II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4246 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot program to 

provide grants related to advanced air mobility infrastructure, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 18 (legislative day, MAY 17), 2022 

Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mr. MORAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a 

pilot program to provide grants related to advanced air 

mobility infrastructure, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Advanced Aviation In5 frastructure Modernization Act’’ or the ‘‘AAIM Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE PILOT 

7 PROGRAM. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 

9 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall esVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:14 May 21, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4246.IS S4246

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1 tablish a pilot program to provide grants that assist an 

2 eligible entity to plan for the development and deployment 

3 of infrastructure necessary to facilitate AAM operations, 

4 locally and regionally, within the United States. 

5 (b) PLANNING GRANTS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 

7 grants to eligible entities to develop comprehensive 

8 plans under paragraph (2) related to AAM infra9 structure. 

10 (2) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.— 

11 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 

12 after receiving a grant under this subsection, an 

13 eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary a 

14 comprehensive plan in a format capable of 

15 being published on the website of the Depart16 ment of Transportation. 

17 (B) PLAN CONTENTS.—The Secretary 

18 shall establish content requirements for com19 prehensive plans submitted under this sub20 section, which shall include not less than 1 of 

21 the following: 

22 (i) The identification of planned or 

23 potential vertiport locations. 

24 (ii) A description of infrastructure 

25 necessary to support AAM operations. 


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1 (iii) A description of types of planned 

2 or potential AAM operations and forecast 

3 for proposed vertiport operations, including 

4 estimates for initial operations and future 

5 growth. 

6 (iv) The identification of physical and 

7 digital infrastructure required to meet any 

8 standards for vertiport design and per9 formance characteristics established by the 

10 Federal Aviation Administration (as in ef11 fect on the date on which the Secretary 

12 issues a grant to an eligible entity), includ13 ing modifications to existing infrastructure 

14 and ground sensors, electric charging or 

15 other fueling requirements, electric utility 

16 requirements, wireless and cybersecurity 

17 requirements, fire safety, perimeter secu18 rity, and other necessary hardware or soft19 ware. 

20 (v) A description of any hazard asso21 ciated with planned vertiport infrastruc22 ture, such as handling of hazardous mate23 rials, batteries, or other fuel cells, charging 

24 or fueling of aircraft, aircraft rescue and 


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1 firefighting response, and emergency plan2 ning. 

3 (vi) A description of potential environ4 mental effects of planned construction or 

5 siting of vertiports. 

6 (vii) A description of how planned 

7 vertiport locations, including new or 

8 repurposed infrastructure, fit into State 

9 and local transportation systems and net10 works, including— 

11 (I) connectivity to existing public 

12 transportation hubs and intermodal 

13 and multimodal facilities; 

14 (II) opportunities to create new 

15 service to rural areas and areas un16 derserved by air transportation; or 

17 (III) opportunities to utilize ex18 isting aviation infrastructure, such as 

19 airports and heliports, for AAM oper20 ations. 

21 (viii) A description of how vertiport 

22 planning will be incorporated in State or 

23 metropolitan planning documents. 

24 (ix) The identification of the process 

25 an eligible entity will undertake to ensure 


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1 an adequate level of engagement with any 

2 potentially impacted community for each 

3 planned vertiport location and planned or 

4 anticipated AAM operations, such as en5 gagement with communities in rural areas, 

6 underserved communities, individuals with 

7 disabilities, or racial and ethnic minorities. 

8 (x) The identification of the actions 

9 necessary for an eligible entity to under10 take the construction of a vertiport, such 

11 as planning studies to assess existing in12 frastructure or newly identified areas of 

13 AAM integration, environmental studies, 

14 studies of projected economic benefit to the 

15 community, lease or acquisition of an ease16 ment or land for new infrastructure, and 

17 activities related to other capital costs. 

18 (xi) The identification of State, local, 

19 or private sources of funding an eligible 

20 entity may use to assist with the construc21 tion or operation of a vertiport. 

22 (xii) The identification of existing 

23 Federal aeronautical and airspace require24 ments that must be met for the eligible en25 tity’s planned vertiport location. 


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1 (xiii) A description of how the eligible 

2 entity will include opportunities for small 

3 business concerns owned and controlled by 

4 socially and economically disadvantaged in5 dividuals to compete, on an equal basis, for 

6 contracts or subcontracts related to the de7 sign, development, construction, or oper8 ation of a proposed vertiport. 

9 (3) APPLICATION.—To apply for a grant under 

10 this subsection, an eligible entity shall provide to the 

11 Secretary an application in such form, at such time, 

12 and containing such information as the Secretary 

13 may require. 

14 (4) SELECTION.— 

15 (A) IN GENERAL.—In awarding grants 

16 under this subsection, the Secretary shall con17 sider the following: 

18 (i) Geographic diversity. 

19 (ii) Diversity of the proposed models 

20 of infrastructure financing and manage21 ment. 

22 (iii) Diversity of anticipated or 

23 planned AAM operations. 

