Washington, DC – Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today praised the passage of the S. 579, the National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003, by Congress. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Hollings (D-SC), Lott (R-MI), Hutchison (R-TX), Rockefeller (D-WV) and was introduced on March 7, 2003. The legislation would authorize appropriations for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for fiscal years 2003 through 2006. It also would allow the NTSB to relinquish responsibility for providing assistance to families of victims of accidents to the FBI if it takes over the investigation, and give the NTSB expedited procurement procedures to aid in accident investigations. The bill also included a provision that would require the Secretary of Transportation to submit annual status reports on the Department’s progress in meeting the safety recommendations stemming from the NTSB’s “most wanted list.” “The NTSB’s safety investigations and the resulting recommendations play a vital role in ensuring the safe operation of our nation’s transportation system,” McCain said. ###