117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 516 

AN ACT 

To plan for and coordinate efforts to integrate advanced 

air mobility aircraft into the national airspace system, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
2 

†S 516 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Advanced Air Mobility 

3 Coordination and Leadership Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY WORKING GROUP. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

6 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor7 tation shall establish an advanced air mobility interagency 

8 working group (in this section referred to as the ‘‘working 

9 group’’). 

10 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con11 gress that Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) represents a key 

12 area of sustainable transportation and economic growth 

13 for the United States and globally, and that it is impera14 tive that the United States take a leadership role in the 

15 adoption and furtherance of this technology. Therefore, 

16 given the path to initial operations is taking place utilizing 

17 today’s regulatory framework, it is critical that govern18 ment agencies collaborate and focus on taking this vital 

19 industry to the next level through policy and investment 

20 in energy, infrastructure, security and transportation. The 

21 focus of the working group is interagency coordination to 

22 enable the maturation and growth of AAM. 

23 (c) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the working group es24 tablished under this section is to plan for and coordinate 

25 efforts related to safety, infrastructure, physical security 

26 and cybersecurity, and Federal investment necessary for 
3 

†S 516 ES

1 maturation of the AAM ecosystem, particularly passenger2 carrying aircraft, in the United States in order to— 

3 (1) further United States leadership; 

4 (2) grow new transportation options; 

5 (3) amplify economic activity and jobs; 

6 (4) advance environmental sustainability and 

7 new technologies; and 

8 (5) support emergency preparedness and com9 petitiveness. 

10 (d) MEMBERSHIP.—The working group shall be com11 prised of at least 1 representative of each of the following 

12 Federal departments and agencies: 

13 (1) Department of Transportation. 

14 (2) Federal Aviation Administration. 

15 (3) National Aeronautics and Space Adminis16 tration. 

17 (4) Department of Commerce 

18 (5) Department of Defense. 

19 (6) Department of Energy. 

20 (7) Department of Homeland Security. 

21 (8) Department of Agriculture. 

22 (9) Department of Labor. 

23 (10) Federal Communications Commission. 

24 (11) Such other departments or agencies as the 

25 Secretary of Transportation determines appropriate. 
4 

†S 516 ES

1 (e) COORDINATION.—The working group shall en2 gage with State, local, and Tribal governments, industry 

3 and labor stakeholders, stakeholder associations, and oth4 ers determined appropriate by the Secretary of Transpor5 tation, including— 

6 (1) manufacturers of avionics, AAM use air7 craft, propulsion systems, structures, and air traffic 

8 management systems; 

9 (2) air carriers, commercial operators, general 

10 aviation operators and future AAM operators; 

11 (3) airports; 

12 (4) fixed-based operators, as defined in FAA 

13 Advisory Circular 150/5190–7; 

14 (5) certified labor representatives for pilots as15 sociations, air traffic control specialists employed by 

16 the Federal Aviation Administration, and aviation 

17 safety inspectors; 

18 (6) State, local, and Tribal officials or public 

19 agencies, with representation from both urban and 

20 rural areas; 

21 (7) first responders; 

22 (8) groups representing environmental interests; 

23 (9) electric utilities, energy providers and mar24 ket operators of electricity; 
5 

†S 516 ES

1 (10) academia with experience working with in2 dustry on new technology and commercialization; 

3 (11) groups representing the telecommuni4 cations industry; and 

5 (12) aviation training and maintenance pro6 viders. 

7 (f) REVIEW AND EXAMINATION.—Not later than 1 

8 year after the working group is established under sub9 section (a), the working group shall complete a review and 

10 examination of, at a minimum— 

11 (1) the steps that will mature AAM past initial 

12 operations; 

13 (2) the evaluation of air traffic control and 

14 management concepts that might be considered as 

15 part of evolving AAM to higher levels of traffic den16 sity; 

17 (3) current Federal programs and policies that 

18 could be leveraged to advance the maturation of the 

19 AAM industry; 

20 (4) infrastructure, including aviation, surface, 

21 energy, and telecommunications infrastructure, 

22 physical security and cybersecurity, and utilities nec23 essary to accommodate and support expanded oper24 ations of AAM after initial implementation; 
6 

†S 516 ES

1 (5) steps needed to ensure a robust domestic 

2 supply chain; 

3 (6) anticipated benefits associated with AAM 

4 aircraft operations, including economic, environ5 mental, emergency response, and transportation ben6 efits; 

7 (7) the interests, roles, and responsibilities of 

8 Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments af9 fected by AAM aircraft operations; and 

10 (8) other factors that may limit the full poten11 tial of the AAM industry, including community ac12 ceptance or restrictions of such operations. 

