IB 

Union Calendar No. 274 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6270 

[Report No. 117–362] 

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 

JUNE 13, 2022 

Additional sponsors: Mr. STANTON, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. 

FITZPATRICK, Mr. BALDERSON, Mr. CARSON, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Mr. 

KAHELE, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. BACON, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. 

GIMENEZ, Mr. OBERNOLTE, Mr. KATKO, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. LOWENTHAL, 

Ms. DELBENE, Ms. PORTER, Ms. STRICKLAND, Ms. MACE, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. 

LAMALFA, and Mr. COHEN

JUNE 13, 2022 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on December 14, 2021] 


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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. 


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

3 SEC. 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 estab10 lish a pilot program to provide grants that— 

11 (1) assist an eligible entity to plan for the devel12 opment and deployment of infrastructure necessary to 

13 facilitate AAM operations in the United States; and 

14 (2) make funding available for costs directly re15 lated to construction of public-use vertiports or associ16 ated infrastructure. 

17 (b) PLANNING GRANTS.— 

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

19 grants to eligible entities to develop comprehensive 

20 plans under paragraph (2) related to AAM infra21 structure. 

22 (2) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.— 

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

24 after receiving a grant under this subsection, an 

25 eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary a 


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1 comprehensive plan in a format that may be 

2 published on the website of the Department of 

3 Transportation. 

4 (B) PLAN CONTENTS.—The Secretary shall 

5 establish content requirements for comprehensive 

6 plans submitted under this subsection, which 

7 may include the following: 

8 (i) The identification of planned or po9 tential public-use or private-use vertiport 

10 locations. 

11 (ii) A description of infrastructure nec12 essary to support AAM operations. 

13 (iii) A description of types of planned 

14 or potential AAM operations. 

15 (iv) The identification of physical and 

16 digital infrastructure required to meet the 

17 standards for vertiport design and perform18 ance characteristics established by the Fed19 eral Aviation Administration (as in effect 

20 on the date on which the Secretary issues a 

21 grant to an eligible entity), including modi22 fications to existing infrastructure and 

23 ground sensors, electric charging and other 

24 fueling requirements, electric utility re25 quirements, wireless and cybersecurity reVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:03 Jun 14, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H6270.RH H6270

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1 quirements, and other necessary hardware 

2 or software. 

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

5 siting of public-use vertiports, including ef6 forts to reduce the adverse effects of poten7 tial aviation noise. 

8 (vi) A description of how planned pub9 lic-use or private-use vertiport locations, in10 cluding new or repurposed infrastructure, 

11 fit into existing State and local transpor12 tation systems and networks, including— 

13 (I) connectivity to existing public 

14 transportation hubs and intermodal 

15 and multimodal facilities; 

16 (II) opportunities to create new 

17 service to areas underserved by air 

18 transportation, without compromising 

19 safety and efficiency of other facilities 

20 and airspace users; and 

21 (III) any potential conflicts to ex22 isting aviation infrastructure that may 

23 arise from the proposed location of the 

24 vertiport. 


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1 (vii) A description of how public-use 

2 vertiport planning will be incorporated in 

3 State or metropolitan planning documents. 

4 (viii) The identification of the process 

5 an eligible entity will undertake to ensure 

6 an adequate level of community engagement 

7 for planned public-use vertiport locations 

8 and planned or anticipated AAM oper9 ations, including engagement with under10 served communities, individuals with dis11 abilities, and racial and ethnic minorities, 

12 to address equity of access and other prior13 ities. 

14 (ix) The identification of the actions 

15 necessary for an eligible entity to undertake 

16 the construction of public-use vertiports, 

17 such as planning studies to assess existing 

18 infrastructure, environmental studies, stud19 ies of projected economic benefit to the com20 munity, lease or acquisition of an easement 

21 or land for new infrastructure, and activi22 ties related to other capital costs. 

23 (x) The identification of State, local, or 

24 private sources of funding an eligible entity 


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1 may use to assist with the construction or 

2 operation of a public-use vertiport. 

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

4 this subsection, an eligible entity shall provide to the 

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

6 and containing such information as the Secretary 

7 may require. 

8 (4) SELECTION.— 

9 (A) IN GENERAL.—In awarding grants 

10 under this subsection, the Secretary shall con11 sider the following: 

12 (i) Geographic diversity. 

13 (ii) The need for comprehensive plans 

14 that— 

15 (I) ensure the safe integration of 

16 AAM operations into the National Air17 space System; 

18 (II) improve transportation safe19 ty, connectivity, access, and equity in 

20 both rural and urban regions in the 

21 United States; 

22 (III) leverage existing public 

23 transportation systems and intermodal 

24 and multimodal facilities; 


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1 (IV) reduce surface congestion and 

2 the environmental impacts of transpor3 tation; 

4 (V) grow the economy and create 

5 jobs in the United States; and 

6 (VI) encourage community en7 gagement when planning for AAM re8 lated infrastructure. 

9 (B) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall 

10 prioritize awarding grants under this subsection 

11 to eligible entities that partner with commercial 

12 AAM entities, institutions of higher education, 

13 research institutions, or other relevant stake14 holders to develop and prepare a comprehensive 

15 plan. 

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

17 this subsection shall be made in an amount that is 

18 not more than $1,000,000. 

19 (6) BRIEFING.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

21 after the first comprehensive plan is submitted 

22 under paragraph (2), and every 180 days there23 after, the Secretary shall provide a briefing to 

24 the appropriate committees of Congress on the 


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1 comprehensive plans submitted to the Secretary 

2 under such paragraph. 

