What This Bill Does
This bill creates a task force to study and improve how the Federal Aviation Administration publishes NOTAMs, which are urgent notices about changes or hazards in airspace that pilots need to know about. The task force will review current NOTAM systems, find better ways to present information to pilots, and make recommendations for improvements.
Who It Affects
The Federal Aviation Administration, airline companies, airport operators, airline pilots, aircraft dispatchers, FAA air traffic control specialists, FAA aeronautical information specialists, general and business aviation companies, and pilots who receive NOTAM information.
Key Provisions
- The FAA Administrator must establish the NOTAM Improvement Task Force within 180 days of this law taking effect, with members representing airlines, airports, pilot unions, aircraft dispatcher unions, FAA workers, aviation safety experts, human factors experts, and computer system experts (Sec. 2(a) and 2(b))
- The task force must review existing NOTAM publishing methods, regulations, policies, systems, and international standards to find the best ways to organize and present flight operations information so pilots can better understand and remember important details (Sec. 2(c))
- The task force must submit a written report to Congress within one year describing its findings, recommendations for improving NOTAMs, and recommended policy changes (Sec. 2(d))
- The FAA must complete a fully functioning Federal NOTAM System and create a backup system for it by September 30, 2024 (Sec. 3(1) and 3(2))
- The FAA must brief Congress by September 30, 2024 on plans to make NOTAM information machine-readable (readable by computers), filterable (able to be sorted), and compatible with international aviation standards (Sec. 3(3))
What Changes
If this becomes law, the FAA will establish a new task force focused exclusively on improving how it communicates important airspace information to pilots. The FAA will have deadlines to implement a complete Federal NOTAM System with backup capability and must present Congress with improvement plans aligned with international aviation standards.
Important Definitions
NOTAM means a notice containing information about changes or hazards in the National Airspace System that pilots need to know about for safe flight operations (Sec. 2(i)(2)).
Effective Date
The law was approved June 3, 2023. The task force must be established within 180 days of that date. The task force must submit its report within one year of being established. Additional FAA improvements must be completed by September 30, 2024.
137 STAT. 7
PUBLIC LAW 118–4—JUNE 3, 2023
Public Law 118–4
118th Congress
An Act
To establish a task force on improvements for notices to air missions, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘NOTAM Improvement Act of
2023’’.
SEC. 2. FAA TASK FORCE ON NOTAM IMPROVEMENT.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall establish a task force to be known as the
FAA Task Force on NOTAM Improvement (in this section referred
to as the ‘‘Task Force’’).
(b) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall consist of members
appointed by the Administrator, including at least one member
of each of the following:
(1) Air carrier representatives.
(2) Airport representatives.
(3) Labor union representatives of airline pilots.
(4) Labor union representatives of aircraft dispatchers.
(5) The labor union certified under section 7111 of title
5, United States Code, to represent FAA air traffic control
specialists assigned to the United States NOTAMs Office.
(6) The labor union certified under section 7111 of title
5, United States Code, to represent FAA aeronautical informa-
tion specialists.
(7) General and business aviation representatives.
(8) Aviation safety experts with knowledge of NOTAMs.
(9) Human factors experts.
(10) Computer system architecture and cybersecurity
experts.
(c) DUTIES.—The duties of the Task Force shall include—
(1) reviewing existing methods for publishing NOTAMs
and flight operations information to pilots;
(2) reviewing regulations, policies, systems, and inter-
national standards relating to NOTAMs, including their content
and presentation to pilots;
(3) evaluating and determining best practices to organize,
prioritize, and present flight operations information in a
manner that optimizes pilot review and retention of relevant
information; and
(4) providing recommendations for—
Deadline.
49 USC 40101
note.
NOTAM
Improvement
Act of 2023.
June 3, 2023
[H.R. 346]
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137 STAT. 8
PUBLIC LAW 118–4—JUNE 3, 2023
(A) improving the publication and delivery of NOTAM
information in a manner that prioritizes or highlights the
most important information, and optimizes pilot review
and retention of relevant information;
(B) ways to ensure that NOTAMs are complete,
accurate, timely, relevant to safe flight operations, and
contain pertinent information;
(C) any best practices that the FAA should consider
to improve the accuracy and understandability of NOTAMs
and the display of flight operations information;
(D) ways to work with air carriers, other airspace
users, and aviation service providers to implement solutions
that are aligned with the recommendations under this para-
graph; and
(E) ways to ensure the stability, resiliency, and cyberse-
curity of the NOTAM computer system.
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the
establishment of the Task Force, the Task Force shall submit to
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a report detailing—
(1) the results of the reviews and evaluations of the Task
Force under paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (c);
(2) the best practices identified and recommendations pro-
vided by the Task Force under subsection (c)(4);
(3) any recommendations of the Task Force for additional
regulatory or policy actions to improve the publication of
NOTAMs; and
(4) the degree to which implementing the recommendations
of the Task Force described under paragraph (2) will address
National Transportation Safety Board Safety Recommendation
A–18–024.
(e) APPLICABLE LAW.—Chapter 10 of title 5, United States
Code, shall not apply to the Task Force.
(f) SUNSET.—The Task Force shall terminate on the later of—
(1) the date on which the Task Force submits the report
required under subsection (d); or
(2) the date that is 18 months after the date on which
the Task Force is established under subsection (a).
(g) AUTHORITY.—The Administrator shall have the authority
to carry out the recommendations of the Task Force detailed in
the report required under subsection (d).
(h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section may be
construed to require the FAA to duplicate any prior, ongoing, or
planned efforts related to the improvement of NOTAMs, including
any efforts related to implementing any previously enacted require-
ments.
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) FAA.—The term ‘‘FAA’’ means the Federal Aviation
Administration.
(2) NOTAM.—The term ‘‘NOTAM’’ means a notice con-
taining information (which is not known sufficiently in advance
to publicize by other means) concerning the establishment,
condition, or change in any component (including a facility,
service, or procedure thereof) or hazard in the National Airspace
System, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel
concerned with flight operations.
Recommenda-
tions.
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137 STAT. 9
PUBLIC LAW 118–4—JUNE 3, 2023
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 346:
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 169 (2023):
Jan. 25, considered and passed House.
May 9, considered and passed Senate, amended.
May 22, House concurred in Senate amendment.
Æ
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
Not later than September 30, 2024, the Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration shall make the following improve-
ments:
(1) Complete implementation of a Federal NOTAM System
(in this section referred to as a ‘‘FNS’’).
(2) Implement a back-up system to the FNS.
(3) Brief the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on a
plan to enhance the capability to deliver information through
the FNS that is machine-readable, filterable, and in the format
used by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
to promote further global harmonization among neighboring
Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and provide users
of the National Airspace System with one consistent format
for domestic and international operations.
Approved June 3, 2023.
Briefings.
Deadline.
49 USC 44701
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