49 U.S.C. § 44725 — Life-limited aircraft parts

(a) In General. The FAA must conduct a rulemaking proceeding requiring the safe disposition of life-limited parts once removed from an aircraft. The proceeding must ensure that the disposition deters installing on an aircraft a life-limited part that has reached or passed its life limit. (b) Safe Disposition. Safe disposition can include any of these methods: (1) segregating the part under circumstances that prevent its installation on an aircraft; (2) permanently marking the part to show its used-life status; (3) destroying the part in a way meant to prevent its reinstallation in an aircraft; (4) marking the part, if practical, with hours, cycles, or other airworthiness information — updated every time the part is removed from service or retired from service; or (5) any other method the FAA approves. (c) Deadlines. In the rulemaking under (a), the FAA had to (1) issue a notice of proposed rulemaking within 180 days after this section's enactment, and (2) issue a final rule within 180 days after the comment period on the proposed rule closed. (d) Prior-Removed Life-Limited Parts. No rule issued under (a) can require marking parts removed from aircraft before the rule's effective date, and no such rule can forbid installing an otherwise airworthy life-limited part.