I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6270 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 14, 2021 

Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, and Ms. 

TITUS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Transportation and Infrastructure 

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’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE PILOT 

2 PROGRAM. 

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

4 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es5 tablish a pilot program to provide grants that— 

6 (1) assist an eligible entity to plan for the de7 velopment and deployment of infrastructure nec8 essary to facilitate AAM operations in the United 

9 States; and 

10 (2) make funding available for costs directly re11 lated to construction of public-use vertiports or asso12 ciated infrastructure. 

13 (b) PLANNING GRANTS.— 

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

15 grants to eligible entities to develop comprehensive 

16 plans under paragraph (2) related to AAM infra17 structure. 

18 (2) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.— 

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

20 after receiving a grant under this subsection, an 

21 eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary a 

22 comprehensive plan in a format that may be 

23 published on the website of the Department of 

24 Transportation. 

25 (B) PLAN CONTENTS.—The Secretary 

26 shall establish content requirements for comVerDate Sep 11 2014 16:50 Dec 21, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6270.IH H6270

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1 prehensive plans submitted under this sub2 section, which may include the following: 

3 (i) The identification of planned or 

4 potential public-use or private-use vertiport 

5 locations. 

6 (ii) A description of infrastructure 

7 necessary to support AAM operations. 

8 (iii) A description of types of planned 

9 or potential AAM operations. 

10 (iv) The identification of physical and 

11 digital infrastructure required to meet the 

12 standards for vertiport design and per13 formance characteristics established by the 

14 Federal Aviation Administration (as in ef15 fect on the date on which the Secretary 

16 issues a grant to an eligible entity), includ17 ing modifications to existing infrastructure 

18 and ground sensors, electric charging and 

19 other fueling requirements, electric utility 

20 requirements, wireless and cybersecurity 

21 requirements, and other necessary hard22 ware or software. 

23 (v) A description of potential environ24 mental effects of planned construction or 

25 siting of public-use vertiports, including efVerDate Sep 11 2014 16:50 Dec 21, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6270.IH H6270

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1 forts to reduce the adverse effects of po2 tential aviation noise. 

3 (vi) A description of how planned pub4 lic-use or private-use vertiport locations, 

5 including new or repurposed infrastruc6 ture, fit into existing State and local trans7 portation systems and networks, includ8 ing— 

9 (I) connectivity to existing public 

10 transportation hubs and intermodal 

11 and multimodal facilities; and 

12 (II) opportunities to create new 

13 service to areas underserved by air 

14 transportation, without compromising 

15 safety and efficiency of other facilities 

16 and airspace users. 

17 (vii) A description of how public-use 

18 vertiport planning will be incorporated in 

19 State or metropolitan planning documents. 

20 (viii) The identification of the process 

21 an eligible entity will undertake to ensure 

22 an adequate level of community engage23 ment for planned public-use vertiport loca24 tions and planned or anticipated AAM op25 erations, including engagement with underVerDate Sep 11 2014 16:50 Dec 21, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6270.IH H6270

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1 served communities, individuals with dis2 abilities, and racial and ethnic minorities, 

3 to address equity of access and other prior4 ities. 

5 (ix) The identification of the actions 

6 necessary for an eligible entity to under7 take the construction of public-use 

8 vertiports, such as planning studies to as9 sess existing infrastructure, environmental 

10 studies, studies of projected economic ben11 efit to the community, lease or acquisition 

12 of an easement or land for new infrastruc13 ture, and activities related to other capital 

14 costs. 

15 (x) The identification of State, local, 

16 or private sources of funding an eligible 

17 entity may use to assist with the construc18 tion or operation of a public-use vertiport. 

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

20 this subsection, an eligible entity shall provide to the 

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

22 and containing such information as the Secretary 

23 may require. 

24 (4) SELECTION.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—In awarding grants 

2 under this subsection, the Secretary shall con3 sider the following: 

4 (i) Geographic diversity. 

5 (ii) The need for comprehensive plans 

6 that— 

7 (I) facilitate the safe integration 

8 of AAM operations into the National 

9 Airspace System; 

10 (II) improve transportation safe11 ty, connectivity, access, and equity in 

12 both rural and urban regions in the 

13 United States; 

14 (III) leverage existing public 

15 transportation systems and intermodal 

16 and multimodal facilities; 

17 (IV) reduce surface congestion 

18 and the environmental impacts of 

19 transportation; 

20 (V) grow the economy and create 

21 jobs in the United States; and 

22 (VI) encourage community en23 gagement when planning for AAM re24 lated infrastructure. 


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1 (B) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall 

2 prioritize awarding grants under this subsection 

3 to eligible entities that partner with commercial 

4 AAM entities, institutions of higher education, 

5 research institutions, or other relevant stake6 holders to develop and prepare a comprehensive 

7 plan. 

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

9 this subsection shall be made in an amount that is 

10 not more than $1,000,000. 

11 (6) BRIEFING.— 

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

13 days after the first comprehensive plan is sub14 mitted under paragraph (2), and every 180 

15 days thereafter, the Secretary shall provide a 

16 briefing to the appropriate committees of Con17 gress on the comprehensive plans submitted to 

18 the Secretary under such paragraph. 

