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Aviation Safety Research Act of 1988

Public Law 100-591 · H.R. 4686 · 100th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 3, 1988 · Transportation and Public Works

Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Lewis (R-FL-12)

Cosponsors (2): Rep. Daniel Glickman,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Aviation Safety Research Act of 1988 - Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to initiate aviation maintenance and safety research on: (1) fire and smoke resistance technologies; (2) specified aspects of aircraft maintenance and structural technologies; (3) the relationship between human factors and aviation accidents; and (4) air traffic control (including dynamic simulation models).

Requires the Administrator to submit a national aviation research plan to the Congress. Cites plan contents. Requires the Administrator to report annually to certain congressional committees concerning the previous year's research accomplishments.

Establishes within the FAA the Civil Aeromedical Institute to: (1) conduct specified aspects of civil aeromedical research; (2) advise on human factor aspects of proposed air safety rules, aviation personnel training programs, and joint aviation projects; and (3) provide medical consultation services regarding medical certification of airmen.

Establishes a research advisory committee within the FAA to advise the Administrator regarding the aviation research program.

Amends the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 to authorize appropriations for FY 1989 through 1990 for aviation projects.

Directs the Administrator to research the effects of automation on the performance of the next generation of air traffic controllers and the air traffic control system, and to report to the Congress regarding such research.

Authorizes the Administrator to enter into an agreement with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) regarding the use of NASA facilities to study the human factor aspects of a highly automated environment upon air traffic controllers. Prescribes the contents of such research. Authorizes appropriations.

Directs the Administrator to: (1) issue an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to determine the feasibility of installing (in all air carrier aircraft) rupture resistant crashworthy fuselage fuel tanks and fuel lines which disconnect and seal in the event of an accident; and (2) undertake research to develop technologies to prevent rapid fuel dispersal and combustibility after an air crash.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.

  1. Nov 3, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-591.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 27, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 21, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Oct 20, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate in lieu of S. 2746 with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  7. Sep 20, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  8. Sep 8, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  9. Aug 11, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  10. Jun 29, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  12. Jun 16, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  13. Jun 7, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  14. May 25, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  15. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.