virsight hearing - Motor Vehicle Hazard Archive Project

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8. Estimate comparison: None.
9. Previous CBO estimate: On March 13. 1987. CBO transmitted a
cost estimate to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation for S. 623, the Independent Safety Board Act
Amendments of 198?, On June 9. 198?. CBO transmitted a cost estimat€
to the House Committee on Public Works and Transportation
for H.R. 11, as ordered reported by that committee. These bills
differ as to the years funded and the amounts authorized, and
CBO's cost estimates reflect these differences.
9. Estimate prepared by: Marjorie Miller.
10. Estimate approved by: C.G. Nuckols, (for James L. Blum, Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis).
Ixrr,nrroNanv lup.e.gr Srlrnnrrxt
Pursuant to clause 2(lX4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House of
R€presentatives, the Committee makes the foliowing statement
with regard to the inflationary impact of the reported bill:
The NTSB makes recommendations on how to improve the safety
of all transportation modes. lilany of these recommendations, if implemented,
would result in fewer accidents and would thus reduce
costs from personal injury and property damage. Therefore, by reauthorizing
the NTSB, this bill should have an anti-inflationary
rmpact.
Srcrrox-nySnqrroN ANALysrs AND Drscussron
Section 1. Short title
This section provides that the short title of the bill is the "Ind+
pendent Safety Board Act Amendments of 1987".-
Section 2. Authorization of appropriations
The first subsection, subsection (a), authorizee funding for the
National Transportation Safety Board for fiscal years 1988 and
1989. The level of appropriations are lixed as follows:
$25,400,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1988;
$2?,000,000 for ihe hscal year ending September 30, 1989.
Funding of the NTSB at this level should provide for 347 fulltime
staff positions.
The second subsection, subsection (b), authorizes an "Emergenry
Fund" of $1,000.000. Ttre purpose of this fund is to provide the
NTSB with an account from which funds may be obtained in order
to pay necessary expetrs€s incurred in accident investigations. According.to
the Board, it is needed "to cover extraordinary circumstances.
The ernergency fund was created in fiscal year 1982, and since
ther has been used only once (to assist in recovery of the Air India
Boeing 74? that crashed off of the coast of lreland in 1985). The
fund is intended to ensure that the lftsB has adequate resources
available to it in years when there is an unusually high number of
accidents, and general appropriations are not sufficient to cover
the cost of investigations. The fund is to be replenished annually.
In its April 7, 1987 letter, the Board discussed the fund as follows:
$
$
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