023;

“(B) $50,000 if the violation was committed by an individual or small business concern before the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023;

“(C) $10,000,000 if the violation was committed by a person other than an individual or small business concern on or after the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023;

“(D) $250,000 if the violation was committed by an individual on or after the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023; or

“(E) $2,500,000 if the violation was committed by a small business concern on or after the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023.”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(10) The maximum amounts authorized in clauses (iii) through (v) of paragraph (4)(A) and in subparagraphs (C) through (E) of paragraph (8) of this subsection shall be adjusted for inflation no less frequently than every 5 years.”.

Section 46301(d)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting “subchapter III of chapter 421,” before “chapter 441”.

(a) Repeal.—Section 44514 of title 49, United States Code, and the item relating to that section in the analysis for chapter 445 of such title 49 are repealed.

(b) Conforming amendment.—Section 106(g)(1)(D) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “44514,”.

Section 40104(b) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

“(3) STATE-TO-STATE AGREEMENTS.—The Administrator shall promote efficient delivery of bilateral and multilateral engagement and technical assistance by waiving the requirement for State-to-State agreements for the provision of technical assistance and training if the Administrator determines that—

“(A) a foreign government would benefit from technical assistance pursuant to this subsection to strengthen aviation safety, efficiency, and security; and

“(B) the engagement is to provide inherently governmental technical assistance and training.

“(4) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term ‘inherently governmental technical assistance and training’ means technical assistance and training that—

“(A) relies upon or incorporates Federal Aviation Administration-specific program, system, policy, or procedural matters;

“(B) must be accomplished using agency expertise and authority; and

“(C) relates to—

“(i) international aviation safety assessment technical reviews and technical assistance;

“(ii) aerodrome safety and certification;

“(iii) aviation system certification activities based on Federal Aviation Administration regulations and requirements;

“(iv) cybersecurity efforts to protect United States aviation ecosystem components and facilities;

“(v) operation and maintenance of air navigation system equipment, procedures, and personnel; or

“(vi) related training and exercises in support of aviation safety, efficiency, and security.”.

(a) In general.—Chapter 401 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 40118 the following:

(b) Effective date.—The amendments made by this section shall be effective as of October 5, 2018, and all authority restored to the Secretary and the FAA under this section shall be treated as if it had never been repealed by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–254; 132 Stat. 3186).

(c) Conforming amendments.—

(1) CHAPTER 401 ANALYSIS.—The analysis for chapter 401 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 40118 the following:

“40119. Security and research and development activities.”.

(2) OTHER DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS.—Section 44912 of title 49, United States Code, is amended in subsection (d) by striking paragraph (2) and redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2).

(a) In general.—The Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (referred to in this section as the “Director”), in consultation with other offices within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation and the FAA, shall conduct a study to explore the capture, storage, analysis, and feasibility of monitoring ground source data at airports in the United States.

(b) Objectives.—The objectives of the study conducted under subsection (a) shall include:

(1) Determining the current state of ground source data coverage at airports in the United States.

(2) Understanding the technology requirements for monitoring ground movements at airports through sensors, receivers, or other technologies.

(3) Conducting data collection through a pilot program and developing ground-based tarmac delay statistics.

(4) Performing an evaluation and feasibility analysis of potential system-level tarmac operations monitoring solutions.

(c) Pilot program.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Director shall establish a pilot program for the purposes of collecting data and developing ground-based tarmac delay statistics or other relevant statistics with respect to airports in the United States.

(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The pilot program established under paragraph (1) shall—

(A) include up to 6 airports that the Director determines reflect a diversity of factors including, geography, size, and air traffic;

(B) terminate not more than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section; and

(C) be subject to any guidelines issued by the Director.

(d) Report.—Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Director shall publish the results of the study conducted under subsection (a) and the pilot program established under subsection (c) on a publicly available website.

(a) In general.—The Comptroller General shall conduct a review on the consideration, identification, and inclusion of aircraft cybersecurity into the strategic framework for aviation security as part of the FAA’s cybersecurity strategy.

(b) Contents of the review.—The review required by subsection (a) shall assess—

(1) how onboard aircraft cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities are defined and accounted for in the strategy aviation security framework, particularly in pillar 2 of that framework to “protect and defend FAA networks and systems to mitigate risks to FAA missions and service delivery”;

(2) how onboard aircraft cybersecurity, particularly of the aircraft avionics, is considered, incorporated, and prioritized in the cybersecurity strategy pursuant to section 509 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 44903 note);

(3) how roles and responsibilities for aircraft and ground systems cybersecurity are differentiated and enforced between the Transportation Security Agency and the FAA;

(4) how aircraft and ground systems cybersecurity vulnerabilities are being identified and prioritized for mitigation, particularly considering the commercial technology ecosystem; and

(5) the budgets of the parties responsible for implementing the strategy framework for aviation security, as identified in subsection (a), to satisfy those mitigation requirements necessary to secure the aviation ecosystem from onboard cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

(c) Report required.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Comptroller General shall submit a report containing the results of the review required by this section to—

(1) the appropriate committees of Congress;

(2) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives; and

(3) the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the Senate.

Section 506(a) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (42 U.S.C. 44704 note) is amended—

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “consider, where appropriate, revising” and inserting “revise, where appropriate, existing”;

(2) in paragraph (1), by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(3) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(4) by adding at the end the following:

“(3) to require that software-based systems and equipment, including aircraft flight critical systems, be verified to ensure the software-based systems and equipment have not been compromised by unauthorized external and internal access.”.

(a) In general.—The Administrator shall assign to the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee the task of—

(1) performing a comprehensive review of previous and current FAA regulations and related internal and external guidance material related to instructions for continue airworthiness (in this section referred to as “ICA”); and

(2) developing and submitting to the Administrator recommendations for guidance or regulatory changes to—

(A) clarify the obligations of design approval holders to develop and make ICA available;

(B) create methods to identify and provide access to ICA; and

(C) create mechanisms to accept complaints, resolve disputes, and enforce obligations.

(b) Report to Congress.—Not later than 1 year after receiving the recommendations under subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that describes such recommendations and the Administrator's plan, if any, to implement such recommendations.

(a) Study.—The Administrator shall conduct a study on the safety consequences of a transport airplane design approved by a domestic or foreign aviation manufacturer failing to comply with the applicable airworthiness standards. The study shall identify—

(1) each final airworthiness directive applicable to transport airplanes that was issued by the FAA in the 2-year period prior to the date of enactment of this section to address unsafe conditions resulting from the approval of designs that were non-compliant with an applicable airworthiness standard; and

(2) for each such airworthiness directive—

(A) the airworthiness standard with which the affected products failed to comply, as well as the resulting unsafe condition and whether such condition resulted in an accident;

(B) the methods by which the noncompliance was discovered and brought to the attention of the FAA;

(C) an analysis of whether the method used by the applicant to show compliance was acceptable and whether other compliance methods would have identified the noncompliance during the type certification process;

(D) the date of approval of the relevant type design and the date of issuance of the airworthiness directive;

(E) any corrective action mandated to address the identified unsafe condition;

(F) the period of time specified for the incorporation of the corrective action, during which the affected products were allowed to operate before the unsafe condition was corrected; and

(G) the total cost of compliance estimated in the final rule adopting the airworthiness directive.

(b) Coordination.—In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Administrator shall coordinate with, and solicit comments from, union representatives of the aviation safety engineers involved in the development of airworthiness directives.

(c) Report to Congress.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes—

(1) the results of the study conducted under subsection (a);

(2) a description of any root cause of unsafe conditions identified by such study, as well as an identification of any action required to address any such root cause;

(3) the union representative comments solicited under subsection (b); and

(4) any other recommendations for legislative or administrative action determined appropriate by the Administrator.

(d) Definition of transport airplane.—For purposes of this section, the term “transport airplane” has the meaning given such term in FAA Notice N 8900.649, titled “Use of Air Carrier Pilots During Flight Standardization Board Evaluations for Transport Airplanes” (issued December 23, 2022).

(a) Internal regulatory review team.—

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish an internal regulatory review team (in this section referred to as the “Team”).

(2) REVIEW.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Team is established, the Team shall conduct a review of foreign airworthiness standards and guidance for firewalls to determine best practices that should be adopted by the FAA and submit to the Administrator a report on the findings of such review.

(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting the review, the team shall—

(i) identify any significant differences in standards or guidance with respect to test article selection, fire test boundaries, and evaluation criteria for such tests, including the use of certification by analysis where substantially similar designs have passed burn tests;

(ii) assess the safety implications for any products imported into the United States that do not comply with the FAA’s firewall requirements; and

(iii) consult with industry stakeholders to the maximum extent practicable.

(b) Duties of the Administrator.—The Administrator shall—

(1) not later than 60 days after the date on which the Team reports the findings of the review to the Administrator, update the FAA’s Significant Standards List based on such findings; and

(2) not later than 90 days after such date, submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on such findings, together with recommendations for such legislative or administrative action as the Administrator determines appropriate.

(a) Deadline for submissions to Congress.—Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall complete the requirements of section 326 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note) and submit to the appropriate Congressional committees the following:

(1) The study by the Airliner Cabin Environmental Research Center of Excellence on bleed air required by subsection (c) of such section.

