A bill to promote air safety and for other purposes.
Key claim: A 1986 Senate bill would have required the FAA to inspect commercial planes more often, raise fines for safety violations, notify the Military Airlift Command of contractor-airline citations, and bar certain FAA safety officials from taking airline jobs soon after leaving the agency.
Abstract
(S2671 · 99th Congress) Requires the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop and implement a new enforcement strategy for commercial aircraft inspection involving: (1) more frequent hands-on and en-route inspections; (2) periodic rotation of field inspectors from region to region; (3) programs designed to prevent the overscheduling of flight crews engaged in air commerce; and (4) a program to assure that the Military Airlift Command is promptly notified by the FAA whenever a contractor airline of such command has been cited for a safety violation. Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to provide that upon conviction of an air carrier for either failure to file requisite reports, or the falsification of such reports, the criminal penalty shall include a fine in accordance with Federal criminal law, or a maximum term of five years’ imprisonment, or both. Provides a maximum civil penalty of $1,000 for safety violations relating to notification of proposed construction of structures which could pose a hazard to air navigation. (Current law provides only for a criminal penalty.) Increases from $1,000 to $10,000 the maximum civil penalty which may be imposed for violation of certain administrative, security, and safety regulations by commercial aircraft operators. Prohibits certain FAA employees from accepting employment with any air carrier following their separation from the FAA if, during the 24-month period preceding such separation, the employees had any direct control or responsibility over such air carrier in matters directly involving air safety. Imposes a $10,000 fine or three-month maximum imprisonment, or both, for violations of such prohibition. Latest action (1986-07-22): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce.
Why this matters
FAA inspection frequency, penalty levels, and the ‘revolving door’ between safety regulators and the airlines they oversee are recurring pressure points in commercial aviation safety policy. This 1986 bill illustrates an early legislative attempt to tighten all three at once, along with cross-agency notification to military airlift customers, though it did not advance beyond committee referral.