For Release: Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Contact: David Gillies: 202-225-5661
WASHINGTON – House Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry F. Costello (D-IL) lauded passage of H.R. 4714, the National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2010. The bill, which passed the House last night with Costello’s support, ensures the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has the funding, resources and tools it needs to accomplish its critical mission of improving the safety of our nation’s transportation system.
The NTSB investigates accidents in all transportation modes, including aviation, pipelines, maritime, rail, truck and automotive transportation, and its current reauthorization expired at the end of September 2008. In January of this year, the Aviation Subcommittee held a hearing on the reauthorization of the NTSB, where the subcommittee affirmed its commitment to developing bipartisan legislation. In March, the full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee successfully reported H.R. 4714 out of committee.
“The NTSB is one of our most important safety agencies,” said Costello. “Since its inception in 1967, it has investigated more than 132,000 aviation accidents and more than 10,000 surface transportation accidents. The NTSB’s authority and expertise are recognized around the world, and it is important that we ensure it has the resources to continue to meet its mission. I look forward to this legislation moving through conference committee with the Senate and being enacted into law.”
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