19 (B) CONTENTS.—The briefing required 

20 under subparagraph (A) shall include— 

21 (i) an evaluation of all planned or pro22 posed public-use vertiport locations in23 cluded in the comprehensive plans sub24 mitted under paragraph (2) and how such 

25 planned or proposed public-use vertiport 


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1 locations may fit into the overall United 

2 States transportation system and network; 

3 and 

4 (ii) a description of lessons or best 

5 practices learned through the review of 

6 comprehensive plans and how the Sec7 retary will incorporate any such lessons or 

8 best practices into Federal standards or 

9 guidance for the design and operation of 

10 AAM infrastructure and facilities. 

11 (c) CONSTRUCTION GRANTS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award 

13 grants to covered recipients to carry out construc14 tion activities described under paragraph (2). 

15 (2) ELIGIBLE USES.—A covered recipient may 

16 use grant funds awarded under this subsection for 

17 design, bidding, and environmental study activities, 

18 and other capital costs, as the Secretary determines 

19 appropriate, directly related to the construction of a 

20 public-use vertiport or associated infrastructure pur21 suant to the comprehensive plan submitted by such 

22 covered recipient. 

23 (3) REQUIREMENTS.—The requirements of sub24 sections (b) and (c) of section 47112 of title 49, 

25 United States Code, and subsections (a) and (b) of 


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1 section 50101 of such title, shall apply to a grant 

2 awarded under this subsection. 

3 (4) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may not 

4 award a grant under this subsection— 

5 (A) for the acquisition, conversion, or ret6 rofitting of AAM aircraft; or 

7 (B) for the construction of private-use 

8 vertiports or associated infrastructure. 

9 (5) GRANT TIMING.—The Secretary may not 

10 issue a grant under this subsection until— 

11 (A) the Administrator of the Federal Avia12 tion Administration has— 

13 (i) certified 2 or more models of air14 craft designed to provide AAM transpor15 tation under part 23, 25, 27, or 29 of title 

16 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and 

17 (ii) published an advisory circular con18 taining appropriate standards for vertiport 

19 design and performance characteristics; 

20 and 

21 (B) the Secretary has— 

22 (i) determined that 2 or more AAM 

23 operators hold certificates under part 119 

24 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, 

25 for such operators to perform air carrier 


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1 operations covered under part 135 of such 

2 title; and 

3 (ii) issued, to 2 or more air carriers 

4 formed to provide AAM transportation, 

5 certificates under chapter 411 of title 49, 

6 United States Code. 

7 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

8 (1) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to 

9 be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this 

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

11 and 2023, to remain available until expended. 

12 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the 

13 amounts made available under paragraph (1), the 

14 Secretary may retain up to 1 percent for personnel, 

15 contracting, and other costs to establish and admin16 ister the pilot program under this section. 

17 (e) TERMINATION.— 

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

19 under this section after September 30, 2023. 

20 (2) CONTINUED FUNDING.—Funds authorized 

21 to be appropriated pursuant to subsection (d) may 

22 be expended after September 30, 2023— 

23 (A) for grants awarded prior to September 

24 30, 2023; and 

25 (B) for administrative expenses. 


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1 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

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

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

4 transportation system that transports individuals 

5 and property between points in the United States 

6 using aircraft, such as remotely piloted, autonomous, 

7 or vertical take-off and landing aircraft, including 

8 those powered by electric or hybrid driven propul9 sion, in both controlled and uncontrolled airspace. 

10 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON11 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con12 gress’’ means the Committee on Transportation and 

13 Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 

14 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans15 portation of the Senate. 

16 (3) COMMERCIAL AAM ENTITIES.—The term 

17 ‘‘commercial AAM entities’’ means— 

18 (A) manufacturers of aircraft, avionics, 

19 propulsion systems, and air traffic management 

20 systems related to AAM; and 

21 (B) intended commercial operators of AAM 

22 aircraft and systems. 

23 (4) COVERED RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘covered 

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1 section (b) who has submitted a comprehensive 

2 plan— 

3 (A) that has been reviewed by the Sec4 retary pursuant to subsection (b); and 

5 (B) that the Secretary has determined con6 tains proposed projects that comply with the 

7 standards for vertiport design and performance 

8 characteristics described in a published advisory 

9 circular. 

10 (5) 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 (6) 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 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

2 the Secretary of Transportation. 

3 (8) PUBLIC-USE VERTIPORT.—The term ‘‘pub4 lic-use vertiport’’ means a designated location used 

5 or intended to be used for public purposes and to 

6 support AAM operations, including the landing, 

7 takeoff, loading, taxiing, parking, and storage of 

8 vertical take-off and landing aircraft. 

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

10 of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puer11 to Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the 

12 Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. 

13 (10) VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING AIR14 CRAFT.—The term ‘‘vertical take-off and landing 

15 aircraft’’ means an aircraft with lift/thrust units 

16 used to generate powered lift and control and with 

17 2 or more lift/thrust units used to provide lift during 

18 vertical take-off or landing. 

19 SEC. 3. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

20 Nothing in this Act may be construed as conferring 

21 upon any person, State, local, or Tribal government the 

22 authority to determine the safety of any AAM operation 

23 or the feasibility of simultaneous operations by AAM and 


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1 conventional aircraft within any given area of the National 

2 Airspace System. 

Æ 


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