[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5136 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5136
To secure the technological edge of the United States in civil and
military aviation, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 18, 2019
Mr. Marshall (for himself and Ms. Stevens) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To secure the technological edge of the United States in civil and
military aviation, 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 ``Aeronautics Innovation Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States aircraft manufacturing industry
produced $342,682,000,000 in economic activity from manufacture
of aircraft and parts sales and supported 547,900 direct jobs
in 2016.
(2) Growth in the civil aircraft market is projected to
offer $8,000,000,000,000 to $10,000,000,000,000 in new aircraft
sales, parts, and services over the next 17 years.
International governments are boosting their research and
development investments to give their domestic industries
competitive advantages in the aircraft market.
(3) In 2015, the Department of Defense spent
$10,600,000,000 on jet fuel and $441,600,000 on jet fuel
transportation to support the warfighter. NASA's research into
ultra-efficient air transport is important to the military's
efforts to reduce fuel costs, logistics pressures, and the
level of human risk involved with providing worldwide energy
solutions.
(4) NASA's aeronautics research and collaborative ventures
yield innovations that can eventually be utilized in the
aviation sector, opening up entirely new markets, enabling the
United States aviation industry to grow and maintain global
competitiveness, providing high-quality engineering and
manufacturing jobs, and benefiting the quality of life for our
citizens.
(5) Continued progress in the science and technology of
aeronautics is crucial to the United States sustained economic
success and the protection of the United States security
interests at home and around the world, as acknowledged in the
2006 National Aeronautics Research and Development Policy. To
ensure Federal efforts remain on a disciplined path to meet
national objectives, the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy is responsible for the implementation and
biennial review of the aeronautics research and development
plan of the United States.
(6) All of NASA's other directorates and capabilities,
including those in space, depend on research and technology
that originated and is maintained in NASA's Aeronautics
Centers.
(7) Aeronautics plays a central role in our national
security strategy, and our technological advantage over
potential adversaries must be maintained with sustained and
focused research and development.
(8) NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's 6
strategic thrusts (safe, efficient growth in global operations;
innovation in civil supersonic aircraft; ultra-efficient
subsonic vehicles; quiet and affordable vertical lift air
vehicles; real-time, systemwide safety assurance; and assured
autonomy for aviation transformation) are effective and
necessary research areas for the development of next generation
aeronautics technology that will preserve the United States
lead in the global aviation industry.
(9) Aeronautics research is focused on fundamental
capabilities that have the potential to open entirely new
industries, including low-cost electric propulsion, advanced
composite material manufacturing, simplified air vehicle
operation, and increased vertical takeoff and landing, that
will allow for safer and more efficient aviation products and
support mobility and economic growth.
(10) To meet the challenges of the 21st century, the United
States needs to support NASA's Aeronautics Research Program at
funding levels that are commensurate with its past, present,
and future contributions to the economic competitiveness and
national security of the United States.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of NASA.
(2) Aeronautics strategic implementation plan.--The term
``Aeronautics Strategic Implementation Plan'' means the
Aeronautics Strategic Implementation Plan issued by the NASA
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
(3) Air traffic management system.--The term ``air traffic
management system'' means the procedures, technology, and human
resources to guide aircraft through the sky and on the ground
and to manage low- and high-altitude airspace use.
(4) NASA.--The term ``NASA'' means the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration.
(5) Unmanned aircraft.--The term ``unmanned aircraft''
means an aircraft that is operated without the possibility of
direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft.
(6) Unmanned aircraft system.--The term ``unmanned aircraft
system'' means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements
(including communication links and the components that control
the unmanned aircraft) that are required for the pilot in
command to operate safely and efficiently in the national
airspace system.