(2) The report on the feasibility, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of certification and installation of systems to evaluate bleed air quality required by subsection (d) of such section.

(b) Rulemaking.—Not later than 1 year after such date of enactment, the Administrator may issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish requirements for scheduled passenger air carrier operations under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, with respect to incidents onboard aircraft involving oil and hydraulic fluid fume events. The rulemaking shall include, as necessary, the study and report required under subsection (a) and may include the following:

(1) Training for flight attendants, pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, airport first responders, and emergency responders on how to respond to incidents on aircraft involving smoke or fume events.

(2) A standardized FAA form and system for reporting incidents involving smoke or fume events onboard aircraft.

(3) The development of investigative procedures for the FAA to follow after receipt of a report of an incident involving an oil and hydraulic fluid event onboard aircraft in which at least 1 passenger or crew member required medical attention as a result of the incident.

(4) Installation onboard aircraft of detectors and other air quality monitoring equipment situated in the air supply system to enable pilots and maintenance technicians to locate the sources of air supply contamination, including carbon monoxide.

The Administrator shall evaluate whether there are impacts to travelers due to poor air quality and bleed air inside Washington Dulles International Airport.

(a) In general.—Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall revise section part 121.569 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to include each of the provisions described in subsection (b).

(b) Provisions described.—The provisions described in this subsection are the following:

(1) A 30-day limit on foreign aircraft interchange agreements.

(2) A minimum break between foreign aircraft interchange renewals of 90 days.

(3) A limit of no more than 1 foreign aircraft interchange agreement between 2 airlines.

(4) A limit of no more than 2 foreign aircraft on the interchange agreement.

(a) In general.—To ensure that sufficient firefighting resources are available to suppress wildfires and protect public safety and property, and notwithstanding any other provision of law or agency regulation, not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall promulgate an interim final rule under which—

(1) an operation described in section 21.25(b)(7) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, shall allow for the transport of firefighters to and from the site of a wildfire to perform ground wildfire suppression and designate the firefighters conducting such an operation as essential crewmembers on board a covered aircraft operated on a mission to suppress wildfire;

(2) the aircraft maintenance, inspections, and pilot training requirements under part 135 of such title 14 may apply to such an operation, if determined by the Administrator to be necessary to maintain the safety of firefighters carrying out wildfire suppression missions; and

(3) the noise standards described in part 36 of such title 14 shall not apply to such an operation.

(b) Surplus military aircraft.—In promulgating any rule under subsection (a), the Administrator shall not enable any aircraft of a type that has been manufactured in accordance with the requirements of and accepted for use by, any branch of the United States Military and has been later modified to be used for wildfire suppression operations.

(c) Conforming amendments to FAA documents.—In promulgating an interim final rule under subsection (a), the Administrator shall amend FAA Order 8110.56, Restricted Category Type Certification (dated February 27, 2006), as well as any corresponding policy or guidance material, to reflect the requirements of subsection (a).

(d) Savings provision.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the Administrator’s authority to take action otherwise authorized by law to protect aviation safety or passenger safety.

(e) Definitions.—For purposes of this section:

(1) COVERED AIRCRAFT.—The term “covered aircraft” means an aircraft type-certificated in the restricted category under section 21.25 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, used for transporting firefighters to and from the site of a wildfire in order to perform ground wildfire suppression for the purpose of extinguishing a wildfire on behalf of, or pursuant to a contract with, a Federal, State, or local government agency.

(2) FIREFIGHTERS.—The term “firefighters” means a trained fire suppression professional the transport of whom is necessary to accomplish a wildfire suppression operation.

(a) Study.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall enter into appropriate arrangements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (in this subsection referred to as the “National Academies”) under which the National Academies will conduct a 1-year study on the health and safety impacts, with respect to passengers and crewmembers during each season in which the study is conducted, of the temperature of a covered aircraft cabin falling outside of a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit during all phases of flight operation.

(2) CONSULTATION.—In conducting the study required by paragraph (1), the National Academies shall consult with the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, air carriers operating under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, and applicable aviation labor organizations.

(3) FLIGHT DEFINITION.—For purposes of paragraph (1), the term “flight operation” means the period beginning on the moment an individual boards the covered aircraft with the intention of work and duty related to the flight until such time as all such individuals have disembarked from the covered aircraft.

(b) Reports.—

(1) TO THE ADMINISTRATOR.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which the study under subsection (a) is completed, the National Academies shall submit to the Administrator a report on the results of such study, together with recommendations determined appropriate by the National Academies.

(2) TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 60 days after the date on which the National Academies submits the report under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the results of the study required by subsection (a), together with recommendations for further action deemed appropriate by the Administrator.

(c) Definition of covered aircraft.—For purposes of this section, the term “covered aircraft” means an aircraft operated under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall issue a notice of proposed rulemaking concerning whether to revise the requirements under paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 135.89(b) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to only apply to aircraft operating at altitudes above flight level 410. In the notice of proposed rulemaking, the Administrator shall consider applicable safety data and risks, including in relation to applicable incidents and accidents, as well as the investigations and recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board.

(a) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall issue guidance to Part 121 air carriers relating to the expression of milk by crewmembers on an aircraft during non-critical phases of flight, consistent with the performance of the crewmember's duties aboard the aircraft. The guidance shall be equally applicable to any lactating crewmember. In developing the guidance, the Administrator shall—

(1) consider multiple methods of expressing breast milk that could be used by crewmembers, including the use of wearable lactation technology; and

(2) ensure that complying with the advisory circular will not require an air carrier or foreign air carrier to incur significant expense, such as through the addition of an extra crewmember in response to providing a break, removal or retrofitting of seats on the aircraft, or modification or retrofitting of an aircraft.

(b) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) CREWMEMBER.—The term “crewmember” has the meaning given such term in section 1.1 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(2) CRITICAL PHASES OF FLIGHT.—The term “critical phases of flight” has the meaning given such term in section 121.542 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(3) PART 121.—The term “Part 121” means part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(c) Aviation safety.—Nothing in this section shall limit the Administrator’s authority for aviation safety under subtitle VII of title 49, United States Code.

(a) Oversight of organization designation authorization unit members.—Section 44741 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (f)(2), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “September 30, 2023” and inserting “September 30, 2028”; and

(2) in subsection (j), by striking “2023” and inserting “2028”.

(b) Integrated project teams.—Section 108(f) of division V of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (49 U.S.C. 44704 note) is amended by striking “fiscal year 2023” and inserting “fiscal year 2028”.

(c) Appeals of certification decisions.—Section 44704(g)(1)(C)(ii) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “calendar year 2025” and inserting “calendar year 2028”.

(d) Professional development, skills enhancement, continuing education and training.—Section 44519(c) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2028”.

(e) Voluntary safety reporting program.—Section 113(f) of division V of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (49 U.S.C. 44701 note) is amended by striking “fiscal year 2023” and inserting “fiscal year 2028”.

(f) Changed product rule.—Section 117(b)(1) of division V of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (49 U.S.C. 44704 note) is amended by striking “fiscal year 2023” and inserting “fiscal year 2028”.

(g) Domestic and international pilot training.—Section 119(f)(3) of division V of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2028”.

(h) Oversight of FAA compliance program.—Section 122 of division V of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 is amended—

(1) in subsection (c)(4), by striking “October 1, 2023” and inserting “October 1, 2028”; and

(2) in subsection (d), by striking “2023” and inserting “2028”.

(i) National air grant fellowship program.—Section 131(d) of division V of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note) is amended by striking “2025” and inserting “2028”.

(a) Establishment.—The Administrator shall establish a task force, to be known as the “NextGen Accountability Task Force” (referred to in this section as the “Task Force”) to provide recommendations on the most effective operational metrics that can be used to assess the performance of the FAA in delivering and implementing quantifiable operational benefits to the national airspace system within the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) project.

(b) Membership.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall be composed of, at a minimum, representatives from—

(A) the FAA;

(B) trade associations representing avionics manufacturers;

(C) trade associations representing air carriers

(D) trade associations representing business or general aviation operators;

(E) labor organizations representing air traffic controllers; and

(F) any other interested parties that the Administrator determines may provide expertise and assist the Task Force to fulfill its obligations.

(2) APPOINTMENT.—The Administrator shall appoint each member of the Task Force.

(3) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Task Force shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made.

(c) Duties.—The Task Force shall —

(1) leverage current metrics used by the FAA to quantify the benefits of NextGen technology and investments;

(2) validate current and establish additional metrics for the FAA to track national airspace system throughput and savings due to NextGen investments by calculating a weighted average by distance, on a per flight basis—

(A) reduction and cumulative savings of track miles and time savings;

(B) reduction and cumulative savings of emissions and fuel burn;

(C) reduction of aircraft operation time; and

(D) any other metrics that the Administrator determines may provide quantifiable benefits for operators in the national airspace system; and

(3) validate current and establish metrics for the FAA to track and assess fleet equipage across operators in the national airspace system including—

(A) percentage of aircraft equipped with NextGen avionics equipment as recommended in the Minimum Capabilities List (MCL) Ad Hoc Team, NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) Task 19-1 Report completed in November 2020;

(B) quantified costs and benefits for an operator to properly equip with baseline NextGen avionics equipment over the aircraft’s lifecycle; and

(C) cumulative unrealized NextGen benefits associated with rates of mixed equipage across operators.

