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Title 49, TransportationRelease 119-110

§40121 Air Traffic Control Modernization Reviews

Title 49 › SUBTITLE VII — AVIATION PROGRAMS › PART A — AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY › subpart i — general › CHAPTER 401 — GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 40121

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The FAA Administrator must stop any Facilities and Equipment-funded acquisition program started after the 1996 Act if it is more than 50% over its cost goal, meets less than 50% of its performance goals, or is more than 50% behind schedule. The Administrator also must consider ending any major program that is more than 10% over cost, meets under 90% of performance goals, or is more than 10% behind schedule. The Administrator can keep a program that would otherwise be stopped if ending it would harm safe and efficient national air travel. The Department of Defense gets the same acquisition law exemptions the Administrator may waive under section 40110(d)(2) when working jointly to improve or replenish the air traffic control system. The FAA may buy land, goods, or services through the DoD or other agencies but must follow the acquisition rules that apply. If the Administrator decides to continue a program that should have been ended, they must send that decision and the reasons to the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §40121

Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Required Terminations of Acquisitions.—
The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall terminate any acquisition program initiated after the date of the enactment of the Air Traffic Management System Performance Improvement Act of 1996 and funded under the Facilities and Equipment account that—
(1)is more than 50 percent over the cost goal established for the program;
(2)fails to achieve at least 50 percent of the performance goals established for the program; or
(3)is more than 50 percent behind schedule as determined in accordance with the schedule goal established for the program.
(b)Authorized Termination of Acquisition Programs.—
The Administrator shall consider terminating, under the authority of subsection (a), any substantial acquisition program that—
(1)is more than 10 percent over the cost goal established for the program;
(2)fails to achieve at least 90 percent of the performance goals established for the program; or
(3)is more than 10 percent behind schedule as determined in accordance with the schedule goal established for the program.
(c)Exceptions and Report.—
(1)Continuance of program, etc.—
Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Administrator may continue an acquisitions program required to be terminated under subsection (a) if the Administrator determines that termination would be inconsistent with the development or operation of the national air transportation system in a safe and efficient manner.
(2)Department of defense.—
The Department of Defense shall have the same exemptions from acquisition laws as are waived by the Administrator under section 40110(d)(2) of this title when engaged in joint actions to improve or replenish the national air traffic control system. The Administration may acquire real property, goods, and services through the Department of Defense, or other appropriate agencies, but is bound by the acquisition laws and regulations governing those cases.
(3)Report.—
If the Administrator makes a determination under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall transmit a copy of the determination, together with a statement of the basis for the determination, to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of the enactment of the Air Traffic Management System Performance Improvement Act of 1996, referred to in subsec. (a), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 104–264, which was approved Oct. 9, 1996. Codification Another section 40121 was renumbered section 40124 of this title.

Amendments

2000—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 106–181 substituted “section 40110(d)(2) of this title” for “section 348(b) of Public Law 104–50”.

Effective Date

of 2000 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 106–181 applicable only to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 1999, see section 3 of Pub. L. 106–181, set out as a note under section 106 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on date that is 30 days after Oct. 9, 1996, see section 203 of Pub. L. 104–264, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1996 Amendment note under section 106 of this title. Except as otherwise specifically provided, section applicable only to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 1996, and not to be construed as affecting funds made available for a fiscal year ending before Oct. 1, 1996, see section 3 of Pub. L. 104–264, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1996 Amendment note under section 106 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 40121

Title 49, Transportation

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110