SEC. 4. EXPERIMENTAL PLANE PROGRAMS.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) developing high-risk, precompetitive aeronautics
technologies and demonstration aircraft for which there is not
yet a profit rationale is a fundamental NASA role;
(2) near-full-scale to laboratory and flight vehicle flight
test experimentation and validation are necessary for--
(A) transitioning new technologies and materials,
as well as their associated manufacturing processes,
for general aviation, commercial, and military
aeronautics use; and
(B) capturing the full breadth of benefits from the
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's investments
in priority programs called for in--
(i) the National Aeronautics Research and
Development Plan issued by the National Science
and Technology Council in February 2010;
(ii) the NASA 2014 Strategic Plan;
(iii) the Aeronautics Strategic
Implementation Plan; and
(iv) any updates to the programs called for
in the plans described in clauses (i) through
(iii); and
(3) a level of funding that adequately supports full-scale
experimentation and related infrastructure must be assured over
a sustained period of time to restore NASA's capacity to see
legacy priority programs through to completion and achieve
national economic and security objectives.
(b) National Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to
maintain world leadership in military and civilian aeronautical science
and technology, global air power projection, and industrial leadership.
To this end, one of the fundamental objectives of NASA aeronautics
research is the steady progression and expansion of flight research and
capabilities, including the science and technology of critical
underlying disciplines and competencies, chief among which are
computational-based analytical and predictive tools and methodologies,
aerothermodynamics, flight propulsion, high-temperature structures and
materials, and flight controls.
(c) Establishment of Programs or Projects.--The Administrator shall
establish the following programs or projects:
(1) A low-boom supersonic aircraft program or project that
will--
(A) demonstrate supersonic aircraft designs and
technologies that reduce sonic boom noise to levels
that encourage the repeal of domestic and international
bans on supersonic flight overland; and
(B) gather the data needed to support informed
decisions of the Federal Aviation Administration
regarding overland supersonic flight.
(2) A subsonic flight program of flight technology
demonstrations that use existing aircraft and multiple large-
scale X-Plane demonstrators developed sequentially or in
parallel, each of which is based on a set of new configuration
concepts or technologies determined by the Administrator--
(A) to demonstrate aircraft vehicle and propulsion
concepts and technologies and related advances in
alternative propulsion and energy; and
(B) to enable significant increases in energy
efficiency and lower life-cycle emissions in the
aviation system while achieving a step change in noise
emissions.
(3) An advanced structures, materials, and manufacturing
program that--
(A) leverages advances in composite material and
structures design, certification, and manufacturing
technologies for use in commercial and military
aircraft that have been enabled by the Advanced
Composites Project and the Advanced Composite
Consortium;
(B) drastically reduces the nonrecurring time and
cost for design, manufacturing technology development,
and certification of advanced and nontraditional
composite materials and manufacturing processes;
(C) makes time reduction improvements to increase
recurring production rates; and
(D) includes, as focus areas--
(i) the leveraging of advances in computer
modeling and simulation in virtual allowables,
automated design tools, and manufacturing
process development;
(ii) the enabling of rapid design,
automated manufacturing technology, inspection,
process control, and certification for
nonorthogonal lay-ups, nontraditional preforms,
thermoplastics, ceramics, advanced resin
infusion processes, and additive manufacturing
for primary aircraft structure; and
(iii) the advancement of manufacturing
processes, technologies, inspection methods,
and certification pathways for bonded and
integrated fail-safe damage tolerant aircraft
structures.
(d) Program Elements.--
(1) For each of the programs established under subsection
(c), the Administrator shall--
(A) include development of experimental aircraft
(X-Plane), experimental systems (X-System), multiple
technologies, and all necessary supporting flight
assets;
(B) pursue a robust technology maturation and
flight validation program that addresses challenges in
technology development and maturation;
(C) improve necessary facilities, flight testing
capabilities, and computational tools to support the
program;
(D) only award primary contracts for design,
procurement, and manufacture to United States
companies, consistent with international obligations
and commitments;
(E) coordinate research and flight demonstration
activities with other Federal agencies, as appropriate,
and the United States aviation manufacturing community;
and
(F) ensure that the program remains aligned with
the Aeronautics Strategic Implementation Plan, and any
updates to such plan.
