Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 5.djvu/191

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PUBLIC LAW 104-264—OCT. 9, 1996 110 STAT. 3265 SEC. 702. ASSISTANCE BY NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD TO FAMILIES OF PASSENGERS INVOLVED IN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS. (a) AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. — (1) IN GENERAL,—Subchapter III of chapter 11 is amended by adding at the end the following:

  • '§ 1136. Assistance to families of passengers involved in

aircraft accidents "(a) IN GENERAL. —As soon as practicable after being notified of an aircraft accident within the United States involving an air carrier or foreign air carrier and resulting in a major loss of life, the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board shall— "(1) designate and publicize the name and phone number of a director of family support services who shall be an employee of the Board and shall be responsible for acting as a point of contact within the Federal Government for the families of passengers involved in the accident and a liaison between the air carrier or foreign air carrier and the famihes; and "(2) designate an independent nonprofit organization, with experience in disasters and posttrauma communication with families, which shall have primary responsibility for coordinating the emotional care and support of the families of passengers involved in the accident. "(b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD.— The Board shall have primary Federal responsibility for facilitating the recovery and identification of fatally-injured passengers involved in an accident described in subsection (a). "(c) RESPONSIBILITIES OF DESIGNATED ORGANIZATION. —The organization designated for an accident under subsection (a)(2) shall have the following responsibilities with respect to the families of passengers involved in the accident: "(1) To provide mental health and counseling services, in coordination with the disaster response team of the air CEirrier or foreign air carrier involved. "(2) To take such actions as may be necessary to provide an environment in which the families may grieve in private. "(3) To meet with the families who have traveled to the location of the accident, to contact the families unable to travel to such location, and to contact all affected families periodically thereafter until such time as the orgeuiization, in consultation with the director of family support services designated for the accident under subsection (a)(1), determines that further assistance is no longer needed. "(4) To communicate with the families as to the roles of the organization, government agencies, and the air carrier or foreign air carrier involved with respect to the accident and the post-accident activities. "(5) To arrange a suitable memorial service, in consultation with the families. "(d) PASSENGER LiSTS. — "(1) REQUESTS FOR PASSENGER LISTS.— "(A) REQUESTS BY DIRECTOR OF FAMILY SUPPORT SERV- ICES. —It shall be the responsibility of the director of family support services designated for an accident under subsection (a)(1) to request, as soon as practicable, from the air carrier or foreign air carrier involved in the accident