The Committee intends to be fully supportive of necessary expenditures for the NAS plan. However, aviation trust funds are nonetheless tax receipts and the Committee will also continue to insist that FAA and the administration demonstrate that they are capable of spending them wisely. For example, it has been demonstrated time and again that thorough, independent test and evaluation is an essential attribute of a sound acquisition program.

The Committee is concerned that FAA has in place an appropriate test and evaluation program and that it is not being compromised because of pressures to accelerate NAS plan implementation. Therefore, the Committee has requested the General Accounting Office to evaluate the quality of FAA's test and evaluation policies and procedures and report on the results of its study as of the fiscal year 1989 budget hearings.

The Committee recommends an appropriation of $37,000,000 for the following activities:

Procurement.-Direct the management and procurement of materiel and supplies, primarily for the Washington headquarters.

Executive direction.-Establish and direct policy and broad technological, operational, and managerial concepts.

Communications control.-Provide key agency officials with effective

executive telecommunications.

Public affairs.-Ensure that relevant information concerning FAA is consistently presented in a factual and timely manner.

Legal.-Provide legal counsel and advice for the handling of all legal matters with which FAA is concerned, in order to insure conformance with all legal requirements of all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and orders.

Planning and policy.-Recommend FAA policy and plans; identify needed national air system changes; perform economic analysis of regulations.

Accounting.-Provide accounting, financial advisory, and audit liaison

services.

Budget. Identify and define budgetary needs and assure that they are effectively presented to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, Office of Management and Budget, and congressional committees, and that funds and other resources available to the agency are effectively utilized.

Civil rights.-Assure full and affirmative implementation of civil rights and equal opportunity precepts within the Federal Aviation Administration.

International aviation.-Ensure adequacy of international aviation system policies, and maintain effective liaison with foreign governments. Management systems and data systems.-Develop and administer the implementation and operation of FAA organizational plans, management systems and controls, and administrative standards and procedures; provide data processing, editorial, graphics, and publishing services.

The Committee recommendation for headquarters administration is $1,113,000 less than the budget estimate, $500,000 less than the House allowance, and $1,879,000 more than the fiscal year 1987 program level. The reductions from the budget estimate and the House allowance are predicated on additional management and administrative savings anticipated for fiscal year 1988.

OFFICE OF AVIATION SAFETY

The Committee is concerned about the quality and scope of FAA's internal evaluations of the safety of air traffic operations. Various investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board [NTSB], in response to reports of near midair collisions and operational errors, have repeatedly pointed to deficiencies in controller training, coordination, and supervision as well as staffing shortages and high workloads as contributing factors.

In August 1984, FAA formally established the Office of Aviation Safety as a separate office reporting directly to the Administrator and gave the office greater responsibility. However, in testimony before the Committee and subsequent discussion with FAA officials, the Committee learned that the Office of Aviation Safety has not been organized to and does not play a proactive role in FAA's internal evaluations of safety matters. There are no resources dedicated or organizationally responsible to the office in FAA regional offices or at major air traffic control facilities. The headquarters' staff activities center around FAA responses to NTSB recommendations and past assessments of accidents, incidents and other safety-related problems brought to the office's attention.

The only routine evaluations of air traffic operations at terminal and en route facilities, which would serve to prevent safety problems, are made by air traffic personnel assigned to FAA regional offices. The Office of Aviation Safety does not participate in these evaluations and does not systematically receive and review the evaluation reports.

The Committee has been informed that FAA is planning to establish safety staff positions in FAA regional offices on a limited basis in fiscal year 1989. While in principle the Committee views this as a positive step, the plan as presented raises two matters of concern to the Committee. First, FAA regional administrators would have line authority over such staff. Second, the positions would be filled on a rotating basis by personnel from various facilities. In contrast, the Committee believes that the Office of Aviation Safety should have direct line authority over the activities of such personnel. This would allow areas of concern to be

dealt with on a systemwide, consistent basis when necessary and it would extend the concept of independence beyond the boundaries of the headquarters organization. The Committee also believes that the regional office positions should be staffed on a more permanent basis in order to enhance the principle of independence.

These changes would, in the Committee's view, enable the Office of Aviation Safety to assume a substantive role in the evaluations of air traffic operations which, ideally, would lead to improved safety through preventive rather than only reactive actions. Moreover, the FAA would be better able to assess the feasibility of extending the safety office oversight to other functions such as flight standards.