(2) For the advanced structures, materials, and
manufacturing program, the Administrator shall--
(A) offer to enter into a public-private
partnership, which shall be known as the ``Advanced
Structures, Materials, and Manufacturing Program'',
between--
(i) NASA; and
(ii) appropriate public and private
entities;
(B) ensure a 50-percent Federal cost share for
applicable research;
(C) include as a key partner the Federal Aviation
Administration;
(D) include as a partner any other Federal agency
the participation of which the Administrator determines
will further the purpose of the partnership; and
(E) provide a structure for managing intellectual
property generated by the program based on or
consistent with the structure established for NASA's
Advanced Composites Consortium.
(e) On-Demand Aviation.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Fuller utilization of high-speed air transportation,
small airports, helipads, vertical flight infrastructure, and
other infrastructure can alleviate transportation congestion
and support economic growth within cities.
(2) NASA should continue to develop and test air vehicles,
different propulsion systems, network systems, unmanned
aircraft system traffic management systems, and technology that
can be utilized in on-demand air transportation.
(3) NASA should actively support the research around the
use of airspace for on-demand aviation.
(4) This work should leverage NASA's ongoing efforts in
developing advanced technologies for large, high-volume
commercial aircraft applications and airspace operations. The
Administrator should assess which air traffic concepts perform
most efficiently, taking into consideration factors such as
existing city infrastructure, small airports, and current
airspace operations.
(f) Definition of United States Company.--In this section, the term
``United States company'' means a private entity--
(1) organized under the laws of the United States; and
(2) that has one or more existing facilities located in the
continental United States, including infrastructure and
staffing, capable of meeting the objectives of the program in
which the company seeks to participate, as determined by the
Administrator.
SEC. 5. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) to ensure United States competitiveness on the global
stage, the Federal Government must work with the private sector
to safely integrate the increasing number of commercial
applications for unmanned aircraft systems; and
(2) the sustained, efficient growth of the United States
transportation system will require harnessing the safety and
efficiency benefits of automated systems to relieve pressure on
infrastructure and traffic management.
(b) Policy.--It is the policy of the United States Government to be
an active partner with the private sector in the development of
technologies, capabilities, and operating procedures for the safe,
efficient integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national
airspace, while ensuring current and future air traffic management
systems are able to manage unmanned aircraft systems.
(c) Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operation Program.--To advance the
national policy described in subsection (b), the Administrator shall--
(1) research, develop, and test capabilities and concepts,
including unmanned aircraft systems communications for
integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the national
airspace system;
(2) leverage NASA's partnership with industry focused on
the advancement of technologies for future air traffic
management systems for unmanned aircraft for low- and high-
altitude operations;
(3) leverage industry's advancement of technologies for
unmanned aircraft to inform regulatory and standards
requirements for various sizes of civil unmanned aircraft
systems;
(4) consider the needs of United States industry,
especially as operations transition to more automated systems;
and
(5) continue to align its research and testing portfolio to
inform unmanned aircraft system integration consistent with
public safety and national security objectives.
(d) Coordination With the Federal Aviation Administration.--It is
the sense of Congress that--
(1) NASA should continue to coordinate with the Federal
Aviation Administration on research on air traffic management
systems for unmanned aircraft systems and assist in the
establishment of the pilot program required under section 2208
of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (49
U.S.C. 40101 note) and the subsequent implementation of
unmanned aircraft system traffic management systems; and
(2) unmanned aircraft system integration and unmanned
traffic management research should continue to leverage the
resources available through the unmanned aircraft system test
ranges designated by the Federal Aviation Administration under
section 332 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012
(Public Law 112-95; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note).
SEC. 6. 21ST CENTURY AERONAUTICS RESEARCH CAPABILITIES INITIATIVE.