(d) Report.—Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Task Force shall submit to the Administrator a report with its findings and recommendations and metrics developed pursuant to subsections (a) and (c).

(e) Public display.—Not later than 180 days after receiving the report required under subsection (d), the Administrator shall establish a website of the FAA that can be used to present, track, and update through 2030—

(1) the metrics recommended and established by the Task Force on a quarterly and annual basis depending on the metric; and

(2) the total amount invested in NextGen technologies and resulting quantifiable benefits on a quarterly basis until the Administrator declares the completion of NextGen implementation.

(f) Federal Advisory Committee Act.—Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the “Federal Advisory Committee Act”), shall not apply to the Task Force.

(g) Sunset.—The Task Force shall terminate on the date on which the Administrator receives the report required under subsection (d).

(a) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall develop a plan to—

(1) coordinate with counterparts at air service navigation providers in airspace that is adjacent to United States airspace or international airspace delegated to the United States to—

(A) adopt reduced separation standards in oceanic airspace;

(B) implement procedures that will permit user preferred routes to increase fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and

(C) exercise leadership in setting global standards by harmonizing the safety and efficiency of air traffic operations in airspace neighboring any airspace delegated to the United States; and

(2) utilize Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) relay service within United States airspace or international airspace delegated to the United States for—

(A) positive air traffic control, including separation of aircraft by implementing the ICAO Advanced Surveillance-Enhanced Procedural Separation standard;

(B) air traffic flow management;

(C) search and rescue;

(D) accident investigation; and

(E) data analytics.

(b) Report.—Not later than 120 days after the date on which the Administrator completes development of the plan required by subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that—

(1) details the actions the Administrator shall take to implement the plan, including specifying the required technical system upgrades, operational procedure modifications, new training requirements, and a transition plan;

(2) details a schedule with milestones for implementation of the use of advanced surveillance systems or services and coordination of such use with international air service navigation providers; and

(3) describes any anticipated safety enhancements, fuel and operating cost savings, and reduction in carbon emissions of aircraft operating through airspace in which such advanced surveillance systems or services are used.

(a) Establishment.—The Administrator shall conduct a pilot program to evaluate technologies to detect, measure, and locate disrupting sources of interference to the GPS Standard Positioning Service in order to mitigate the impacts on air commerce and other related government and civilian functions within the air traffic management ecosystem.

(b) Evaluation of technologies.—

(1) TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIES.—The pilot program shall evaluate commercially available technologies, as well as technologies under development by the FAA, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

(2) SCOPE.—The pilot program shall consider technologies that have both physical electronics equipment and software components, as well as technologies with only software components.

(c) Number of evaluation sites.—The pilot program shall evaluate technologies for the purposes described in subsection (a) at not less than 5, and not more than 7, airports unless the Administrator determines that additional evaluation sites are needed to carry out the pilot program.

(d) Location of evaluation sites.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The pilot program shall be conducted at each of the following types of airports:

(A) A primary airport in Class B airspace.

(B) A primary airport in Class C airspace.

(C) A primary airport in Class D airspace.

(D) An airport in Class E airspace.

(E) A Joint-Use Airport.

(2) DOCUMENTED INTERFERENCE.—In determining whether an airport should be an evaluation site for the pilot program, the Administrator shall consider airports described in paragraph (1) that have experienced documented instances of interference to the GPS Standard Positioning Service during the 5-year period ending with the date of enactment of this section.

(e) Private sector participation.—The Administrator shall collaborate with the private sector, including providers of technology that can cost-effectively implement a capability to potentially mitigate the impacts of GPS Standard Positioning Service interference on air commerce.

(f) Congressional briefings.—Beginning 12 months after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter until the date on which the report required by subsection (g) is submitted, the Administrator shall provide the appropriate committees of Congress with a briefing summarizing the status of, and findings from, the pilot program.

(g) Report.—Not later than 180 days after date on which pilot program is terminated, the Administrator shall provide a report to the appropriate committees of Congress on the results of the pilot program.

(h) GPS Standard Positioning Service defined.—In this section, the term “GPS Standard Positioning Service” has the meaning given such term in section 2281(d)(2) of title 10, United States Code.

(a) Study.—The Administrator shall conduct a study of runway safety incidents and accidents at airports in the United States and identify technologies that may prevent or reduce the risk of such incidents and accidents.

(b) Report.—Not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report containing the results of the study conducted under subsection (a) that includes the following:

(1) Recommendations for preventative measures, including process changes and identification of available technologies, to mitigate the risks of runway safety incidents and accidents at or near airports in the United States.

(2) Recommendations for additional airports in the United States, based on a risk-based analysis, that would be viable candidates for installation of runway safety technologies.

(3) The FAA's timeline and action plan for replacing, maintaining, or enhancing the operational capability provided by the Airport Surface Detection System - Model X (ASDE-X) and the Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) legacy surveillance systems, and implementing runway safety technologies at airports currently without surface surveillance systems, as needed to improve runway safety.

(4) An explanation of the decision-making process used by the FAA to determine whether to introduce runway safety technologies, like ASDE-X, ASSC, or other appropriate surface surveillance systems, at additional airports.

(c) Briefings.—Following the submission of the report under subsection (b) and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the progress of the action plan under subsection (b)(3), including on the—

(1) status of implementing new surface surveillance systems at additional airports; and

(2) justification for delaying or not implementing additional surface surveillance systems at airports identified by the Administrator under subsection (b)(2).

(a) Pilot program.—

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish a pilot program to award grants to air traffic flow management technology providers to develop prototype capabilities to incorporate flight profile optimization (in this section referred to as “FPO”) into the FAA's trajectory based-operations air traffic flow management system.

(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consider the following:

(A) The extent to which developed FPO capabilities may reduce strain on the national airspace system infrastructure while facilitating safe and efficient flow of future air traffic volumes and diverse range of aircraft and advanced aviation aircraft.

(B) The extent to which developed FPO capabilities may achieve environmental benefits and time savings.

(C) The perspectives of FAA employees responsible for air traffic flow management development projects, bilateral civil aviation regulatory partners, and industry applicants on the FAA’s performance in carrying out air traffic flow management system development projects.

(D) Any other information the Administrator deems appropriate.

(3) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant under the program, an air traffic flow management technology provider shall submit an application to the Administrator at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Administrator may require.

(4) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—A grant awarded under the program shall not exceed $2,000,000 to a single air traffic flow management technology provider.

(b) Briefing to Congress.—Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the pilot program under subsection (a), and annually thereafter until the termination of the pilot program, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the progress of the pilot program under this section, including any implementation challenges of the program, detailed metrics of the program, and any suggested action to achieve the adoption of FPO.

(c) Definition of trajectory-based operations.—The term “trajectory-based operations” means an air traffic flow management method for strategically planning, managing, and optimizing flights that uses time-based management, performance-based navigation, and other capabilities and processes to achieve air traffic flow management operational objectives and improvements.

(a) Certification.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall define minimum performance and technical requirements in order to provide a mechanism to certify a commercial radar display capable of displaying primary and secondary radar targets for use by controllers in FAA Contract Tower program towers.

(2) STARS.—With respect to a Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System or any equivalent system procured directly from an original equipment manufacturer (in this section referred to as an “OEM”), the Administrator shall move expeditiously to certify such systems for Federal contract towers and identify such systems by issuing an advisory circular regarding the certification of such systems.

(3) MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST.—The FAA may add Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System equipment to the minimum level of equipage necessary for Federal contract towers to perform their function, as applicable.

(b) Installation and maintenance.—Not later than December 31, 2025, the Administrator shall allow airports to—

(1) procure, install, and maintain a Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System or any equivalent system through the FAA; or

(2) purchase a Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System or any equivalent system and installation and maintenance services directly from an OEM.

(a) In general.—Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall initiate an audit of all legacy systems to determine their level of operational risk, functionality, security, and compatibility with current and future technology.

(b) Scope of audit.—The audit required by subsection (a)—

(1) shall be conducted by an independent third-party contractor or a Federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) selected by the Administrator;

(2) shall include an assessment of whether a legacy system is outdated, insufficient, unsafe, or unstable, as defined in subsection (f); and

(3) with respect to any legacy systems identified in the audit as outdated, insufficient, unsafe, or unstable, shall include—

(A) an analysis of the operational risks associated with using such legacy systems;

(B) recommendations for replacement or enhancement of such legacy systems; and

(C) an analysis of any potential impact on aviation safety and efficiency.

(c) Deadline.—Not later than December 31, 2025, the audit required by subsection (a) shall be completed.

(d) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the audit required by subsection (a) is completed, the Administrator shall provide a report to the appropriate committees of Congress on the audit's findings and recommendations, including—

(1) an inventory of the legacy systems in use;

(2) an assessment of the operational condition of the legacy systems in use; and

(3) the average age of in-service legacy systems and, for each legacy system in use, the intended design life of the system, by type.

