Research and development

§ 44912. Research and development (a) Program Requirement.—(1) The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall establish and carry out a program to accelerate and expand the research, development, and implementation of technologies and procedures to counteract terrorist acts against civil aviation. The program shall provide for developing and having in place, not later than November 16, 1993, new 108 STAT. 1213equipment and procedures necessary to meet the technological challenges presented by terrorism. The program shall include research on, and development of, technological improvements and ways to enhance human performance. (2) In designing and carrying out the program established under this subsection, the Administrator shall— (A) consult and coordinate activities with other departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States Government doing similar research; (B) identify departments, agencies, and instrumentalities that would benefit from that research; and (C) seek cost-sharing agreements with those departments, agencies, and instrumentalities. (3) In carrying out the program established under this subsection, the Administrator shall review and consider the annual reports the Secretary of Transportation submits to Congress on transportation security and intelligence. (4) The Administrator may— (A) make grants to institutions of higher learning and other appropriate research facilities with demonstrated ability to carry out research described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, and fix the amounts and terms of the grants; and (B) make cooperative agreements with governmental authorities the Administrator decides are appropriate. (b) Review of Threats.—(1) The Administrator shall complete an intensive review of threats to civil aviation, with particular focus on— (A) explosive material that presents the most significant threat to civil aircraft; (B) the minimum amounts, configurations, and types of explosive material that can cause, or would reasonably be expected to cause, catastrophic damage to commercial aircraft in service and expected to be in service in the 10-year period beginning on November 16, 1990; (C) the amounts, configurations, and types of explosive material that can be detected reliably by existing, or reasonably anticipated, near-term explosive detection technologies; (D) the feasibility of using various ways to minimize damage caused by explosive material that cannot be detected reliably by existing, or reasonably anticipated, near-term explosive detection technologies; (E) the ability to screen passengers, carry-on baggage, checked baggage, and cargo; and (F) the technologies that might be used in the future to attempt to destroy or otherwise threaten commercial aircraft and the way in which those technologies can be countered effectively. (2) The Administrator shall use the results of the review under this subsection to develop the focus and priorities of the program established under subsection (a) of this section. (c) Scientific Advisory Panel.—The Administrator shall establish a scientific advisory panel, as a subcommittee of the Research, Engineering and Development Advisory Committee, to review, comment on, advise on the progress of, and recommend modifications in, the program established under subsection (a) of this section, including the need for long-range research programs to detect and prevent catastrophic damage to commercial aircraft 108 STAT. 1214by the next generation of terrorist weapons. The panel shall consist of individuals with scientific and technical expertise in— (1) the development and testing of effective explosive detection systems; (2) aircraft structure and experimentation to decide on the type and minimum weights of explosives that an effective technology must be capable of detecting; (3) technologies involved in minimizing airframe damage to aircraft from explosives; and (4) other scientific and technical areas the Administrator considers appropriate.