24 (iv) The need for comprehensive plans 

25 that— 


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1 (I) facilitate the safe and effi2 cient integration of AAM operations 

3 into the National Airspace System; 

4 (II) improve transportation safe5 ty, connectivity, and access in both 

6 rural and urban regions in the United 

7 States; 

8 (III) leverage existing public 

9 transportation systems and intermodal 

10 and multimodal facilities or newly 

11 identified areas of AAM integration; 

12 (IV) reduce surface congestion 

13 and the environmental impacts of 

14 transportation; 

15 (V) grow the economy and create 

16 jobs in the United States; and 

17 (VI) encourage community en18 gagement when planning for AAM-re19 lated infrastructure. 

20 (B) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall 

21 prioritize awarding grants under this subsection 

22 to eligible entities that partner with commercial 

23 AAM entities, institutions of higher education, 

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1 holders to develop and prepare a comprehensive 

2 plan. 

3 (C) MINIMUM ALLOCATION TO RURAL

4 AREAS.—The Secretary shall ensure that not 

5 less than 20 percent of the amounts made avail6 able under subsection (c) are used to award 

7 grants to eligible entities that submit a com8 prehensive plan under paragraph (2) that is re9 lated to infrastructure located in a rural area. 

10 (5) GRANT AMOUNT.—Each grant made under 

11 this subsection shall be made in an amount that is 

12 not more than $1,000,000. 

13 (6) BRIEFING.— 

14 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

15 days after the first comprehensive plan is sub16 mitted under paragraph (2), and every 180 

17 days thereafter through September 30, 2024, 

18 the Secretary shall provide a briefing to the ap19 propriate committees of Congress on the com20 prehensive plans submitted to the Secretary 

21 under such paragraph. 

22 (B) CONTENTS.—The briefing required 

23 under subparagraph (A) shall include— 

24 (i) an evaluation of all planned or pro25 posed vertiport locations included in the 


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1 comprehensive plans submitted under 

2 paragraph (2) and how such planned or 

3 proposed vertiport locations may fit into 

4 the overall United States transportation 

5 system and network; and 

6 (ii) a description of lessons or best 

7 practices learned through the review of 

8 comprehensive plans and how the Sec9 retary will incorporate any such lessons or 

10 best practices into Federal standards or 

11 guidance for the design and operation of 

12 AAM infrastructure and facilities. 

13 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

14 (1) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to 

15 be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this 

16 section $12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 

17 and 2023, to remain available until expended. 

18 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the 

19 amounts made available under paragraph (1), the 

20 Secretary may retain up to 1 percent for personnel, 

21 contracting, and other costs to establish and admin22 ister the pilot program under this section. 

23 (d) TERMINATION.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—No grant may be awarded 

25 under this section after September 30, 2023. 


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1 (2) CONTINUED FUNDING.—Funds authorized 

2 to be appropriated pursuant to subsection (c) may 

3 be expended after September 30, 2023— 

4 (A) for grants awarded prior to September 

5 30, 2023; and 

6 (B) for administrative expenses. 

7 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

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

9 ‘‘advanced air mobility’’ and ‘‘AAM’’ mean a trans10 portation system that transports individuals or prop11 erty between points in the United States using air12 craft with innovative capabilities, including aircraft 

13 that use 2 or more lift or thrust units to generate 

14 powered lift and control during vertical takeoff or 

15 landing, that may be piloted, remotely piloted, or au16 tonomous, including those powered by electric or hy17 brid driven propulsion, in both controlled and uncon18 trolled airspace. 

19 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON20 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con21 gress’’ means the Committee on Transportation and 

22 Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 

23 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans24 portation of the Senate. 


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1 (3) COMMERCIAL AAM ENTITIES.—The term 

2 ‘‘commercial AAM entities’’ means— 

3 (A) manufacturers of aircraft, avionics, 

4 propulsion systems, and air traffic management 

5 systems related to AAM; 

6 (B) intended commercial operators of AAM 

7 aircraft and systems; and 

8 (C) intended commercial operators and de9 velopers of vertiports. 

10 (4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti11 ty’’ means— 

12 (A) a State, local, or Tribal government, 

13 including a political subdivision thereof; 

14 (B) an airport sponsor; 

15 (C) a transit agency; 

16 (D) a port authority; 

17 (E) a metropolitan planning organization; 

18 or 

19 (F) any combination or consortium of the 

20 entities described in subparagraphs (A) through 

21 (E). 

22 (5) METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZA23 TION.—The term ‘‘metropolitan planning organiza24 tion’’ has the meaning given such term in section 

25 5303(b) of title 49, United States Code. 


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1 (6) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’ 

2 means an area located outside a metropolitan statis3 tical area (as designated by the Office of Manage4 ment and Budget). 

5 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

6 the Secretary of Transportation. 

7 (8) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means a State 

8 of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puer9 to Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the 

10 Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. 

11 (9) VERTIPORT.—The term ‘‘vertiport’’ means 

12 a designated location used or intended to be used to 

13 support AAM operations, including the landing, 

14 takeoff, loading, taxiing, parking, and storage of air15 craft developed for AAM operations. 

Æ 


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