VISION 100 – CENTURY OF AVIATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT
PUBLIC LAW 108-176

SEC. 709. <<NOTE: 49 USC 40101 note.>> AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

JOINT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.

(A) Establishment.--

(1) The Secretary of Transportation shall establish in the Federal Aviation Administration a joint planning and development office to manage work related to the Next Generation Air Transportation System. The office shall be known as the Next Generation Air Transportation System Joint Planning and Development Office (in this section referred to as the "Office").

(2) The responsibilities of the Office shall include-

• (A) creating and carrying out an integrated plan for a Next Generation Air Transportation System pursuant to subsection
• (B) overseeing research and development on that system;
• (C) creating a transition plan for the implementation of that system;
• (D)coordinating aviation and aeronautics research programs to achieve the goal of more effective and directed programs that will result in applicable research; [[Page 117 STAT. 2583]]
• (E) coordinating goals and priorities and coordinating research activities within the Federal Government with United States aviation and aeronautical firms;
• (F) coordinating the development and utilization of new technologies to ensure that when available, they may be used to their fullest potential in aircraft and in the air traffic control system;
• (G) facilitating the transfer of technology from research programs such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration program and the Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program to Federal agencies with operational responsibilities and to the private sector; and
• (H) reviewing activities relating to noise, emissions, fuelconsumption, and safety conducted by Federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Defense.

(3) The Office shall operate in conjunction with relevant programs in the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Homeland Security. The Secretary of Transportation may request assistance from staff from those Departments and other Federal agencies.

(4) In developing and carrying out its plans, the Office shall consult with the public and ensure the participation of experts from the private sector including representatives of commercial aviation, general aviation, aviation labor groups, aviation research and development entities, aircraft and air traffic control suppliers, and the space industry.

(B) Integrated Plan.--The integrated plan shall be designed to ensure that the Next Generation Air Transportation System meets air transportation safety, security, mobility, efficiency, and capacity needs beyond those currently included in the Federal Aviation Administration's operational evolution plan and accomplishes the goals under subsection

(C). The integrated plan shall include-

(1) a national vision statement for an air system, capable of meeting potential air traffic demand by 2025;

(2) a description of the demand and performance characteristics that will be requrired of the Nation's future air transportation system, and an explanation of how those characteristics were derived, including the national goals, objectives, and policies the system is designed to further, and the underlying socioeconomic determinants, and associated models and analyses;

(3) a multiagency research and development roadmap for creating the Next Generation Air Transportation System with the characteristics outlined under clause (ii), including-

(A) the most significant technical obstacles and the research and development activities necessary to overcome them, including for each project, the role of each Federal agency, corporations, and universities;

(B)the annual anticipated cost of carrying out the research and development activities; and

(C) the technical milestones that will be used to evaluate the activities; and

(4) a description of the operational concepts to meet the system performance requirements for all system users and a [Page 117 STAT. 2584] timeline and anticipated expenditures needed to develop and deploy the system to meet the vision for 2025.

(D) Goals.--The Next Generation Air Transportation System shall-

(1) improve the level of safety, security, efficiency, quality, and affordability of the National Airspace System and aviation services;

(2) take advantage of data from emerging ground-based and space-based communications, navigation, and surveillance technologies;

(3) integrate data streams from multiple agencies and sources to enable situational awareness and seamless global operations for all appropriate users of the system, including users responsible for civil aviation, homeland security, and national security;

(4) leverage investments in civil aviation, homeland security, and national security and build upon current air traffic management and infrastructure initiatives to meet system performance requirements for all system users;

(5) be scalable to accommodate and encourage substantial growth in domestic and international transportation and anticipate and accommodate continuing technology upgrades and advances;

(6) accommodate a wide range of aircraft operations, including airlines, air taxis, helicopters, general aviation,and unmanned aerial vehicles; and

(7) take into consideration, to the greatest extent practicable, design of airport approach and departure flight paths to reduce exposure of noise and emissions pollution on affected residents.

(E) Reports.--The <<NOTE: Deadlines.>> Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Science in the House of Representatives-

(1)not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the integrated plan required in subsection (b); and
(2) annually at the time of the President's budget request, a report describing the progress in carrying out the plan required under subsection (b) and any changes to that plan

(E) appropriated to the Office $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal yearsAuthorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 2004 through 2010.

SECTION 710. <<NOTE: 49 USC 40101 note.>> NEXT GENERATION AIR TRANSPORTATION SENIOR POLICY COMMITTEE.

(a) In General.--The <<NOTE: Establishment.>> Secretary of Transportation shall establish a senior policy committee to work with the Next Generation Air Transportation System Joint Planning and Development Office. The senior policy committee shall be chaired by the Secretary.

(b) Membership.--In addition to the Secretary, the senior policy committee shall be composed of-

(1) the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (or the Administrator's designee);
(2) the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (or the Administrator's designee);
(3) the Secretary of Defense (or the Secretary's designee); [[Page 117 STAT. 2585]]
(4) the Secretary of Homeland Security (or the Secretary's designee);
(5) the Secretary of Commerce (or the Secretary's designee);
(6) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (or the Director's designee); and
(7) designees from other Federal agencies determined by the Secretary of Transportation to have an important interest in, or responsibility for, other aspects of the system.

(c) Function.--The senior policy committee shall-

(1) advise the Secretary of Transportation regarding the national goals and strategic objectives for the transformation of the Nation's air transportation system to meet its future needs;
(2) provide policy guidance for the integrated plan for the air transportation system to be developed by the Next Generation Air Transportation System Joint Planning and Development Office;
(3) provide ongoing policy review for the transformation of
the air transportation system;
(4) identify resource needs and make recommendations to their respective agencies for necessary funding for planning, research, and development activities; and
(5) make legislative recommendations, as appropriate, for the future air transportation system.

(d) Consultation.--In carrying out its functions under this section, the senior policy committee shall consult with, and ensure participation by, the private sector (including representatives of general aviation, commercial aviation, aviation labor, and the space industry), members of the public, and other interested parties and may do so through a special advisory committee composed of such representatives.