The Federal Aviation Administration would be managed by an oversight board composed of private-sector, union and FAA officials under a bill passed in the House Tuesday.
The nine-member board included in the bill (H.R. 1000) is similar to one established at the IRS last year. It would include two administration officials, six private-sector executives and a union representative. The board members, who would be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, would oversee the activities of FAA's air traffic control services.
The bill, known as the Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR 21), also establishes a whistleblower protection program for airline employees who provide safety information, and amends federal transportation law to protect FAA employees who testify about air safety. Agency employees who believe they are being retaliated against for participating in a federal air safety investigation would be allowed to file complaints with the Labor Department.
The bill, introduced by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bud Shuster, R-Pa., passed by a vote of 316 to 110. AIR 21 aims to modernize air travel by allowing more spending on airports and air traffic control. From 2001 to 2004, the bill would invest a total of $57 billion in the nation's aviation infrastructure, a $14.3 billion increase.