Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on October 4, 2013. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a final rule to advance the safety and continued development of small airplanes by reorganizing the certification requirements to streamline the approval of safety advancements.

Requires the final rule to meet certain consensus-based standards and FAA Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee objectives, including: (1) establishment of a regulatory regime for small airplane safety; (2) the establishment of broad, outcome-driven objectives that will spur small plane innovation and technology adoption; (3) the replacement of current, prescriptive requirements under Part 23 with performance-based regulations; and (4) the use of FAA-accepted consensus standards to clarify how Part 23 safety objectives may be met using specific small plane safety designs and technologies.

[113th Congress Public Law 53]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 583]]

                   SMALL AIRPLANE REVITALIZATION ACT 
                                 OF 2013

[[Page 127 STAT. 584]]

Public Law 113-53
113th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration advances the safety 
    of small airplanes, and the continued development of the general 
      aviation industry, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Nov. 27, 
                         2013 -  [H.R. 1848]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Small Airplane 
Revitalization Act of 2013. 49 USC 44704 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 
2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) A healthy small aircraft industry is integral to 
        economic growth and to maintaining an effective transportation 
        infrastructure for communities and countries around the world.
            (2) Small airplanes comprise nearly 90 percent of general 
        aviation aircraft certified by the Federal Aviation 
        Administration.
            (3) General aviation provides for the cultivation of a 
        workforce of engineers, manufacturing and maintenance 
        professionals, and pilots who secure the economic success and 
        defense of the United States.
            (4) General aviation contributes to well-paying jobs in the 
        manufacturing and technology sectors in the United States and 
        products produced by those sectors are exported in great 
        numbers.
            (5) Technology developed and proven in general aviation aids 
        in the success and safety of all sectors of aviation and 
        scientific competence.
            (6) The average small airplane in the United States is now 
        40 years old and the regulatory barriers to bringing new designs 
        to the market are resulting in a lack of innovation and 
        investment in small airplane design.
            (7) Since 2003, the United States lost 10,000 active private 
        pilots per year on average, partially due to a lack of cost-
        effective, new small airplanes.
            (8) General aviation safety can be improved by modernizing 
        and revamping the regulations relating to small airplanes to 
        clear the path for technology adoption and cost-effective means 
        to retrofit the existing fleet with new safety technologies.

[[Page 127 STAT. 585]]

SEC. 3. SAFETY AND REGULATORY IMPROVEMENTS FOR GENERAL AVIATION.

    (a) <<NOTE: Deadline.>>  In General.--Not later than December 15, 
2015, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall 
issue a final rule--
            (1) to advance the safety and continued development of small 
        airplanes by reorganizing the certification requirements for 
        such airplanes under part 23 to streamline the approval of 
        safety advancements; and
            (2) that meets the objectives described in subsection (b).

    (b) Objectives Described.--The objectives described in this 
subsection are based on the recommendations of the Part 23 
Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee:
            (1) The establishment of a regulatory regime for small 
        airplanes that will improve safety and reduce the regulatory 
        cost burden for the Federal Aviation Administration and the 
        aviation industry.
            (2) The establishment of broad, outcome-driven safety 
        objectives that will spur innovation and technology adoption.
            (3) The replacement of current, prescriptive requirements 
        under part 23 with performance-based regulations.
            (4) The use of consensus standards accepted by the Federal 
        Aviation Administration to clarify how the safety objectives of 
        part 23 may be met using specific designs and technologies.

    (c) Consensus-Based Standards.--In prescribing regulations under 
this section, the Administrator shall use consensus standards, as 
described in section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and 
Advancement Act of 1996 (15 U.S.C. 272 note), to the extent practicable 
while continuing traditional methods for meeting part 23.
    (d) Safety Cooperation.--The Administrator shall lead the effort to 
improve general aviation safety by working with leading aviation 
regulators to assist them in adopting a complementary regulatory 
approach for small airplanes.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Consensus standards.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``consensus standards'' 
                means standards developed by an organization described 
                in subparagraph (B) that may include provisions 
                requiring that owners of relevant intellectual property 
                have agreed to make that intellectual property available 
                on a nondiscriminatory, royalty-free, or reasonable 
                royalty basis to all interested persons.
                    (B) Organizations described.--An organization 
                described in this subparagraph is a domestic or 
                international organization that--
                          (i) plans, develops, establishes, or 
                      coordinates, through a process based on consensus 
                      and using agreed-upon procedures, voluntary 
                      standards; and
                          (ii) operates in a transparent manner, 
                      considers a balanced set of interests with respect 
                      to such standards, and provides for due process 
                      and an appeals process with respect to such 
                      standards.
            (2) Part 23.--The term ``part 23'' means part 23 of title 
        14, Code of Federal Regulations.

[[Page 127 STAT. 586]]

            (3) Part 23 reorganization aviation rulemaking committee.--
        The term ``Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking 
        Committee'' means the aviation rulemaking committee established 
        by the Federal Aviation Administration in August 2011 to 
        consider the reorganization of the regulations under part 23.
            (4) Small airplane.--The term ``small airplane'' means an 
        airplane which is certified to part 23 standards.

    Approved November 27, 2013.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1848 (S. 1072):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 113-151 (Comm. on Transportation and Infrastructure).
SENATE REPORTS: No. 113-108 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation) accompanying S. 1072.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 159 (2013):
            July 16, considered and passed House.
            Oct. 4, considered and passed Senate, amended.
            Nov. 14, House concurred in Senate amendment.

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