3 (B) CONTENTS.—The briefing required 

4 under subparagraph (A) shall include— 

5 (i) an evaluation of all planned or pro6 posed public-use vertiport locations included 

7 in the comprehensive plans submitted under 

8 paragraph (2) and how such planned or 

9 proposed public-use vertiport locations may 

10 fit into the overall United States transpor11 tation system and network; and 

12 (ii) a description of lessons or best 

13 practices learned through the review of com14 prehensive plans and how the Secretary will 

15 incorporate any such lessons or best prac16 tices into Federal standards or guidance for 

17 the design and operation of AAM infra18 structure and facilities. 

19 (c) CONSTRUCTION GRANTS.— 

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

21 grants to covered recipients to carry out construction 

22 activities described under paragraph (2). 

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

24 use grant funds awarded under this subsection for de25 sign, bidding, and environmental study activities, 


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1 and other capital costs, as the Secretary determines 

2 appropriate, directly related to the construction of a 

3 public-use vertiport or associated infrastructure pur4 suant to the comprehensive plan submitted by such 

5 covered recipient. 

6 (3) REQUIREMENTS.—The requirements of sub7 sections (b) and (c) of section 47112 of title 49, 

8 United States Code, and section 50101 of such title, 

9 shall apply to a grant awarded under this subsection. 

10 (4) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may not award 

11 a grant under this subsection— 

12 (A) for the acquisition, conversion, or retro13 fitting of AAM aircraft; or 

14 (B) for the construction of private-use 

15 vertiports or associated infrastructure. 

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

17 issue a grant under this subsection until— 

18 (A) the Administrator of the Federal Avia19 tion Administration has— 

20 (i) certified 2 or more models of air21 craft designed to provide AAM transpor22 tation under part 23, 25, 27, or 29 of title 

23 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and 

24 (ii) published an advisory circular 

25 containing appropriate standards for 


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1 vertiport design and performance character2 istics and vertiport siting. 

3 (B) the Secretary has— 

4 (i) determined that 2 or more AAM op5 erators hold certificates under part 119 of 

6 title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, for 

7 such operators to perform air carrier oper8 ations covered under part 135 of such title; 

9 and 

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

11 formed to provide AAM transportation, cer12 tificates under chapter 411 of title 49, 

13 United States Code. 

14 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

15 (1) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be 

16 appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this sec17 tion $12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 and 

18 2023, to remain available until expended. 

19 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the 

20 amounts made available under paragraph (1), the 

21 Secretary may retain up to 1 percent for personnel, 

22 contracting, and other costs to establish and admin23 ister the pilot program under this section. 

24 (e) TERMINATION.— 


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

2 under this section after September 30, 2023. 

3 (2) CONTINUED FUNDING.—Funds authorized to 

4 be appropriated pursuant to subsection (d) may be 

5 expended after September 30, 2023— 

6 (A) for grants awarded prior to September 

7 30, 2023; and 

8 (B) for administrative expenses. 

9 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

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

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

12 transportation system that transports individuals 

13 and property between points in the United States 

14 using aircraft, such as remotely piloted, autonomous, 

15 or vertical take-off and landing aircraft, including 

16 those powered by electric or hybrid driven propulsion, 

17 in both controlled and uncontrolled airspace. 

18 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.— 

19 The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ 

20 means the Committee on Transportation and Infra21 structure of the House of Representatives and the 

22 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor23 tation of the Senate. 

24 (3) COMMERCIAL AAM ENTITIES.—The term 

25 ‘‘commercial AAM entities’’ means— 


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1 (A) manufacturers of aircraft, avionics, 

2 propulsion systems, and air traffic management 

3 systems related to AAM; and 

4 (B) intended commercial operators of AAM 

5 aircraft and systems. 

6 (4) COVERED RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘covered re7 cipient’’ means the recipient of a grant under sub8 section (b) who has submitted a comprehensive 

9 plan— 

10 (A) that has been reviewed by the Secretary 

11 pursuant to subsection (b); and 

12 (B) that the Secretary has determined con13 tains proposed projects that comply with the 

14 standards for vertiport design, performance, and 

15 siting characteristics described in a published 

16 advisory circular. 

17 (5) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti18 ty’’ means— 

19 (A) a State, local, or Tribal government, in20 cluding a political subdivision thereof; 

21 (B) an airport sponsor; 

22 (C) a transit agency; 

23 (D) a port authority; 

24 (E) a metropolitan planning organization; 

25 or 


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1 (F) any combination or consortium of the 

2 entities described in subparagraphs (A) through 

3 (E). 

4 (6) METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION.— 

5 The term ‘‘metropolitan planning organization’’ has 

6 the meaning given such term in section 5303(b) of 

7 title 49, United States Code. 

8 (7) PUBLIC-USE VERTIPORT.—The term ‘‘public9 use vertiport’’ means a designated location used or in10 tended to be used for public purposes and to support 

11 AAM operations, including the landing, takeoff, load12 ing, taxiing, parking, and storage of vertical take-off 

13 and landing aircraft. 

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

15 the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto 

16 Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the North17 ern Mariana Islands, and Guam. 

18 (9) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

19 the Secretary of Transportation. 

20 (10) VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING AIR21 CRAFT.—The term ‘‘vertical take-off and landing air22 craft’’ means an aircraft with lift/thrust units used to 

23 generate powered lift and control and with 2 or more 

24 lift/thrust units used to provide lift during vertical 

25 take-off or landing. 


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1 SEC. 3. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

2 Nothing in this Act may be construed as conferring 

3 upon any person, State, local, or Tribal government the au4 thority to determine the safety of any AAM operation or 

5 the feasibility of simultaneous operations by AAM and con6 ventional aircraft within any given area of the National 

7 Airspace System. 


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Union Calendar No. 274 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6270 

[Report No. 117–362] 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to estabother purposes. advanced air mobility infrastructure, and for lish a pilot program to provide grants related to 

JUNE 13, 2022 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS