AIRCRAFT COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS.

SEC. 203. AIRCRAFT COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS. (a) Findings.— Congress finds that— (1) the number of near midair collisions is an indication that additional measures must be taken to assure the highest level of air safety in the United States; (2) public health and safety requirements necessitate the timely completion and installation of a collision avoidance system for use by commercial aircraft flying in the United States; (3) the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System promises to reduce the threat to life caused by midair collisions, particularly collisions between general aviation aircraft and commercial aircraft; (4) the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System will succeed only to the degree that other aircraft posing a collision threat use operating transponders with automatic altitude reporting capability; and (5) the Federal Aviation Administration should continue at a deliberate pace the development of additional technologies, including the collision avoidance system known as TCAS–III, to ensure the safe separation of aircraft. (b) General Rules.— Section 601 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(f) Collision Avoidance Systems.— “(1) Development and certification.— “(A) Standards.— The Administrator shall complete development of the collision avoidance system known as TCAS–II so that such system will be operable under visual and instrument flight rules and will be upgradable to the performance standards applicable to the collision avoidance system known as TCAS–III. “(B) Schedule.— The Administrator shall develop and implement a schedule for development and certification of the collision avoidance system known as TCASII which will result in completion of such certification not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this subsection. “(C) Monthly reports.— The Administrator shall transmit to Congress monthly reports on the progress being 101 STAT. 1519made in development and certification of the collision avoidance system known as TCAS–II. “(2) Installation.— The Administrator shall require by regulation that, not later than 30 months after the date of certification of the collision avoidance system known as TCAS–II, such system be installed and operated on each civil aircraft which has a maximum passenger capacity of more than 30 seats and which is used to provide air transportation of passengers, including intrastate air transportation of passengers. “(3) Transponders.— Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Administrator shall promulgate a final rule requiring the installation and use of operating transponders with automatic altitude reporting capability for aircraft operating in designated terminal airspace where radar service is provided for separation of aircraft. For such terminal airspace, other than Terminal Control Areas and Airport Radar Service Areas, the Administrator may provide for access to such airspace by nonequipped aircraft if the Administrator determines that such access will not interfere with the normal traffic flow. Such final rule shall require the installation and use of such transponders not later than 36 months after the date of the enactment of this subsection.”. (c) Conforming Amendment.— That portion of table of contents contained in the first section of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 which appears under the heading “Sec. 601. General safety powers and duties.” is amended by adding at the end the following: “(f) Collision avoidance systems.”. (d) Completion of Research and Development.— (1) General rule.— The Administrator shall complete the research and the development on, and the certification of, the collision avoidance system known as TCAS–III as soon as possible. (2) Authorization of appropriation.— There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to carry out this subsection.