49 U.S. Code § 44735 - Limitation on disclosure of safety information

(a) In General.—

Except as provided by subsection (c), a report, data, or other information described in subsection (b) shall not be disclosed to the public by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to section 552(b)(3)(B) of title 5—

(1) if the report, data, or other information is submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration voluntarily and is not required to be submitted to the Administrator under any other provision of law;

(2) if the report, data, or other information is submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to section 102(e) of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act; or

(3) if the report, data, or other information is submitted for any purpose relating to the development and implementation of a safety management system, including a system required by regulation.

(b) Applicability.—

The limitation established by subsection (a) shall apply to the following:

(1) Reports, data, or other information developed under the Aviation Safety Action Program.

(2) Reports, data, or other information produced or collected under the Flight Operational Quality Assurance Program.

(3) Reports, data, or other information developed under the Line Operations Safety Audit Program.

(4) Reports, data, or other information produced or collected for purposes of developing and implementing a safety management system acceptable to the Administrator.

(5) Reports, analyses, and directed studies, based in whole or in part on reports, data, or other information described in paragraphs (1) through (4), including those prepared under the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing Program (or any successor program).

(c) Exception for De-identified Information.—

(1) In general.—

The limitation established by subsection (a) shall not apply to a report, data, or other information if the information contained in the report, data, or other information has been de-identified.

(2) De-identified defined.—

In this subsection, the term “de-identified” means the process by which all information that is likely to establish the identity of the specific persons or entities submitting reports, data, or other information is removed from the reports, data, or other information.

(d) Other Agencies.—

(1) In general.—

The limitation established under subsection (a) shall apply to the head of any other Federal agency who receives reports, data, or other information described in such subsection from the Administrator.

(2) Rule of construction.—

This section shall not be construed to limit the accident or incident investigation authority of the National Transportation Safety Board under chapter 11, including the requirement to not disclose voluntarily provided safety-related information under section 1114.

(Added Pub. L. 112–95, title III, § 310(a), Feb. 14, 2012, 126 Stat. 64; amended Pub. L. 116–260, div. V, title I, § 102(g), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2311; Pub. L. 118–63, title III, § 305, May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1071.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 102(e) of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is section 102(e) of title I of Pub. L. 116–260, div. V, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2310, which is set out in a note under section 44701 of this title.

Amendments

2024—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 118–63, § 305(1), added par. (3).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 118–63, § 305(2), added subsec. (d).

2020—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–260 inserted “—” after “title 5”, designated remaining existing provisions as par. (1), and added par. (2).