(e) Collaboration with industry on plan to accelerate drawdown, replacement, or enhancement of legacy systems.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the date on which the Administrator provides the report required by subsection (d), the Administrator shall initiate a plan, in coordination with industry, to accelerate drawdown, replacement, or enhancement of any legacy systems that are identified in the audit required by subsection (a) as outdated, insufficient, unsafe, or unstable.

(2) PRIORITIES.—The Administrator shall prioritize the drawdown, replacement, or enhancement of such legacy systems based on the operational risks such legacy systems pose to air safety and the costs associated with the replacement or enhancement of such legacy systems.

(3) COLLABORATION.—The Administrator shall work with industry to develop a plan to replace or enhance the identified legacy systems within a reasonable time frame.

(4) PROGRESS UPDATES.—The Administrator shall provide the appropriate committees of Congress with semi-annual updates on the progress made in replacing or enhancing the identified legacy systems.

(f) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) INDUSTRY.—The term “industry” means the aviation industry, limited to organizations with expertise in aviation-dedicated network systems, systems engineering platforms, aviation software services, air traffic management, flight operations, and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

(2) LEGACY SYSTEMS.—The term “legacy systems” means any communication, navigation, surveillance, or automation or network applications or ground-based aviation infrastructure owned by the FAA that were deployed prior to the year 2000, including the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system.

(3) OUTDATED, INSUFFICIENT, UNSAFE, OR UNSTABLE.—The term “outdated, insufficient, unsafe, or unstable” means a legacy system for which the likelihood of failure creates a risk to air safety or security due to the legacy system's age, ability to be cost-effectively maintained, or any other factors that may compromise the performance or security of the legacy system. Such term includes a legacy system with a risk of a single point of failure or that lacks of sufficient back-up capability in the event of a failure.

(a) Satellite voice communications services.—The Administrator shall evaluate the addition of satellite voice communication services (referred to in this section as “SatVoice”) to the Aeronautical Mobile Communications program (in this section referred to as the “AMCS program”) that provides for the delivery of air traffic control messages in oceanic and remote continental airspace.

(b) Analysis and implementation procedures.—Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall begin to develop the safety case analysis and stated implementation procedures for SatVoice instructions over the FAA’s controlled oceanic and remote continental airspace regions.

(c) Requirements.—The analysis and implementation procedures required under subsection (b) shall include, at a minimum, the following:

(1) Network and protocol testing and integration with satellite service providers.

(2) Operational testing with aircraft to identify and resolve performance issues.

(3) Collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organization in defining Satcom Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), which shall include an RCP-130 performance standard as well as SatVoice standards.

(4) Training of radio operators on new operation procedures and protocols.

(5) A phased implementation plan for incorporating SatVoice services into the AMCS program.

(6) The estimated cost of the implementation procedures for relevant stakeholders.

(d) HF/VHF minimum equipage.—The addition of SatVoice capability as an added means of communication in oceanic and remote continental airspace shall in no way affect the current HF/VHF equipage requirement for communications in such airspace. The Administrator shall maintain existing HF/VHF services as minimum equipage under the AMCS program to provide for auxiliary communication and maintain safety in the event of a satellite outage.

(a) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that the national airspace system requires additional rotorcraft, including advanced air mobility aircraft, low-altitude instrument flight rules routes leveraging advances in performance based navigation to operate on direct, safe, and reliable routes that ensure sufficient separation from higher altitude fixed wing aircraft traffic.

(b) Low-altitude rotorcraft instrument flight routes.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall initiate a rulemaking process to—

(A) incorporate instrument flight rules rotorcraft operations into the low-altitude performance based navigation procedure infrastructure;

(B) prioritize the development of new helicopter area navigation (RNAV) instrument flight rules routes, acting through notice and comment rulemaking, as part of the United States air traffic service route (ATS) structure that utilize performance based navigation, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) equipment.

(2) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the rulemaking process under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consult with—

(A) stakeholders in the airport, heliport, rotorcraft manufacturer, rotorcraft operator, general aviation operator, commercial air carrier, and performance based navigation technology manufacturer sectors;

(B) the United States Helicopter Safety Team; and

(C) other stakeholders determined appropriate by the Administrator.

(a) Study and briefing on ADS-B out equipage.—

(1) STUDY.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall initiate a study to determine—

(A) the number of aircraft registered in the United States and other devices operating in the airspace of the United States that are not equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) out equipment;

(B) the requirements for and impact of expanding the dual-link architecture that is used below an altitude of FL180 to any altitude below the current radar floor;

(C) the costs and benefits of equipage; and

(D) the cost and benefits of any accommodation made for aircraft with inoperable ADS-B out equipment.

(2) ANNUAL BRIEFINGS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter through 2025, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1), including any updates thereof.

(b) Vehicle-to-Vehicle link program.—Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator, in coordination with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, shall establish an interagency coordination program to advance Vehicle-to-Vehicle link programs that—

(1) enable the real-time digital exchange of key information between nearby aircraft; and

(2) are not reliant on ground infrastructure or air-to-ground communication links.

Section 547 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 40103 note) is amended—

(1) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:

“(d) Definitions.—

“(1) CERTAIN NEXTGEN AVIONICS.—The term ‘certain NextGen avionics’ means those avionics and baseline capabilities as recommended in the Minimum Capabilities List (MCL) Ad Hoc Team, NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) Task 19-1 Report completed in November 2020.

“(2) PREFERENTIAL BASIS.—The term ‘preferential basis’ means prioritizing aircraft equipped with certain NextGen avionics by providing them more efficient service, shorter queuing, or priority clearances to the maximum extent possible without reducing overall capacity or safety of the national airspace system.”; and

(2) in subsection (e), by striking “September 30, 2023” and inserting “September 30, 2028”.

(a) Plan.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall develop a 2-year implementation plan to further incentivize the acceleration of the equipage rates of certain NextGen avionics in the active commercial and regional fleet of the national airspace system.

(2) CONTENTS.—The plan required under paragraph(1) shall, at a minimum, evaluate and consider recommendations to—

(A) provide for further implementation and deployment of NextGen operational improvements to incentivize universal equipage across the active fleet for commercial and regional aircraft;

(B) identify any remaining barriers for operators to properly equip with certain NextGen avionics, including any methods to address such barriers;

(C) provide for the use of the best methods to highlight and enhance the benefits realizable by operators equipping with certain NextGen avionics; and

(D) contain any equipage guidelines and regulations the Administrator deems necessary and appropriate.

(3) CONSULTATION.—In developing the plan under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consult with representatives from—

(A) trade associations representing air carriers;

(B) trade associations representing avionics manufacturers;

(C) labor organizations representing air traffic controllers; and

(D) any other representatives the Administrator determines appropriate.

(b) Submission of plan.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall consider the recommendations under subsection (a) and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress the plan required under subsection (a).

(c) Rulemaking.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which the plan required under subsection (a) is submitted to the appropriate committees of Congress under subsection (b), the Administrator shall, if Administrator determined appropriate, initiate a rulemaking proceeding to address one or more of the recommendations contained in the plan.

(d) Definition.—In this section the term “certain NextGen avionics” means those avionics and baseline capabilities as recommended in the Minimum Capabilities List (MCL) Ad Hoc Team, NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) Task 19-1 Report completed in November 2020.

(a) Report on performance based navigation.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall publish on the website of the FAA a progress report on the utilization, implementation, and operational benefits of performance based navigation (in this section referred to as “PBN”) procedures of the FAA within the national airspace system.

(2) CONTENTS.—The report shall include, at a minimum, a detailed implementation plan with respect to the recommendations made by—

(A) the PBN Clarification Ad Hoc Team, NextGen Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as the “NAC”) Task 19-4 Report completed in November 2020;

(B) the Final Report of the Major Air Carrier Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Way Forward Workgroup for the FAA’s PBN Clarification Tasking to the NAC dated June 2020;

(C) the NAC Subcommittee Update on Opportunities dated June 2020;

(D) the Barriers to Established on Required Navigation Performance Procedures dated November 2019; and

(E) the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, Section 547 Enhanced Air Traffic Services, NAC Task 20-3 Report dated March 2021.

(b) Utilization action plan.—180 days after the completion of the report under subsection (a), the Administrator shall, in consultation with representatives of air traffic controllers, develop an action plan to utilize PBN as a primary means of navigation to further reduce the dependency on legacy systems within the national airspace system.

(c) Briefing.—Not later than 1 year after the development of the action plan under subsection (b), and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to appropriate committees of Congress a report on the implementation of the action plan, including the utilization rate of PBN as a primary means of navigation.

(a) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall partner with a third party to conduct an Air Traffic Control Facility Realignment report to examine consolidating or otherwise reorganizing air traffic control work facilities and locations and airspace structure management.

(b) Contents.—The report required by subsection (a) shall do the following:

(1) Evaluate the potential efficiencies that may result from a reorganization.

(2) Identify whether certain areas prone to congestion or staff shortages would benefit from enhanced flexibilities.

(3) Recommend opportunities for integration of separate facilities to create a more collaborative and efficient traffic control environment.

(c) Report and briefing.—

(1) TO THE ADMINISTRATOR.—Not later than September 30, 2025, the third party described in subsection (a) shall submit to the Administrator a report on the recommendations described in subsection (b)(3), and a copy of such report shall be transmitted to the labor organization representing air traffic controllers.