13 (g) AAM NATIONAL STRATEGY.—Based on the re14 view and examination performed under subsection (f), the 

15 working group shall develop an AAM National Strategy 

16 that includes— 

17 (1) recommendations regarding the safety, se18 curity, infrastructure, air traffic concepts, and other 

19 Federal investment or actions necessary to support 

20 the evolution of early AAM to higher levels of activ21 ity and societal benefit; and 

22 (2) a comprehensive plan detailing the roles and 

23 responsibilities of each Federal department and 

24 agency, and of State, local, and Tribal governments, 
7 

†S 516 ES

1 necessary to facilitate implementing the rec2 ommendations developed under paragraph (1). 

3 (h) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the com4 pletion of the review and examination performed under 

5 subsection (f), the working group shall submit to the ap6 propriate committees of Congress a report— 

7 (1) detailing the review and examination per8 formed under subsection (f); and 

9 (2) providing the AAM National Strategy, in10 cluding the plan and associated recommendations, 

11 developed under subsection (g). 

12 (i) EVALUATION OF TERMINATION OF WORKING

13 GROUP.—Not later than 30 days after the date on which 

14 the working group submits the report required under sub15 section (h), the Secretary of Transportation shall evaluate 

16 and decide whether to terminate the working group and 

17 shall notify the appropriate committees of Congress of 

18 such decision. 

19 (j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

20 (1) ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY; AAM.—The terms 

21 ‘‘advanced air mobility’’ and ‘‘AAM’’ mean an air 

22 transportation system that moves people and cargo 

23 between places using innovative aircraft designs 

24 (such as vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)) and 

25 new technologies (such as electric or hybrid (fuel 
8 

†S 516 ES

1 and electric) driven propulsion), which are inte2 grated into existing airspace operations as well as 

3 operated in local, regional, intraregional, rural, and 

4 urban environments, and which may include re5 motely piloted or autonomous aircraft. 

6 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON7 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con8 gress’’ means— 

9 (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

10 and Transportation of the Senate; 

11 (B) the Committee on Armed Services of 

12 the Senate; 

13 (C) the Committee on Appropriations of 

14 the Senate; 

15 (D) the Committee on Transportation and 

16 Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; 

17 (E) the Committee on Armed Services of 

18 the House of Representatives; and 

19 (F) the Committee on Appropriations of 

20 the House of Representatives. 

21 (3) VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING; 

22 VTOL.—The terms ‘‘vertical take-off and landing’’ 

23 and ‘‘VTOL’’ mean an aircraft with lift/thrust units 

24 used to generate powered lift and control and with 
9 

†S 516 ES

1 more than two lift/thrust units used to provide lift 

2 during vertical take-off or landing. 

3 SEC. 3. GAO STUDY AND REPORT. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

5 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 

6 of the United States shall— 

7 (1) conduct a study on the interests, roles, and 

8 responsibilities of Federal, State, local, and Tribal 

9 governments affected by AAM aircraft and oper10 ations; and 

11 (2) submit to the appropriate committees of 

12 Congress a report on the study, including the Comp13 troller General’s findings and conclusions. 

14 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting the study re15 quired under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall 

16 review the following: 

17 (1) The state of the law as of the enactment of 

18 this Act with respect to Federal authority over oper19 ations of AAM aircraft systems in the national air20 space system. 

21 (2) The state of the law as of the enactment of 

22 this Act with respect to State, local, and Tribal au23 thority over operations of AAM aircraft in the na24 tional airspace system. 
10 

†S 516 ES

1 (3) Potential gaps between authorities under 

2 paragraphs (1) and (2). 

3 (4) Proposals to facilitate the safe and finan4 cially viable growth and development of the AAM in5 dustry and integration of AAM aircraft into the na6 tional airspace system. 

Passed the Senate March 23, 2022. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 516 

AN ACT 

To plan for and coordinate efforts to integrate adspace system, and for other purposes. vanced air mobility aircraft into the national air-