National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003
Public Law 108-168 · S. 579 · 108th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 6, 2003 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
Cosponsors (4): Sen. Fritz Hollings, Sen. Trent Lott,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003 - (Sec. 2) Amends Federal transportation law to extend the authorization of appropriations for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for FY 2003 through 2006, including the NTSB Academy and an emergency fund.
Authorizes appropriations necessary to increase the emergency fund from $2 million to $3 million.
Authorizes the NTSB to impose and collect appropriate fees for services provided by or through the Academy. Credits receipts as offsetting collections to the account that finances Academy activities. Requires an annual report on the activities and operations of the Academy.
(Sec. 3) Relieves the NTSB of the duty to render specified assistance to families of passengers involved in an aircraft accident if the NTSB has relinquished its investigative priority to investigate it and the Federal agency to which it has relinquished such priority is willing and able to provide assistance to the victims and families of the passengers. Requires the NTSB, however, even if it has relinquished such priority, to assist, to the maximum extent possible, the agency to which it has relinquished it in assisting families with respect to the accident.
Directs the NTSB and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to revise their 1977 agreement on the investigation of accidents to take into account the amendments made by this Act, and to submit such revision to specified congressional committees.
(Sec. 4) Allows the NTSB to enter into agreements or contracts necessary to conduct accident investigations without regard to competition requirements if necessary to expedite investigation. Requires that each contract for at least $25,000 be enumerated in the NTSB's annual report to Congress.
(Sec. 5) Requires any NTSB employee, whenever heor she determines that an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, but not resulting in a loss of life, constitutes an accident, to notify the aircraft owner or operator of the right to appeal that determination to the NTSB. Requires the NTSB to establish and publish appeal procedures.
(Sec. 6) Revises requirements for an annual report to Congress by the Secretary of Transportation on NTSB transportation safety recommendations. Requires the Secretary to report on February 1 of each year to Congress and the NTSB on the regulatory status of each recommendation on the NTSB "most wanted list," until final regulatory action is taken or the Secretary (or an Administration within the Department of Transportation (DOT)) determines and reports that no action should be taken. Requires the NTSB to report to specified congressional committees on March 1 of each year if it has not received the Secretary's report.
(Sec. 8) Amends Federal transportation law and the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 to make certain technical and conforming amendments with respect to the investigative authority of the DOT Inspector General.
(Sec. 9) Requires the Secretary to report biennially to Congress and the NTSB on the regulatory status of each NTSB open safety recommendation concerning: (1) 15-passenger van safety; (2) railroad grade crossing safety; and (3) medical certifications for a commercial driver's license. Requires NTSB notification to specified congressional committees of any failure to receive such report.
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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1527Related bill
National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 16 actions.
- Dec 6, 2003Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-168.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 25, 2003FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 22, 2003FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. DeLay asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- Nov 21, 2003FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- May 22, 2003CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 112.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator McCain without amendment. With written report No. 108-53.
- Mar 13, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Mar 7, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 2211SenateSen. John McCainR-AZ· offered Nov 21, 2003Agreed to
To add provisions relating to accident and safety data classification and publication from H.R. 1527 as passed by the House of Representatives, and for other purposes.
Nov 21, 2003: Amendment SA 2211 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.