(2) TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 60 days after receiving the recommendations described in subsection (b)(3), the Administrator shall brief the relevant Congressional committees on such recommendations, as well as the Administrator's plan, if any, to implement such recommendations.

(a) In general.—Section 625 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “and” at the end;

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(3) a program to provide grants for eligible projects to support the education and recruitment of aviation manufacturing technical workers and the development of the aviation manufacturing workforce.”;

(2) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “2023” each place it appears and inserting “2028”;

(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3);

(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph:

“(2) ADDITIONAL FUNDING.—In addition to amounts available for grants pursuant to paragraph (1), there is authorized to be appropriated—

“(A) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to provide grants under the program established under subsection (a)(1);

“(B) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to provide grants under the program established under subsection (a)(2); and

“(C) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to provide grants under the program established under subsection (a)(3).”; and

(D) in paragraph (3), as redesignated by subparagraph (B), by inserting “(or, in the case of fiscal years 2024 through 2028, $1,000,000)” after “$500,000”;

(3) in subsection (c)—

(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting “, a postsecondary vocational institution (as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002),” after “(20 U.S.C. 1001))”;

(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting “, a postsecondary vocational institution (as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002),” after “(20 U.S.C. 1001))”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(3) An application for a grant under the program established under subsection (a)(3) shall be submitted, in such form as the Secretary may specify, by—

“(A) a holder of a type or production certificate or similar authorization issued under section 44704 of title 49, United States Code, or a credible applicant for such a certificate as determined by the Secretary;

“(B) an accredited institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), a postsecondary vocational institution (as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002), or a high school or secondary school (as defined in section 7801 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801); and

“(C) a State or local governmental entity.”;

(4) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:

“(d) Eligible projects.—For purposes of a program established under subsection (a), an eligible project is a project—

“(1) to create and deliver a program designed to provide students with meaningful aviation education that is designed to prepare the students to become aircraft pilots, aerospace engineers, unmanned aircraft systems operators, aviation maintenance technical workers, or aviation manufacturing technical workers (as applicable to the relevant program described in subsection (a));

“(2) to support the professional development of teachers and other educators implementing a program described in paragraph (1);

“(3) to establish new educational programs that teach technical skills used by aircraft pilots, aerospace engineers, unmanned aircraft systems operators, aviation maintenance technical workers, or aviation manufacturing technical workers (as applicable to the relevant program described in subsection (a)), including purchasing equipment, or to improve existing such programs;

“(4) to establish scholarships or registered apprenticeships for individuals pursuing employment as aircraft pilots, aerospace engineers, unmanned aircraft systems operators, aviation maintenance technical workers, or aviation manufacturing technical workers (as applicable to the relevant program described in subsection (a));

“(5) to support outreach about careers as aircraft pilots, aerospace engineers, unmanned aircraft systems operators, aviation maintenance technical workers, or aviation manufacturing technical workers (as applicable to the relevant program described in subsection (a)) to—

“(A) primary, secondary, and post-secondary school students; or

“(B) communities underrepresented in the applicable industry;

“(6) to support educational opportunities in both urban and rural areas;

“(7) to support transition to careers as aircraft pilots, aerospace engineers, unmanned aircraft systems operators, aviation maintenance technical workers, or aviation manufacturing technical workers (as applicable to the relevant program described in subsection (a)), including for veterans and members of the Armed Forces; or

“(8) to otherwise enhance or expand the aircraft pilot, aerospace engineer, unmanned aircraft system operator workforces, aviation maintenance technical worker, or aviation manufacturing technical worker workforces.”;

(5) in subsection (e)

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) by inserting “aviation manufacturers,” after “repair stations,” and

(ii) by striking “and” at the end;

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(3) give priority to applicants who partner with, or establish links between, secondary schools and post-secondary schools and who work collaboratively or participate in industry or sector partnerships.”; and

(6) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(f) Consultation with the Secretary of Education.—The Secretary may consult with the Secretary of Education in—

“(1) developing the design of the grant application under this section;

“(2) reviewing and selecting applications for grants for eligible projects under this section; and

“(3) establishing considerations regarding program quality and measurement of student outcomes.”.

(b) Conforming amendment.—Paragraph (4) of section 48105 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2028”.

(c) National strategic plan for aviation workforce development.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall, to the extent practicable and in consultation with other Federal agencies and private individuals, establish a national strategic plan for addressing projected shortages of aviation workers in the aviation industry, including—

(A) any short-term, medium-term, and long-term needs critical to the economy, national security, workforce readiness, environmental concerns, and priorities of the United States aviation sector, such as emergency readiness and resilience; and

(B) any situation or condition that warrants special attention by the Federal Government.

(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The national strategic plan established under paragraph (1) shall—

(A) take into account the activities and accomplishments of all agencies in the executive branch of the Federal Government that are related to carrying out such national strategic plan; and

(B) include recommendations for legislation, regulations, and budget proposals to carry out such national strategic plan.

(a) Establishment.—There is established within the Department of Transportation the Women in Aviation Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as the “Committee”).

(b) Membership.—

(1) COMPOSITION.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (C), the Committee shall be composed of up to 16 members appointed by the Secretary, including representatives from the following:

(i) Passenger and cargo air carriers operating under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(ii) Aircraft manufacturers and aerospace companies.

(iii) Nonprofit organizations within the aviation industry, including at least 1 State aviation agency.

(iv) Airport operators and employees.

(v) Aviation business associations.

(vi) Engineering business associations.

(vii) United States Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol.

(viii) Institutions of higher education and aviation trade schools.

(ix) The Department of Labor.

(x) The Department of Education.

(xi) Nonprofit labor organizations representing aviation workers, including organizations representing aviation maintenance workers and pilots for cargo and passenger air carriers operating under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(xii) The FAA.

(B) DATE.—The appointments described in subparagraph (A) shall be made not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of this section.

(C) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The Secretary shall appoint 1 member from the Office of Civil Rights of the FAA to serve in an ex officio capacity.

(2) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Committee may establish subcommittees as the Committee determines appropriate.

(3) CHAIR; SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRS.—The Committee—

(A) shall select a Chair from among the members of the Committee; and

(B) may select subcommittee chairs from among the members of the Committee, as the Committee determines appropriate.

(4) TERM OF SERVICE.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—Each member of the Committee shall serve until the termination date described in subsection (e).

(B) SUCCESSORS.—

(i) DEATH OR RESIGNATION.—If a member of the Committee dies or resigns during their term of service, the Secretary shall designate a successor for the unexpired term of such member.

(ii) EXPIRED TERM.—Any member of the Committee whose term of office has expired shall continue to serve as a member until their successor is appointed by the Secretary.

(5) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Secretary shall furnish the Committee logistical and administrative support to enable the Committee to perform its duties.

(6) COMPENSATION.—Each member of the Committee shall serve without compensation.

(c) Duties.—

(1) ADVISORY ROLE.—The Committee—

(A) shall advise the Secretary and the Administrator on matters related to promoting women in the aviation industry, including education, training, recruitment, retention, and career advancement;

(B) shall review and update the recommendations directed to FAA and non-FAA entities produced by the Advisory Board created under section 612 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note) and recommend how to engage with those entities to improve the implementation of such recommendations;

(C) shall coordinate with the Department of Transportation Office of Civil Rights and the FAA's Federal Women's Program to not duplicate the objectives of such program; and

(D) shall not duplicate the objectives of the Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee.

(2) REPORTS.—

(A) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than October 31 of the first calendar year beginning after the date on which the Committee is established under subsection (a), and annually thereafter, the Committee shall submit to Congress, the Secretary, and the Administrator a report that contains a detailed statement of the Committee's recommendations under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1), together with the recommendations of the Committee for such legislation and administrative actions as the Committee considers appropriate.

(B) ADDITIONAL REPORTS.—The Committee may submit to Congress, the Secretary, and the Administrator additional reports and recommendations related to education, training, recruiting, retaining, and advancing women in the aviation industry as the Committee determines appropriate.

(d) Review of recommendations.—Not later than 60 days after the date on which the Secretary receives a report from the Committee under subsection (c)(2), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that indicates—

(1) which recommendations of the Committee that the Secretary has determined the Department of Transportation is able to address and provide an update regarding the implementation of such recommendations on an annual basis; and

(2) which such recommendations the Secretary is not able to implement (including any recommendations for legislation) and a rationale for that determination.

(e) Sunset.—The Committee shall terminate on September 30, 2028.

(a) Study.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General shall initiate a study to assess the aviation maintenance technician workforce pipeline in the United States, as well as any barriers for students enrolled in high school aviation maintenance programs with respect to—

(A) entering airframe and powerplant mechanic programs; or

(B) accessing pathways to mechanic certification.

(2) CONTENTS.—The study required under paragraph (1) shall assess the following:

(A) The number of high school aviation maintenance programs in the United States and the typical career outcomes for graduates of such programs.

(B) The extent to which high school aviation maintenance programs offer curricula that align with FAA mechanic airman certification standards.

(C) The opportunities afforded to students enrolled in alternative or high school maintenance programs partnered with aviation maintenance technician schools (as described in section 147.15 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations).

