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H.R. 3198: FLIGHT R&D Act

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H.R. 3198: FLIGHT R&D Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-07-12 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-07-12 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Knight, Stephen [R-CA-25] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

FLIGHT R&D Act

Plain summary

FAA Leadership in Groundbreaking High-Tech Research and Development Act or the FLIGHT R&D Act This bill reauthorizes Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) research and development (R&D) programs for FY2018-FY2023. No funds are authorized to be appropriated for a fiscal year for: (1) Environmental Sustainability Research and Development programs unless the full amount authorized for that fiscal year is appropriated for Safety Research and Development programs, Economic Competitiveness Research and Development programs, and Mission Support programs; or (2) the FAA's Office of the Administrator unless the Secretary of Transportation has submitted the National Aviation Research Plan to Congress no later than the submission of the President's budget request for that fiscal year. The FAA shall appoint an Associate Administrator for Research and Development. The FAA shall develop a plan in the event of the transition of FAA R&D activities to a non-federal entity. The bill amends the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 to revise requirements with respect to the FAA's five-year roadmap for the introduction of civil unmanned aircraft systems (drones) into the national airspace system. The roadmap shall include, at a minimum, a description of how the FAA plans to use R&D to integrate drones into the system. No funds are authorized to be appropriated for the Office of the Administrator for a fiscal year unless the Secretary has submitted the unmanned aircraft systems roadmap to Congress on an annual basis. The FAA shall coordinate with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to research the collision of drones with manned aircraft. The bill prohibits the FAA, with a specified exception, from promulgating regulations regarding the operation of drones for R&D purposes. The FAA shall establish R&D programs: to improve the cybersecurity of civil aircraft and the system, on civilian air traffic surveillance over oceans and other remote locations, in support of single-piloted cargo aircraft with remote piloting and computer piloting, and regarding the use of the electromagnetic spectrum in the civil aviation domain. The FAA shall submit to Congress a research plan for certification and implementation of new technologies (including Next Generation) into the system.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), 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

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

FLIGHT R&D Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Knight, Stephen [R-CA-25] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Brian Babin (R-TX)

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 (5)
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.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
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.
Rulemaking
The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr3198 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115