H.R. 970: Federal Aviation Research and Development Reauthorization Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-03-09 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 26.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-03-09 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Hall, Ralph M. [R-TX-4] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 26. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Federal Aviation Research and Development Reauthorization Act of 2011

Plain summary

Title X: Federal Aviation Research and Development Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Federal Aviation Research and Development Reauthorization Act of 2011 - (Sec. 1003) Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2014 for civil aviation research and development, including specified research, engineering, and development projects. (Sec. 1004) Requires the FAA Administrator to conduct or supervise specified research to develop technologies and methods to assess the risk of and prevent defects, failures, and malfunctions in all classes of drones. (Sec. 1005) Directs the FAA Administrator to conduct research on: (1) improved runway surfaces as well as engineered material restraining systems for such runways at both general aviation and commercial airports, and (2) methods and procedures to improve certification of new technologies for introduction into the national airspace system. (Sec. 1007) Converts the airport cooperative research program from a four-year pilot into a permanent program. (Sec. 1008) Authorizes the FAA Administrator to increase the federal share of costs of operating regional centers of air transportation excellence and related research activities from a maximum of 50% to a maximum of 75% for any fiscal year if a center is unable to carry out authorized activities without additional funding. (Sec. 1009) Authorizes the FAA Administrator to establish a center of excellence for aviation human resource research on: (1) human performance in the air transportation environment, including air traffic controllers, pilots, and technicians; and (2) any other aviation human resource issues pertinent to developing and maintaining a safe and efficient air transportation system. (Sec. 1010) Authorizes the FAA Administrator, in coordination with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to: (1) maintain a research program to assess the potential effect of aviation on the environment and, if warranted, to evaluate approaches to address such effect; and (2) continue research and development into the qualification of and safe transition to the use of unleaded aviation fuel by the fleet of piston engine aircraft. (Sec. 1012) Directs the Secretary to establish a research grant program to develop technologies that produce jet fuel from alternative sources (such as coal, natural gas, biomass, ethanol, butanol, and hydrogen). (Sec. 1013) Directs the FAA Administrator to review FAA energy-, environment-, and aviation safety-related research programs.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House with amendment(s)), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Federal Aviation Research and Development Reauthorization Act of 2011

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House with amendment(s))

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Hall, Ralph M. [R-TX-4] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House with amendment(s))
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr970.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr970 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112