As Capitol Hill continues its focus on the circumstances that led to the Boeing Max crashes, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee chairman Roger Wicker introduced a bill last week that would mandate safety management systems (SMS) for manufacturers and call for best practices for organization designation authorization (ODA) to avoid “regulatory coziness.”

Introduced by the Republican senator from Mississippi on June 2, the Aircraft Safety Improvement Act of 2020 (S.3866) further would have the FAA review its assumptions surrounding the human/machine interface, particularly when certifying automation functions in aircraft, as well as seek more human factors research. Additionally, manufacturers of aircraft flown under Part 121 rules would be required to involve a sample of international and domestic airline pilots in flight test, and the FAA would need to review its own expertise and capabilities surrounding the understanding of safety implications involved with the innovation of technologies, materials, and procedures.

Wicker said the bill is the culmination of the committee’s review of incident reports, aviation expert recommendations, witnesses and stakeholders statements, and hearing testimony in the aftermath of the Max accidents. Co-sponsored by Republican senators John Thune (South Dakota) and Roy Blunt (Missouri), the bill was introduced in advance of a June 17 Commerce Committee hearing on the FAA’s oversight of certification process. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson is scheduled to testify.