H.R. 8331

119 HR 8331 IH: Maverick Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-04-16
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 8331  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   April 16, 2026   Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona  (for himself,  Mr. Ciscomani ,  Mr. Strong ,  Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia ,  Mr. McCormick ,  Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia ,  Mr. Bergman ,  Mr. Ellzey ,  Mr. Davis of North Carolina , and  Mr. Moylan ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Armed Services    A BILL
To authorize the conveyance by the Secretary of the Navy to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission in Huntsville, Alabama, of certain F–14D Tomcat aircraft, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Maverick Act  of 2026 .
2.
Conveyance of certain F–14D Tomcat aircraft to U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission in Huntsville, Alabama
(a)
Authority
The Secretary of the Navy may convey, without consideration, to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission in Huntsville, Alabama (in this section referred to as the  Commission ), all right, title, and interest of the United States in the following:
(1)
F–14D Tomcat aircraft (Bureau Number 163283).
(2)
F–14D Tomcat aircraft (Bureau Number 164602).
(3)
F–14D Tomcat aircraft (Bureau Number 159437).
(b)
Gift
Any conveyance under subsection (a) shall be made by means of a conditional deed of gift.
(c)
Conveyance at no cost to the United States
Any conveyance under subsection (a) shall be made at no cost to the United States. Any costs associated with such conveyance, costs of determining compliance with terms of the conveyance, and costs of operation and maintenance of the aircraft conveyed shall be borne by the Commission.
(d)
Condition of aircraft to be conveyed
(1)
As-is condition
The Secretary may not be required to repair or alter the condition of any aircraft prior to conveying such aircraft under subsection (a).
(2)
Manuals; certain spare parts and equipment
If the Secretary elects to convey to the Commission the aircraft under subsection (a), the Secretary shall, prior to such conveyance, provide to the Commission—
(A)
any operations manuals of the Department of Defense or the Navy specific to the F–14D Tomcat aircraft; and
(B)
such excess spare parts or equipment from stocks of the Navy as the Secretary determines necessary to restore such aircraft, or operate or display such aircraft once restored, for a use specified in subsection (e)(2).
(3)
No obligation to provide other support
The Secretary may not be required to provide any spare part, equipment, manual, or other form of support not specified in paragraph (2)(B) as a result of or in connection with a conveyance authorized under subsection (a).
(4)
Agreements for restoration and operation
The Secretary may authorize the Commission to enter into one or more agreements with a qualified nonprofit organization for the purpose of restoring the aircraft conveyed under subsection (a) for a use specified in subsection (e)(2).
(e)
Terms and conditions
The Secretary shall require that any conveyance of aircraft under subsection (a) be carried out by means of an instrument of conveyance that includes, at a minimum, the following:
(1)
A condition that such aircraft do not possess any capability for use as a platform for launching or releasing munitions or any other combat capability, as determined by the Secretary.
(2)
A condition that the Commission may only use such aircraft for display or operation in a public static display, an airshow, or a commemorative event to preserve United States naval aviation heritage.
(3)
A condition that the Commission shall operate and maintain such aircraft in compliance with all applicable limitations and maintenance requirements imposed by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
(4)
A condition that, if the Secretary determines at any time that the Commission has conveyed an ownership interest in, or transferred possession of, such aircraft to any party without the prior approval of the Secretary or has violated a condition specified in paragraph (2) or (3), all right, title, and interest in and to the aircraft, including any repair or alteration of the aircraft, shall revert to the United States, and the United States shall have the right of immediate possession of the aircraft.
(5)
Such other terms and conditions as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United States, which may include requirements for demilitarization and indemnification and may restrict further disposition or use.
(f)
Clarification of liability
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon the conveyance to the Commission of interests in the aircraft under subsection (a), the United States may not be liable for any death, injury, loss, or damage that results from any use of such aircraft by any person other than the United States.
(g)
Applicable law
The conveyance of an aircraft under subsection (a), and the use of such aircraft following such conveyance, shall be subject to all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations, including the Arms Export Control Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq. ), the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 ( 50 U.S.C. 4801 et seq. ),  chapter 37  of title 18, United States Code (commonly referred to as the  Espionage Act ), the regulations set forth in subchapter M of chapter I of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations (commonly referred to as the  International Traffic in Arms Regulations ), subchapter C of chapter VII of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations (commonly referred to as the  Export Administration Regulations ), and chapter V of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations (commonly referred to as the  Foreign Assets Control Regulations ).