A bill to provide for updates to the Federal Aviation Administration type certification process to support development of new and novel technologies, and for other purposes.

Key Points

• This bill requires the FAA to update its rules for approving new types of aircraft, specifically focusing on "novel" technologies. This includes things like electric air taxis and advanced drones that don't fit into traditional categories. The goal is to make the safety approval process faster and more predictable for companies building these new machines.
• The FAA would have to set and publish official timelines for reaching major milestones in the approval process. Currently, companies often face long, uncertain waits. Under this bill, the FAA must report to Congress every year on whether they are meeting these deadlines and explain any delays.
• Instead of making up brand new rules for every single project, the FAA is encouraged to use industry-wide standards and "performance-based" rules. This means focusing on whether a part works safely rather than following a rigid, outdated checklist that might not apply to new technology.
• The bill asks the FAA to clarify when it can trust qualified outside experts or the companies themselves to perform routine safety checks. By delegating some of the smaller tasks, the FAA can focus its own experts on the most critical safety issues, helping new technology get to market sooner without cutting corners on safety.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.