§ 44501. Plans and policy

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(a)Long Range Plans and Policy Requirements.— The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall make long range plans and policy for the orderly development and use of the navigable airspace, and the orderly development of air navigation facilities and services, that will best meet the needs of, and serve the interests of, civil aeronautics and the national defense, except for needs of the armed forces that are peculiar to air warfare and primarily of military concern.

(b)Airway Capital Investment Plan.— The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall review, revise, and publish a national airways system plan, known as the Airway Capital Investment Plan, before the beginning of each fiscal year. The plan shall set forth—

(1)for a 10-year period, the research, engineering, procurement, and development programs and the facilities, services, and equipment that the Administrator considers necessary for a system of airways, air traffic services, and navigation aids that will—

(A)meet the forecasted needs of civil aeronautics;

(B)meet the requirements that the Secretary of Defense establishes for the support of the national defense; and

(C)provide the highest degree of safety in air commerce;

(2)for the first and second years of the plan, detailed annual estimates of—

(A)the number, type, location, and cost of acquiring, operating, and maintaining required facilities and services;

(B)the cost of research, engineering, procurement, and development required to improve safety, system capacity, and efficiency; and

(C)personnel levels required for the activities described in subparagraphs

(A)and (B);

(3)for the third, fourth, and fifth years of the plan, estimates of the total cost of each major program for the 3-year period, and additional major research programs, acquisition of systems, services, and facilities, and changes in personnel levels that may be required to meet long range objectives and that may have significant impact on future funding requirements;

(4)a 10-year investment plan that considers long range objectives that the Administrator considers necessary to—

(A)ensure that safety is given the highest priority in providing for a safe and efficient airway system; and

(B)meet the current and projected growth of the aerospace industry and the requirements of interstate commerce, the United States Postal Service, and the national defense; and

(5)a list of capital projects that are part of the Next Generation Air Transportation System and funded by amounts appropriated under section 48101(a).

(c)National Aviation Research Plan.—

(1)The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall prepare and publish annually a national aviation research plan and submit the plan to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives. The plan shall be submitted not later than the date that is 30 days after the date of submission of the President’s budget to Congress. If such report cannot be prepared and submitted by the date that is 30 days after the date of submission of the President’s budget to Congress, the Administrator shall submit, before such date, a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee of 1 Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives stating the reason for delayed submission, impacts of the delay, and actions taken to address circumstances that led to the delay.

(A)The plan shall describe, for a 5-year period, the research, engineering, and development that the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration considers necessary—

(i)to ensure the continued capacity, safety, and efficiency of aviation in the United States, considering emerging technologies and forecasted needs of civil aeronautics; and

(ii)to provide the highest degree of safety in air travel.

(B)The plan shall—

(i)provide estimates by year of the schedule, cost, and work force levels for each active and planned major research and development project under sections 44504, 44505, 44507, 44509, 44511–44513, and 44912 of this title, including activities carried out under cooperative agreements with other Federal departments and agencies;

(ii)specify the goals and the priorities for allocation of resources among the major categories of research and development activities, including the rationale for the priorities identified;

(iii)identify the allocation of resources among long-term research, near-term research, and development activities;

(iv)identify the individual research and development projects in each funding category that are described in the annual budget request;

(v)highlight the research and development activities that address specific recommendations of the research advisory committee established under section 44508 of this title, and document the recommendations of the committee that are not accepted, specifying the reasons for nonacceptance; and

(vi)highlight the research and development technology transfer activities that promote technology sharing among government, industry, and academia through the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980.

(3)Subject to section 44912(d)(2) and regulations prescribed under such section, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall submit to the committees named in paragraph

(1)of this subsection an annual report on the accomplishments of the research completed during the prior fiscal year, including a description of the dissemination to the private sector of research results and a description of any new technologies developed. The report shall be submitted with the plan required under paragraph

(1)and be organized to allow comparison with the plan in effect for the prior fiscal year. The report shall be prepared in accordance with requirements of section 1116 of title 31.

(Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1173; Pub. L. 104–264, title XI, § 1105, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3279; Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(74), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3396; Pub. L. 106–181, title IX, § 902(a), Apr. 5, 2000, 114 Stat. 195; Pub. L. 112–95, title I, § 105, Feb. 14, 2012, 126 Stat. 17; Pub. L. 118–63, title VI, § 618(a), title X, § 1004(a), title XI, § 1101(j), May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1230, 1386, 1413.)

In subsection (a), the word “Administrator” in section 312(a) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (Public Law 85–726, 72 Stat. 752) is retained on authority of 49:106(g). The words “air navigation facilities” are substituted for “landing areas, Federal airways, radar installations and all other aids and facilities for air navigation” because of the definition of “air navigation facility” in section 40102(a) of the revised title. The words “the armed forces” are substituted for “military agencies” because of 10:101.

In subsection (b), before clause (1), the words “the requirements of” are omitted as surplus. The text of 49 App.:2203(b) (1st sentence) is omitted as executed. The words “thereafter” and “For fiscal year 1991 and thereafter” are omitted as obsolete. In clauses (2)(C) and (3), the word “personnel” is substituted for “manpower” for consistency in the revised title. In clause (2)(C), the word “all” is omitted as surplus.

In subsection (c), before clause (1), the word “completed” is omitted as surplus.

In subsection (d)(1), the words “review, revise” are omitted as surplus. The word “annually” is substituted for “for fiscal year 1990, and for each fiscal year thereafter” to eliminate obsolete language.

In subsection (d)(2)(B), before clause (i), the words “an appropriation” are substituted for “funding”, and in clause (ii), the word “appropriations” is substituted for “funding”, for clarity and consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code.

In subsection (d)(3), the words “beginning with the date of transmission of the first aviation research plan as required by paragraph (1)” are omitted as obsolete.

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