PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Creates a research advisory committee at the Federal Aviation Administration that must give advice to the FAA Administrator and to Congress about goals, plans, and results of FAA aviation research (including work under sections 44504, 44505, 44507, 44511–44513, and 44912). The committee must help coordinate FAA research with outside work, review the regional centers of air transportation excellence under section 44513, and each year review how the Administrator spreads the money authorized by section 48102(a) among major research categories and advise if that split is right. The Administrator may set up smaller subcommittees for specific research areas. The committee can have up to 30 members, who must not be FAA employees and who are chosen for their skills. The Administrator must pick the chair and should include people from the regional centers, universities, businesses, associations, consumers, and other federal entities. Members are not paid, but may get travel or meeting expenses under section 5703 of title 5. The FAA must give staff, information, and services the committee needs. Section 1013 of title 5 does not apply. No more than 0.1 percent of the funds made available for research under the listed sections may be used to run the committee, and usual limits on committee obligations do not apply to amounts used to carry out this section. When the committee makes a recommendation, the Administrator must reply in writing within 60 days. The reply must say whether the recommendation is accepted or rejected, explain why, give a timeframe for any action, and describe the steps that will be taken. That reply must be posted on the committee website and sent to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. The national aviation research plan required under section 44501(c) must include a summary of all committee recommendations and the status of their implementation.

Title 49, §44508

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(a)Establishment and Duties.—

(1)There is a research advisory committee in the Federal Aviation Administration. The committee shall—

(A)provide advice and recommendations to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and Congress about needs, objectives, plans, approaches, content, and accomplishments of all aviation research and development activities and programs carried out, including those under section 44504, 44505, 44507, 44511–44513, and 44912 of this title;

(B)assist in ensuring that the research is coordinated with similar research being conducted outside the Administration;

(C)review the operations of the regional centers of air transportation excellence established under section 44513 of this title; and

(D)annually review the allocation made by the Administrator of the amounts authorized by section 48102(a) of this title among the major categories of research and development activities carried out by the Administration and provide advice and recommendations to the Administrator on whether such allocation is appropriate to meet the needs and objectives identified under subparagraph (A).

(2)The Administrator may establish subordinate committees to provide advice on specific areas of research conducted under section 44504, 44505, 44507, 44511–44513, and 44912 of this title.

(b)Members, Chairman, Pay, and Expenses.—

(1)The committee is composed of not more than 30 members appointed by the Administrator from among individuals who are not employees of the Administration and who are specially qualified to serve on the committee because of their education, training, or experience. In appointing members of the committee, the Administrator shall ensure that the regional centers of air transportation excellence, universities, corporations, associations, consumers, and other departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States Government are represented.

(2)The Administrator shall designate the chairman of the committee.

(3)A member of the committee serves without pay. However, the Administrator may allow a member, when attending meetings of the committee or a subordinate committee, expenses as authorized under section 5703 of title 5.

(c)Support Staff, Information, and Services.—

The Administrator shall provide support staff for the committee. On request of the committee, the Administrator shall provide information, administrative services, and supplies that the Administrator considers necessary for the committee to carry out its duties and powers.

(d)Nonapplication.—

Section 1013 of title 5 does not apply to the committee.

(e)Use and Limitation of Amounts.—

(1)Not more than .1 percent of the amounts made available to conduct research under section 44504, 44505, 44507, 44511–44513, and 44912 of this title may be used by the Administrator to carry out this section.

(2)A limitation on amounts available for obligation by or for the committee does not apply to amounts made available to carry out this section.

(f)Written Reply.—

(1)In general.—

Not later than 60 days after receiving any recommendation from the research advisory committee, the Administrator shall provide a written reply to the research advisory committee that, at a minimum—

(A)clearly states whether the Administrator accepts or rejects the recommendation;

(B)explains the rationale for the Administrator’s decision;

(C)sets forth the timeframe in which the Administrator will implement the recommendation; and

(D)describes the steps the Administrator will take to implement the recommendation.

(2)Transparency.—

The written reply to the research advisory committee, when transmitted to the research advisory committee, shall be—

(A)made publicly available on the research advisory committee website; and

(B)transmitted to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

(3)National aviation research plan.—

The national aviation research plan required under section 44501(c) shall include a summary of all research advisory committee recommendations and a description of the status of their implementation.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 44508(a)(1)49 App.:1353(f)(1), (2).Aug. 23, 1958, Pub. L. 85–726, 72 Stat. 731, § 312(f); added Nov. 3, 1988, Pub. L. 100–591, § 6, 102 Stat. 3013; Nov. 5, 1990, Pub. L. 101–508, § 9209(b), 104 Stat. 1388–377. 44508(a)(2)49 App.:1353(f)(6) (last sentence). 44508(b)49 App.:1353(f)(3)–(5). 44508(c)49 App.:1353(f)(6) (1st sentence), (7). 44508(d)49 App.:1353(f)(8). 44508(e)49 App.:1353(f)(9). In subsection (a)(1), before clause (A), the words “There is a” are substituted for “Not later than 180 days after November 3, 1988, the Administrator shall establish” to eliminate obsolete words. In clause (C), the words “operations of” are substituted for “research and training to be carried out by” for consistency with section 44513 of the revised title. In subsection (a)(2), the words “to the advisory committee” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (b)(1), the words “departments, agencies, and instrumentalities” are substituted for “agencies” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code. In subsection (b)(3), the words “travel or transportation” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (e), the words “for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 1988” are omitted as obsolete.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2024—Subsecs. (a)(1)(A), (2), (e)(1). Pub. L. 118–63 struck out “40119,” after “under sections”. 2022—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted “Section 1013 of title 5” for “section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 App. U.S.C.)”. 2018—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 115–254, § 712(a), amended subpar. (A) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (A) read as follows: “provide advice and recommendations to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration about needs, objectives, plans, approaches, content, and accomplishments of the aviation research program carried out under section 40119, 44504, 44505, 44507, 44511–44513, and 44912 of this title;”. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 115–254, § 712(b), added subsec. (f). 1996—Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 104–264 added subpar. (D).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentExcept as otherwise specifically provided, amendment by Pub. L. 104–264 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 a note under section 106 of this title.

§44508 Research Advisory Committee