(a) Establishment.--The Administrator shall establish a 21st
Century Aeronautics Capabilities Initiative, within the Construction
and Environmental Compliance and Restoration Account, to ensure that
NASA possesses the infrastructure capabilities and computational tools
necessary to conduct proposed flight demonstration projects across the
range of NASA aeronautics interests. As part of such Initiative, the
Administrator shall carry out the following activities:
(1) Any investments necessary to upgrade and create
facilities for civil and national security aeronautics research
to support advancements in long-term foundational science and
technology, advanced aircraft systems, air traffic management
systems, fuel efficiency and electric propulsion technologies,
systemwide safety assurance, autonomous aviation, and
supersonic and hypersonic aircraft design and development.
(2) Any measures supporting flight testing activities, to
include continuous refinement and development of free-flight
test techniques and methodologies, upgrades and improvements to
real-time tracking and data acquisition, and any other measures
related to aeronautics research support and modernization as
the Administrator may consider appropriate to carry out the
scientific study of the problems of flight, with a view to
their practical solution.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated to NASA
$100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024, to be derived
from amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated to NASA.
(c) Report.--
(1) Report required.--Not later than 120 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit
to Congress a report containing a 5-year plan for the
implementation of the 21st Century Aeronautics Research
Capabilities Initiative.
(2) Elements.--The report required by this subsection shall
include--
(A) a description of proposed projects;
(B) a description of the manner in which such
projects align with the Aeronautics Strategic
Implementation Plan or the roadmap developed by the
joint technology office on hypersonics under section
218(d) of the John Warner National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (10 U.S.C.
note), and any updates to such plan or roadmap; and
(C) a timetable for carrying out activities and
initiatives authorized under this section.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2020.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate for fiscal year 2020,
$840,000,000, as follows:
(1) For Airspace Operations and Safety Program,
$159,000,000.
(2) For Advanced Air Vehicles Program, $280,000,000.
(3) For Integrated Aviation Systems Program, $251,000,000.
(4) For Transformative Aero Concepts Program, $100,000,000.
(5) For Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Program,
$50,000,000.
(b) Fiscal Year 2021.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate for fiscal year 2021,
$930,000,000, as follows:
(1) For Airspace Operations and Safety Program,
$165,000,000.
(2) For Advanced Air Vehicles Program, $303,000,000.
(3) For Integrated Aviation Systems Program, $300,000,000.
(4) For Transformative Aero Concepts Program, $112,000,000.
(5) For Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Program,
$50,000,000.
(c) Fiscal Year 2022.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate for fiscal year 2022,
$974,000,000, as follows:
(1) For Airspace Operations and Safety Program,
$170,000,000.
(2) For Advanced Air Vehicles Program, $290,000,000.
(3) For Integrated Aviation Systems Program, $350,000,000.
(4) For Transformative Aero Concepts Program, $114,000,000.
(5) For Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Program,
$50,000,000.
(d) Fiscal Year 2023.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate for fiscal year 2023,
$996,000,000, as follows:
(1) For Airspace Operations and Safety Program,
$175,000,000.
(2) For Advanced Air Vehicles Program, $295,000,000.
(3) For Integrated Aviation Systems Program, $360,000,000.
(4) For Transformative Aero Concepts Program, $116,000,000.
(5) For Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Program,
$50,000,000.
(e) Fiscal Year 2024.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate for fiscal year 2024,
$1,030,000,000, as follows:
(1) For Airspace Operations and Safety Program,
$180,000,000.
(2) For Advanced Air Vehicles Program, $300,000,000.
(3) For Integrated Aviation Systems Program, $382,000,000.
(4) For Transformative Aero Concepts Program, $118,000,000.
(5) For Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Program,
$50,000,000.
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Aeronautics Innovation Act
#5136 | HR Congress #116
Policy Area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovationsAviation and airportsCompetitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficitsComputers and information technologyCongressional oversightManufacturingMaterialsNational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationPublic-private cooperationResearch administration and fundingResearch and developmentSpace flight and explorationSpacecraft and satellitesTransportation programs fundingTransportation safety and security
Last Action: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. (11/18/2019)
Bill Text Source: Congress.gov
Summary and Impacts
Original Text