(D) Alternate paths to a certificated aviation maintenance technician school for the fulfillment of the experience requirements described in section 65.75(c) of such title 14.

(E) Any barriers to entry associated with—

(i) developing and attaining the knowledge and experience requirements described in section 65.75 and section 147.31 of such title 14; or

(ii) access to the mechanic certification process.

(F) The level of engagement between the FAA and high school aviation maintenance programs with respect to developing curricula that assist with building foundational knowledge and skills necessary to attain FAA mechanic certifications and associated ratings.

(G) Any barriers to accessing the general knowledge test described in section 65.71(a)(3) of such title 14.

(H) Whether allowing mechanic certificate applicants to take the general knowledge test prior to such applicants meeting the relevant experience requirements would present a safety risk.

(I) Whether regulatory changes could reduce any barriers described in this paragraph.

(b) Report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General shall provide to the Administrator and the appropriate committees of Congress a report and briefing on the findings of the study conducted under subsection (a), together with recommendations for such legislative and administrative action as the Comptroller General deems appropriate.

(a) Streamlined certification for eligible military maintenance technicians.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall issue a final rule that revises part 65 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to—

(1) create a military mechanic written competency test; and

(2) develop, as necessary, a relevant Airman Certification Standard to qualify eligible military maintenance technicians for a mechanic certificate with airframe or powerplant ratings; and

(3) allow a certificate of eligibility from the Joint Services Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council (in this section referred to as the “JSAMTCC”) evidencing completion of a training curriculum for any rating sought to serve as a substitute to fulfill the requirement under such part 65 for oral and practical tests administered by a Designated Mechanic Examiner (in this section referred to as a “DME”) for eligible military maintenance technicians.

(b) Aeronautical knowledge subject areas.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The military mechanic written competency test and Airman Certification Standard described in subsection (a) shall focus on the aeronautical knowledge subject areas contained in the Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standards, as appropriate to the rating sought.

(2) IDENTIFICATION OF SUBJECT AREAS.—The aeronautical knowledge subject areas shall be identified and recommended to the Administrator, in consultation with industry stakeholders, through the FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee Airman Certification System Working Group.

(c) Expansion of testing locations.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall determine whether an expansion of the number of active testing locations operated within military installation testing centers would increase access to testing, as well as how to implement such expansion.

(d) Outreach and awareness.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall develop a plan to increase outreach and awareness regarding—

(1) the services made available by the JSAMTCC; and

(2) the military mechanic written competency test established under subsection (a).

(e) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Administrator issues the final rule under subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the activities carried out under this section, together with recommendations for such legislative or administrative action as the Administrator determines appropriate.

(f) Eligible military maintenance technician defined.—For purposes of this section, the term “eligible military maintenance technician” means an individual who is a current or former maintenance technician who was honorably discharged or has retired from the United States Armed Forces (as defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code) and meets the following requirements:

(1) The individual presents an official United States Armed Forces record confirming that the individual is or was a military aviation maintenance technician, holding an appropriate Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) Code, as determined by the Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense.

(2) The individual presents documentary evidence of experience in accordance with the requirements under section 65.77 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

(a) Amendments to prohibition.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 44711(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(A) in paragraph (9), by striking “or” after the semicolon;

(B) by redesignating paragraph (10) as paragraph (11); and

(C) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following new paragraph:

“(10) work as an aircraft dispatcher outside of a physical location designated as a dispatching center or flight following center of an air carrier; or”.

(2) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall promulgate regulations requiring persons and air carriers to comply with paragraph (10) of section 44711(a) of title 49, United States Code (as added by paragraph (1)).

(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, without regard to whether the regulations required by paragraph (2) have been promulgated as of that date.

(b) Aircraft dispatching.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code, as amended by section 304(a), is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chapter 447 of such title, as amended by section 304(b), is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 44744 the following:

“44746. Aircraft dispatching.”.

(a) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that:

(1) Each air carrier operating under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, shall submit to the Administrator an Employee Assault Prevention and Response Plan pursuant to section 551 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 44903 note).

(2) Each such air carrier should have in place and deploy an Employee Assault Prevention and Response Plan to facilitate appropriate protocols, standards, and training to equip employees with best practices and the experience necessary to respond effectively to hostile situations and disruptive behavior and maintain a safe traveling experience.

(b) Required briefing.—Section 551 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 44903 note) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(f) Briefing to Congress.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall provide to the appropriate committees of Congress a briefing on the Employee Assault Prevention and Response Plan submitted by each air carrier pursuant to this section.”.

Section 44918(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting “and unruly passenger behavior” before the period at the end;

(2) in paragraph (2)—

(A) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:

“(A) Recognize suspicious behavior and activities and determine the seriousness of any occurrence.”;

(B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting “, including training to defend against the use of edged or contact weapons” before the period at the end;

(C) by striking subparagraph (H) and inserting the following:

“(H) De-escalation training based on recommendations issued by the Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee.”;

(D) by redesignating subparagraphs (I) and (J) as subparagraphs (J) and (K), respectively; and

(E) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the following:

“(I) Methods to subdue and restrain an active attacker.”;

(3) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:

“(4) MINIMUM STANDARDS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with the Federal Air Marshal Service and the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, shall establish minimum standards for—

“(A) the training provided under this subsection and for recurrent training; and

“(B) the individuals or entities providing such training.”;

(4) in paragraph (6)—

(A) in the first sentence—

(i) by inserting “and the Federal Air Marshal Service” after “consultation with the Administrator”;

(ii) by striking “and periodically shall” and inserting “and shall periodically”; and

(iii) by inserting “based on changes in the potential or actual threat conditions” before the period at the end; and

(B) in the second sentence, by inserting “, including self-defense training expertise and experience” before the period at the end; and

(5) by adding at the end the following:

“(8) AIR CARRIER ACCOMMODATION.—An air carrier with a crew member participating in the training program under this subsection shall provide a process through which each such crew member may obtain reasonable accommodations.”.

(a) Study and report on engine ingestion zone and jet blast zone accidents.—

(1) STUDY.—The Administrator shall conduct a study on ways to minimize or eliminate engine ingestion zone and jet blast zone accidents, including through—

(A) improving markings on the apron to clearly define and graphically indicate the engine ingestion zones and envelope of safety for the variety of aircraft that may park at the same gate of the airport;

(B) incorporating markings on aircraft to indicate the engine inlet danger zone, using hazard warning stripes, decals, or other measures;

(C) limiting ground service personnel access to an aircraft until the engines of the aircraft are no longer running, the beacon on top of the aircraft has been turned off, the individual blades of the engine fan can be observed, and there is a notification from the flight deck crew confirming the engines are off (including the time for cool down, particularly for engines with low ground clearance);

(D) improving aircraft engine design to prevent or minimize engine ingestion, such as the use of stationary inlet guide vanes or engine guarding;

(E) improving the use of or requirements for Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) or electrical systems maintenance or incorporating changes to other systems or apron operation procedures to eliminate or minimize the length of time an aircraft engine runs (or be permitted to run) while the aircraft is at the gate or stopped on the ground; and

(F) improving communication devices and requirements for operable radios and headsets.

(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (a), together with recommendations for such legislative or administrative action as determined appropriate by the Administrator.

(b) Improved training.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator may, as appropriate, develop and publish training and related educational materials about aircraft engine ingestion and jet blast hazards for ground crews (including supervisory employees) that includes information on—

(A) the specific dangers and consequences of entering engine ingestion or jet blast zones;

(B) proper protocols to avoid entering an engine ingestion or jet blast zone; and

(C) on-the-job, instructor-led training to physically demonstrate the engine ingestion zone boundaries and jet blast zones for each kind of aircraft the ground crew may encounter.

(2) TRAINING REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after the publication of the training and related educational materials described in paragraph (1), the Administrator may promulgate regulations to require any new, transferred, or current (as of the date of enactment of this section) employee of the FAA to receive the relevant engine ingestion and jet blast zone hazard training before such employee may perform work on the apron.

(a) In general.—Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish the Aviation Medical Innovation and Modernization Working Group (in this section referred to as the “Working Group”) and appoint members of the Working Group in accordance with subsection (b).

(b) Membership.—

(1) NUMBER.—The members of the Working Group shall not exceed 20 individuals.

(2) COMPOSITION.—

(A) FEDERAL AIR SURGEON.—The Federal Air Surgeon shall be a member of the Working Group and shall be the Chair of the Working Group.

(B) SENIOR AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINERS.—In addition to the Federal Air Surgeon, at least 8 members of the Working Group shall be individuals who are Senior Aviation Medical Examiners.

(C) OTHER MEMBERS.—In addition to the Federal Air Surgeon and the members appointed under subparagraph (B), the remaining members shall be licensed medical physicians with substantial expertise in—

(i) aerospace medicine;

(ii) psychological medicine;

(iii) neurological medicine;

(iv) cardiovascular medicine; or

(v) internal medicine.

(D) PREFERENCE IN APPOINTMENTS.—The Administrator shall give preference to appointing members of the Working Group who are Aviation Medical Examiners or licensed medical physicians who have demonstrated research and expertise in aviation medical issues.

