What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration to create a task force that studies how to improve NOTAMs, which are notices that contain important safety information for pilots. The task force will review current methods for sharing this information and make recommendations to help pilots better understand and use these notices.
Who It Affects
The FAA Administrator, airlines and airports, pilot labor unions, aircraft dispatcher unions, FAA air traffic control specialists, FAA aeronautical information specialists, general and business aviation operators, and aviation safety experts.
Key Provisions
- The FAA Administrator must establish the task force within 180 days of the bill becoming law, and the task force must include representatives from airlines, airports, pilot unions, aircraft dispatcher unions, aviation safety experts, human factors experts, and cybersecurity experts (Sec. 2(a) and 2(b)).
- The task force must review how NOTAMs are currently presented to pilots and evaluate best practices for organizing and presenting flight operations information in ways that help pilots better understand and remember important details (Sec. 2(c)).
- The task force must recommend ways to improve how NOTAM information is presented, ensure NOTAMs are complete and accurate, and protect the security of the NOTAM computer system (Sec. 2(c)(4)).
- The task force must submit a report to Congress within one year of being established detailing its findings and recommendations (Sec. 2(d)).
- The FAA must complete a Federal NOTAM System and implement a backup system by September 30, 2024 (Sec. 3).
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, the FAA will create a new task force to study NOTAM improvements. The task force will produce a report with recommendations for how pilots receive critical flight safety information. Additionally, the FAA will be required to fully implement a Federal NOTAM System with a backup system and provide Congress with a plan to make NOTAM information machine-readable and in international format.
Important Definitions
NOTAM means a notice containing information about establishment, condition, or changes in any component or hazard in the National Airspace System where timely knowledge is essential for flight operations personnel (Sec. 2(i)(2)).
II
Calendar No. 282
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 66
To establish a task force on improvements for notices to air missions, and
for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY 25, 2023
Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mr. MORAN, and Mrs. CAPITO) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
DECEMBER 13, 2023
Reported by Ms. CANTWELL, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
A BILL
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 Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘NOTAM Improvement
4
Act of 2023’’.
5
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SEC. 2. FAA TASK FORCE ON NOTAM IMPROVEMENT.
1
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after
2
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of
3
the Federal Aviation Administration shall establish a task
4
force to be known as the FAA Task Force on NOTAM
5
Improvement (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Task
6
Force’’).
7
(b) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall consist of
8
members appointed by the Administrator, including at
9
least one member of each of the following:
10
(1) Air carrier representatives.
11
(2) Airport representatives.
12
(3) Labor union representatives of airline pilots.
13
(4) Labor union representatives of aircraft dis-
14
patchers.
15
(5) The labor union certified under section
16
7111 of title 5, United States Code, to represent
17
FAA air traffic control specialists assigned to the
18
United States NOTAMs Office.
19
(6) The labor union certified under section
20
7111 of title 5, United States Code, to represent
21
FAA aeronautical information specialists.
22
(7) General and business aviation representa-
23
tives.
24
(8) Aviation safety experts with knowledge of
25
NOTAMs.
26
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(9) Human factors experts.
1
(10) Computer system architecture and cyberse-
2
curity experts.
3
(c) DUTIES.—The duties of the Task Force shall in-
4
clude—
5
(1) reviewing existing methods for presenting
6
NOTAMs and flight operations information to pilots;
7
(2) reviewing regulations and policies relating
8
to NOTAMs, including their content and presen-
9
tation to pilots;
10
(3) evaluating and determining best practices to
11
organize, prioritize, and present flight operations in-
12
formation in a manner that optimizes pilot review
13
and retention of relevant information; and
14
(4) providing recommendations for—
15
(A) improving the presentation of NOTAM
16
information in a manner that prioritizes or
17
highlights the most important information, and
18
optimizes pilot review and retention of relevant
19
information;
20
(B) ways to ensure that NOTAMs are
21
complete, accurate, and contain the proper in-
22
formation;
23
(C)
any
best
practices
that
the
FAA
24
should consider to improve the accuracy and
25
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•S 66 RS
understandability of NOTAMs and the display
1
of flight operations information;
2
(D) ways to work with air carriers, other
3
airspace users, and aviation service providers to
4
implement solutions that are aligned with the
5
recommendations under this paragraph; and
6
(E) ensuring the stability, resiliency, and
7
cybersecurity of the NOTAM computer system.
8
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date
9
of the establishment of the Task Force, the Task Force
10
shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and In-
11
frastructure of the House of Representatives and the Com-
12
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
13
Senate a report detailing—
14
(1) the results of the reviews and evaluations of
15
the Task Force under paragraphs (1) through (3) of
16
subsection (c);
17
(2)
the
best
practices
identified
and
rec-
18
ommendations provided by the Task Force under
19
subsection (c)(4);
20
(3) any recommendations of the Task Force for
21
additional regulatory or policy actions to improve the
22
presentation of NOTAMs; and
23
(4) the degree to which implementing the rec-
24
ommendations of the Task Force described under
25
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paragraph (2) will address National Transportation
1
Safety Board Safety Recommendation A–18–024.
2
(e) APPLICABLE LAW.—The Federal Advisory Com-
3
mittee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Task
4
Force.
5
(f) SUNSET.—The Task Force shall terminate on the
6
later of—
7
(1) the date on which the Task Force submits
8
the report required under subsection (d); or
9
(2) the date that is 18 months after the date
10
on which the Task Force is established under sub-
11
section (a).
12
(g) AUTHORITY.—The Administrator shall have the
13
authority to carry out the recommendations of the Task
14
Force detailed in the report required under subsection (d).