In light of the Committee's overall concerns about the need for improved independent oversight within FAA of the safety of its air traffic operations and the specific concerns about FAA's plan, the Committee directs FAA to report in writing by January 1, 1988, as to the consideration given to the Committee's concerns and any changes made or being made to the plan.

SUPPORT STAFF VACANCIES

The Committee is concerned that FAA's efforts to remain within personnel ceilings set by the administration, while at the same time making needed increases to the controller and safety inspector work forces, have resulted in the inordinate erosion of support staff strength. Congressionally mandated increases to the number of air traffic controller and safety inspector work forces, were deemed vital to the protection of aviation safety. Nevertheless, the Committee did not expect FAA to compensate for those increases by allowing support staff vacancies to go unfilled. The Committee acknowledges the importance of adequate staff to support efficient operations in other important functions such as the procurement and contracting for NAS plan systems and equipment. Therefore, the Committee directs FAA to develop a realistic assessment of its support staff needs and to fill vacancies as soon as possible. In that regard, the Committee will review this matter during the fiscal year 1989 budget hearings and the Committee expects FAA to be prepared to address the scope of the shortages, their effects, and actions taken or planned to resolve the problem.

INDEMNIFICATION REGULATIONS

The Committee is aware that the Federal Aviation Administration has yet to promulgate regulations for the implementation of section 1118 of the Federal Aviation Act regarding aeronautical maps and charts. The Committee directs the Administrator to place a higher priority on issuing proposed regulations in order to effectuate this provision by the end of the current year.

PARALLEL RUNWAY EXPERIMENT

The Committee is aware that the FAA is now conducting an experimental program regarding parallel runways at Raleigh-Durham. This program may hold some promise as to future utilization. The Committee expects that the FAA will communicate effectively with the parties at Raleigh-Durham to assure the best possible application of the results of this technology.

1The transfers include $10,000,000 available for the reemployed annuitant program and the $51,537,000 budget amendment transmitted on June 30, 1987.

FAA's "Operations" appropriation provides funds for the operation, maintenance, communications, and logistic support of the air traffic control and navigation systems and activities. It also covers the administration and management of the regulatory airports, medical and engineering and development programs.

The bill includes a total of $3,246,602,000 for the operations activities of the Federal Aviation Administration, of which $851,500,000 shall be derived from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. The account total is $314,602,000 more than the fiscal year 1987 program level, $63,223,000 less than the budget estimate, and $20,948,000 less than the House allowance. The reductions are predicated on additional management and administrative savings anticipated for the fiscal year. However, the bill provides for 46,108 positions which is 93 less than the House allowance but 309 more than the budget estimate. It also provides 100 more fulltime equivalents than the House allowance and 325 more than the budget estimate to fill anticipated vacancies in the field maintenance technician work force.

As in past years, FAA is directed to report immediately to the Committees on Appropriations in the event resources are insufficient to operate a safe and effective air traffic control system.

The activities of the operations accounts comprise nine main areas: Operation of air traffic control system.-The operation of a national system of air traffic management in the United States, its territories, and its possessions on a 24-hour basis.

Installation and materiel services.-Procurement, contracting, and materiel management programs; administrative communications; supply; and other logistics support.

Maintenance of air traffic control system.-The direction and engineering services related to the maintenance, improvement, and modification of facilities and equipment in the traffic control system; tech

nical operation and maintenance of a national network of air navigation aids and traffic control facilities.

Leased telecommunications services.-Finances the noncapital costs of FAA's operational telecommunications system.

Administration of Aviation Standards Program.-The promotion of flight safety of civil aircraft by assuring the airworthiness of aircraft; the competence of pilots, aviators, and aviator technicians; the adequacy of flight procedures and air operations; the evaluation of inflight facility performance for compliance with prescribed standards; the use and maintenance of the FAA's aircraft fleet; the medical fitness of personnel in the national airspace system; and the conduct of the Civil Aviation Security Program.

Development direction.-The planning, direction, and evaluation of the engineering and development program, direct project costs of which are financed under the research, engineering, and development appropriation.

Administration of Airports Program.-Mainly, the administration of airport grants and the safety certification of airports.

Human resources management.-Administration of employee recruitment, development, compensation, training, and labor-management relations programs.

Direction, staff, and supporting services.-Administrative and housekeeping costs that support the primary programs of the agency.

The following table summarizes the Committee's recommendation in comparison to the budget estimate and House allowance.