(E) USE OF SUBGROUPS.—The Working Group Administrator may use subgroups to develop the recommendations under subsection (c).

(c) Recommendations.—The Working Group shall develop a report that includes recommendations with respect to the following areas:

(1) Evaluation of the conditions an Aviation Medical Examiner can issue (CACI).

(2) Improvements and reforms to the Special Issuance process, including whether, after initial medical certification by the FAA, renewals can be based on a medical evaluation and treatment plan by a pilot’s treating medical specialist with concurrence from the pilot’s Aviation Medical Examiner.

(3) Development of an online medical portal administered by the FAA that—

(A) adheres to cybersecurity protections and protocols;

(B) authorizes Aviation Medical Examiners, pilots, or their designee, to securely share medical records;

(C) provides timely updates for a pilot’s medical application and improves return to flying timelines;

(D) provides pilots with the ability to submit additional information requested from the FAA;

(E) includes the method to contact the reviewing office; and

(F) such other requirements as the Working Group may recommend.

(4) The use of technologies to address forms of red-green color blindness for pilots.

(5) Improvements to Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder protocols.

(6) Improvements to neurology protocols, specifically, stroke, head injury, and known loss of consciousness.

(7) Improvements to FAA mental health protocols, including, but not limited to, mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, the use of medications for treating mental health conditions, and neurocognitive testing rules and applicability.

(d) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Working Group is established—

(1) the Working Group shall submit the report developed in accordance with subsection (c) to the Administrator, along with recommendations for such legislation and administrative action as the Working Group determines appropriate; and

(2) the Administrator shall submit such report and recommendations to the appropriate committees of Congress.

(e) Actions by the Administrator.—The Administrator may take such action as the Administrator determines appropriate to implement the recommendations in the report under submitted under subsection (d).

(f) Exemption from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.—Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the Working Group.

(g) Sunset.—The Working Group shall terminate on the date on which the Working Group submits the report required by subsection (d).

(a) In general.—The Administrator shall use the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee Airman Certification System Working Group (in this section referred to as the “Working Group”) to obtain industry recommendations on maintaining and updating Airman Certification Standards.

(b) Duties.—In carrying out its activities, the Working Group shall—

(1) ensure that testing remains correlated and corresponds to current regulations, procedures, equipment, aviation infrastructure, and safety trends;

(2) work with industry to solicit recommendations on airman certification and testing, including new, and revisions to existing, Airman Certification Standards guidance documents and airman tests; and

(3) ensure other tasks carried out by the Working Group are addressed and completed in a timely and efficient manner.

(a) FAA air traffic control staffing standards.—The Administrator shall complete the requirements of subsection (b) and implement revisions to the FAA Certified Professional Controller (in this section referred to as “CPC”) operational staffing targets, in consultation with appropriate stakeholders including the exclusive bargaining representative of air traffic control specialists of the FAA certified under section 7111 of title 5, United States Code, by September 30, 2024.

(b) National Academy of Sciences study.—

(1) STUDY.—Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall enter into appropriate arrangements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (in this subsection referred to as the “National Academies”) under which the National Academies will conduct a study of the methodology used by the Collaborative Resource Workgroup (in this subsection referred to as “CRWG”) to determine CPC operational staffing targets needed to meet facility operational, statutory, and contractual requirements, including resources to develop, evaluate, and implement processes and initiatives affecting the national airspace system.

(2) CONTENTS.—The study required by paragraph (1) shall include the following elements:

(A) A review of similarities and discrepancies between methodologies used to develop the CRWG CPC operational staffing targets and the staffing targets developed by the FAA as reflected by the staffing standards used in the 2023 Controller Workforce Plan.

(B) An examination of the discrepancies between the CRWG CPC staffing targets and the FAA-developed CPC staffing standards used in the 2023 Controller Workforce Plan that contribute to a significant divergence in operational staffing headcounts (including with respect to CPCs, CPCs-in-training at new facilities, and trainees), CPC staffing targets, and staffing needs for air traffic controllers between fiscal year 2027 and fiscal year 2032 to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the national airspace system.

(C) An evaluation of—

(i) air traffic in the airspace of each air traffic control facility operated by the FAA;

(ii) air traffic controller position utilization;

(iii) attrition rates at each air traffic control facility operated by the FAA; and

(iv) the time needed to meet facility operational, statutory, and contractual requirements, including resources to develop, evaluate, and implement processes and initiatives affecting the national airspace system.

(D) For each air traffic control facility operated by the FAA, a description of—

(i) the current CPC staffing levels;

(ii) the operational staffing targets for CPCs;

(iii) the anticipated CPC attrition for each of the next 3 years; and

(iv) the number of CPC trainees.

(E) An examination of the FAA’s current and estimated budgets and funding needed to implement the CRWG CPC operational staffing targets and needs in comparison to such funding needed to implement the staffing standards developed by the FAA as reflected in the 2023 Controller Workforce Plan.

(F) An analysis of the recommendations included in Transportation Research Board Special Report 314, titled “The Federal Aviation Administration’s Approach for Determining Future Air Traffic Controller Staffing Needs” that have not yet been addressed or implemented by the Administrator.

(G) Recommendations for further action by the Administrator, as appropriate, to—

(i) address operational staffing requirements to meet facility operational, statutory, and contractual requirements; and

(ii) provide fulsome air traffic controller staffing to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the national airspace system, including the integration of new users, technologies, and procedures.

(3) CONSULTATION.—In conducting the study required by paragraph (1), the National Academies shall consult with—

(A) Federal Government and industry representatives;

(B) the exclusive bargaining representative of air traffic control specialists of the FAA certified under section 7111 of title 5, United States Code; and

(C) other parties determined appropriate by the National Academies.

(4) REPORTS.—

(A) TO THE ADMINISTRATOR.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the National Academies shall submit to the Administrator a report on the results of the study required by paragraph (1), together with recommendations determined appropriate by the National Academies.

(B) TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which the National Academies submits the report under subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing—

(i) the results of the study required by paragraph (1);

(ii) the report submitted by the National Academies, including the recommendations of the National Academies; and

(iii) the Administrator's implementation action required by subsection (a).

(c) Revisions to the controller workforce plan.—Section 44506(e) of title 49, United States Code is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1)—

(A) by inserting “Collaborative Resource Workgroup (CRWG)” before “staffing standards”; and

(B) by striking “the number of air traffic controllers needed” and inserting “the number of fully certified air traffic controllers needed”;

(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and

(3) by adding after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph:

“(2) for each air traffic control facility operated by the Federal Aviation Administration—

“(A) the current certified professional controller staffing levels;

“(B) the Collaborative Resource Workgroup (CRWG) operational staffing targets for certified professional controllers;

“(C) the anticipated certified professional controller attrition for each of the next 3 years; and

“(D) the number of certified professional controller trainees;”.

(d) Effective date.—The amendments made by subsection (c) shall take effect and apply to any reports submitted pursuant to section 44506(e) of title 49, United States Code, for each Controller Workforce Plan submitted after September 30, 2024.

(a) In general.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation shall initiate an audit of any FAA workforce plans related to aviation safety completed during the past 5 fiscal years.

(b) Contents.—In conducting the audit under subsection (a), the Inspector General shall—

(1) identify whether any safety-critical positions have not been reviewed within the timeframe specified in subsection (a);

(2) review FAA workforce gaps in safety-critical and senior positions, including the average vacancy period of such positions during the latest fiscal year;

(3) review whether existing FAA workforce development programs are producing intended results, such as increased recruitment and retention of agency personnel; and

(4) evaluate the extent to which the FAA leverages its direct hire authority to recruit subject matter experts and other technical personnel to fill key senior and technical positions.

(c) Report and recommendations.—

(1) INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Inspector General shall submit to the Administrator and the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the results of the audit conducted under subsection (a), together with recommendations for such legislative and administrative action as the Inspector General determines appropriate.

(2) CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING.—Not later than 90 days after receiving the report under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall provide a briefing to appropriate committees of Congress on—

(A) the Administrator’s response to the recommendations of the Inspector General contained in such report; and

(B) any plans of the Administrator for the implementation of such recommendations.

(a) In general.—Section 40122 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(k) Direct hire authority.—The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall utilize existing direct hire authority to expedite the hiring process and hire individuals on a non-competitive basis for safety critical and safety technical positions related to aircraft certification and aviation safety more broadly to maintain the gold standard of aviation safety and, as necessary, fulfill any gaps identified in workforce reviews at the Federal Aviation Administration.”.

(b) Congressional briefing.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter through 2028, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the status of—

(1) utilization of the direct hire authority described subsection (k) of such section 40122, as added subsection (a); and

(2) the number of employees hired under such authority, the relevant line of business to which such employees were hired, and the occupation type of the positions filled.

(a) In general.—Not later than October 1, 2024, the Administrator shall review and revise as necessary the staffing model for aviation safety inspectors.

(b) Requirements.—

(1) CONSIDERATION OF PRIOR STUDIES AND REPORTS.—In revising the model, the Administrator shall take into consideration the recommendations outlined in the following:

(A) The 2006 report released by the National Research Council entitled “Staffing Standards for Aviation Safety Inspectors”.