15
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
16
(1) FAA.—The term ‘‘FAA’’ means the Fed-
17
eral Aviation Administration.
18
(2) NOTAM.—The term ‘‘NOTAM’’ means no-
19
tices to air missions required by international or do-
20
mestic regulation or law, as described in FAA Order
21
7930.2S.
22
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
23
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘NOTAM Improvement
24
Act of 2023’’.
25
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•S 66 RS
SEC. 2. FAA TASK FORCE ON NOTAM IMPROVEMENT.
1
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after
2
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
3
Federal Aviation Administration shall establish a task force
4
to be known as the FAA Task Force on NOTAM Improve-
5
ment (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Task Force’’).
6
(b) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall consist of
7
members appointed by the Administrator, including at least
8
one member of each of the following:
9
(1) Air carrier representatives.
10
(2) Airport representatives.
11
(3) Labor union representatives of airline pilots.
12
(4) Labor union representatives of aircraft dis-
13
patchers.
14
(5) The labor union certified under section 7111
15
of title 5, United States Code, to represent FAA air
16
traffic control specialists assigned to the United
17
States NOTAMs Office.
18
(6) The labor union certified under section 7111
19
of title 5, United States Code, to represent FAA aero-
20
nautical information specialists.
21
(7) General and business aviation representa-
22
tives.
23
(8) Aviation safety experts with knowledge of
24
NOTAMs.
25
(9) Human factors experts.
26
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(10) Computer system architecture and cyberse-
1
curity experts.
2
(c) DUTIES.—The duties of the Task Force shall in-
3
clude—
4
(1) reviewing existing methods for publishing
5
NOTAMs and flight operations information to pilots;
6
(2) reviewing regulations, policies, systems, and
7
international standards relating to NOTAMs, includ-
8
ing their content and presentation to pilots;
9
(3) evaluating and determining best practices to
10
organize, prioritize, and present flight operations in-
11
formation in a manner that optimizes pilot review
12
and retention of relevant information; and
13
(4) providing recommendations for—
14
(A) improving the publication and delivery
15
of NOTAM information in a manner that
16
prioritizes or highlights the most important in-
17
formation, and optimizes pilot review and reten-
18
tion of relevant information;
19
(B) ways to ensure that NOTAMs are com-
20
plete, accurate, timely, relevant to safe flight op-
21
erations, and contain pertinent information;
22
(C) any best practices that the FAA should
23
consider to improve the accuracy and under-
24
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8
•S 66 RS
standability of NOTAMs and the display of
1
flight operations information;
2
(D) ways to work with air carriers, other
3
airspace users, and aviation service providers to
4
implement solutions that are aligned with the
5
recommendations under this paragraph; and
6
(E) ways to ensure the stability, resiliency,
7
and cybersecurity of the NOTAM computer sys-
8
tem.
9
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
10
the establishment of the Task Force, the Task Force shall
11
submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
12
ture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
13
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a re-
14
port detailing—
15
(1) the results of the reviews and evaluations of
16
the Task Force under paragraphs (1) through (3) of
17
subsection (c);
18
(2) the best practices identified and rec-
19
ommendations provided by the Task Force under sub-
20
section (c)(4);
21
(3) any recommendations of the Task Force for
22
additional regulatory or policy actions to improve the
23
publication of NOTAMs; and
24
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(4) the degree to which implementing the rec-
1
ommendations of the Task Force described under
2
paragraph (2) will address National Transportation
3
Safety Board Safety Recommendation A–18–024.
4
(e) APPLICABLE LAW.—Chapter 10 of title 5, United
5
States Code, shall not apply to the Task Force.
6
(f) SUNSET.—The Task Force shall terminate on the
7
later of—
8
(1) the date on which the Task Force submits the
9
report required under subsection (d); or
10
(2) the date that is 18 months after the date on
11
which the Task Force is established under subsection
12
(a).
13
(g) AUTHORITY.—The Administrator shall have the
14
authority to carry out the recommendations of the Task
15
Force detailed in the report required under subsection (d).
16
(h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section
17
may be construed to require the FAA to duplicate any
18
prior, ongoing, or planned efforts related to the improve-
19
ment of NOTAMs, including any efforts related to imple-
20
menting any previously enacted requirements.
21
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
22
(1) FAA.—The term ‘‘FAA’’ means the Federal
23
Aviation Administration.
24
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(2) NOTAM.—The term ‘‘NOTAM’’ means a no-
1
tice containing information (which is not known suf-
2
ficiently in advance to publicize by other means) con-
3
cerning the establishment, condition, or change in
4
any component (including a facility, service, or pro-
5
cedure thereof) or hazard in the National Airspace
6
System, the timely knowledge of which is essential to
7
personnel concerned with flight operations.
8
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
9
Not later than September 30, 2024, the Administrator
10
of the Federal Aviation Administration shall make the fol-
11
lowing improvements:
12
(1) Complete implementation of a Federal
13
NOTAM System (in this section referred to as a
14
‘‘FNS’’).
15
(2) Implement a back-up system to the FNS.
16
(3) Brief the Committee on Transportation and
17
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the
18
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
19
tation of the Senate on a plan to enhance the capa-
20
bility to deliver information through the FNS that is
21
machine-readable, filterable, and in the format used
22
by the International Civil Aviation Organization
23
(ICAO) to promote further global harmonization
24
among neighboring Air Navigation Service Providers
25
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(ANSPs) and provide users of the National Airspace
1
System with one consistent format for domestic and
2
international operations.
3
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S66
Calendar No. 282
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 66
A BILL
To establish a task force on improvements for
notices to air missions, and for other purposes.
DECEMBER 13, 2023
Reported with an amendment
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S66