(B) The 2007 study released by the National Academy of Sciences entitled “Staffing Standards for Aviation Safety Inspectors”.

(C) The 2013 report released by Grant Thornton LLP, entitled “ASTARS Gap Analysis Study: Comparison of the AVS Staffing Model for Aviation Safety Inspectors to the National Academy of Sciences’ Recommendations Final Report”.

(D) The 2021 report released by the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation entitled “FAA Can Increase Its Inspector Staffing Model’s Effectiveness by Implementing System Improvements and Maximizing Its Capabilities”.

(E) The FAA Fiscal Year 2023 Aviation Safety Workforce Plan conducted to satisfy the requirements of section 104 of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, as enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (49 U.S.C. 44701 note).

(2) SERVICE AND OFFICE STAFFING LEVEL.—The model will project staffing at the service and office level and require managers to use the model as part of the resource assessment for aviation safety inspector resources.

(3) ATTRITION.—The aviation safety inspector staffing model will take into consideration forecasted attrition.

(4) CONSULTATION.—In revising the model, the Administrator shall consult with interested persons, including the exclusive collective bargaining representative for aviation safety inspectors certified under section 7111 of title 5, United States Code.

(a) Implementation of staffing standards for safety inspectors.—Upon completion of the revised staffing model for aviation safety inspectors under section 524, and validation of the model by the Administrator, the Administrator shall take all appropriate actions in response to the number of aviation safety inspectors, aviation safety technicians, and operation support positions that such model determines are required to meet the responsibilities of the Flight Standards Service and Aircraft Certification Service, including increasing the number of safety critical positions in the Flight Standards Service and Aircraft Certification Service per fiscal year as appropriate, provided that such staffing increases shall be measured relative to the number of persons serving in safety critical positions as of September 30, 2023. Any increase in safety critical staffing pursuant to this subsection shall be subject to the availability of appropriations.

(b) Safety critical positions defined.—In this section, the term “safety critical positions” means—

(1) aviation safety inspectors, aviation safety specialists (1801 series), aviation safety technicians, and operations support positions in the Flight Standards Service; and

(2) manufacturing safety inspectors, pilots, engineers, Chief Scientist Technical Advisors, aviation safety specialists (1801 series), safety technical specialists, and operational support positions in the Aircraft Certification Service.

(a) In general.—Section 44502(a)(4) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(C) INSTALLATION.—The Administrator shall expedite the installation of at a minimum 15 instrument landing systems (referred to in this subparagraph as ‘ILS’) in the national airspace system by January 1, 2025, by utilizing the existing ILS contract vehicle and the Federal Aviation Administration workforce.”.

(b) Expedited installation of ILS equipment.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall initiate action to utilize the existing instrument landing systems (referred to in this subsection as “ILS”) contract vehicle and FAA employees in facilitating the expedited installation of ILS equipment into the national airspace system. In carrying out this subsection, the Administrator shall—

(A) incorporate lessons learned from the installations under section 44502(a)(4) of title 49, United States Code;

(B) record metrics of cost and time savings of expedited installations; and

(C) consider opportunities to further develop ILS technical expertise among the FAA workforce.

(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—During the implementation planning to carry out this subsection and subparagraph (C) of section 44502(a)(4) of title 49, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider the cost-benefit analysis of utilizing the existing ILS contract vehicle, the FAA workforce, or both, to accelerate the installation and deployment of procured equipment.

(3) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than June 30, 2025, the Administrator shall report to the appropriate committees of Congress on the ILS installation results, near-term ILS installations planned, and shall outline the FAA’s approach to accelerate future procurement and installation of ILS throughout the national airspace system in a manner consistent with the requirements of title VIII of division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58).

(a) Program.—

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish within the FAA a program to be known as the “Aviation Certification Professional Fellowship Program” (in this section referred to as the “Program”) to facilitate the assignment of individuals from a private-sector organization to the FAA to serve on a temporary basis in positions relating to aircraft certification.

(B) APPOINTMENTS.—In appointing individuals under the Program, the Administrator shall enter into agreements with private-sector organizations employing such individuals and selected individuals to participate in the Program pursuant to terms and conditions of service determined appropriate by the Administrator.

(C) ACTIONS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Any action taken by the Administrator under this section shall be subject to the availability of appropriations authorized under subsection (e).

(2) RESPONSIBILITIES.—

(A) GUIDELINES.—The Administrator shall establish guidelines related to the activities and responsibilities of the fellowships under subsection (b).

(B) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Administrator shall prescribe the qualifications required for designation of certification professional fellowships under subsection (b).

(C) AUTHORITY.—In order to carry out the provisions of this section, the Administrator may—

(i) appoint, assign the duties of, and transfer such personnel as may be necessary;

(ii) make appointments with respect to temporary and intermittent services;

(iii) enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, and other transactions without regard to section 6101 of title 41, United States Code;

(iv) accept funds from other Federal departments and agencies to pay for, and add to, activities authorized by this section; and

(v) promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary and appropriate.

(b) Special rules for fellowships.—Under the Program, the Administrator shall do the following:

(1) Appoint highly qualified, experienced professionals to advisory positions related to certification that require specialized, unique, or extensive skills in occupations within the FAA, and allow such professionals to occupy specialty or hard-to-fill positions that require specialized knowledge of aircraft design, manufacturing, safety, and certification processes.

(2) Allow appointed individuals to be utilized across the aircraft certification spectrum as appropriate.

(3) Open the fellowships to citizens and nationals of the United States.

(4) Limit the term of appointment to up to 1 year with an option to extend for up to an additional year (with no appointment exceeded a total of 2 years).

(5) Reserve the right to terminate individuals participating in the fellowship for any violation of the terms and conditions of service established by the Administrator.

(6) Make clear that any responsibilities of individuals participating in the fellowship program constitute acting in an advisory role for aircraft certification and are subject to conflict-of-interest conditions and FAA supervision and control.

(c) Rules for pay and benefits for individuals employed by private-sector organizations.—An individual employed by a private-sector organization who is participating in the Program at the FAA shall continue to receive pay and benefits from such private-sector organizations and shall not receive pay or benefits from the FAA for the duration of the individual's participation in the Program.

(d) Conflicts of interest.—The Administrator shall implement policies to identify, mitigate, and manage any perceived or actual conflict of interest as a condition of an individual’s participation in the Program. Such policies shall include the following:

(1) A prohibition on an individual participating in the Program from being assigned to a position that has decision-making authority or influence over an application or project submitted to the FAA by the private-sector organization employing such individual.

(2) A requirement that an individual participating in the Program who has access to proprietary or non-public information at the FAA must sign a non-disclosure agreement prohibiting the sharing of such information that is of commercial value with the private-sector organization employing such individual or with other individuals (whether or not employed by such private-sector organization) or organizations, during the period of the individual’s participation in the Program and after the individual's participation in the Program has concluded.

(3) A prohibition on an individual participating in the Program from improperly using pre-decisional or draft FAA information that such individual may be privy to or aware of during, or as a result of, the individual's participation in the Program for the benefit of the private-sector organization employing such individual,

(4) Appropriate post-service limitations for individuals participating in the Program.

(5) Other elements determined appropriate by the Administrator.

(e) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. Amounts appropriated under the preceding sentence shall remain available until expended.

(f) Rule of construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed as a delegation of authority by the Administrator to individuals participating in the Program.

(g) Program review and report.—

(1) REVIEW.—The Comptroller General of the United States (in this subsection referred to as the “Comptroller General”) shall conduct a comprehensive review of the Program, including the impact of the Program on the FAA’s aircraft certification processes and the presence of any conflicts of interest under the Program.

(2) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report containing the results of the review conducted under paragraph (1), together with recommendations for such legislation and administrative action as the Comptroller General determines appropriate.

(h) Sunset.—The Program shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this section.

(i) Certified professional defined.—In this section, the term “certification professional” means an individual with expertise and background in a line or field that is concerned with, or likely to improve, the safety certification of aircraft and other airborne objects and systems, including the following:

(1) Aerospace engineering.

(2) Aerospace physiology.

(3) Aeronautical engineering.

(4) Airworthiness engineering.

(5) Electrical engineering.

(6) Human factors engineering.

(7) Software engineering.

(8) Systems engineering.

Section 47124 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f);

(2) by inserting after subsection (d), the following new subsection:

“(e) Air traffic controller training programs.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall coordinate with air traffic control contractors to create air traffic controller training programs and shall incorporate the use of such programs into new contracts or the exercise of future options entered into under the Contract Tower Program and the Cost-share Program. Such programs shall allow air traffic control contractors to—

“(A) provide initial training to candidates who do not have a Control Tower Operator certificate or Federal Aviation Administration tower credential; and

“(B) provide training to controllers who have completed an approved Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program from an accredited school that has a demonstrated successful curriculum.

“(2) AUTHORITY.—An air traffic control contractor shall be permitted to train controllers under programs established under paragraph (1) notwithstanding section 65.39(a) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection).

“(3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as a delegation of authority by the Administrator to air traffic control contractors for the purposes of conducting initial testing of, and issuing initial certifications to, air traffic controllers.

“(4) PROGRAM REVIEW.—