I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3085 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a program to provide 
assistance to underserved airports to improve passenger and flight capac-
ity, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 29, 2025 
Mr. VASQUEZ (for himself and Mr. MANN) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a pro-
gram to provide assistance to underserved airports to 
improve passenger and flight capacity, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Expanding Regional 
Airports Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REGIONAL AIRPORT EXPANSION PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 417 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—REGIONAL AIRPORT 
EXPANSION PROGRAM 
‘‘§ 41781. Grants for growing regional airports 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation 
shall establish a program to provide grants to eligible air-
ports to improve passenger and flight capacity. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE USES.—An eligible airport may use 
a grant provided under this section for— 
‘‘(1) activities that improve passenger and flight 
capacity at such airport, including— 
‘‘(A) the expansion of passenger and prop-
erty screening facilities; 
‘‘(B) runway lengthening; 
‘‘(C) construction of hangars and associ-
ated infrastructure; and 
‘‘(D) improving passenger facilities; and 
‘‘(2) costs incurred to comply with operational 
and security requirements under part 139 or part 
154 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, or part 
1542 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. 
‘‘(c) GRANT REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the 
program established under this section, the Secretary shall 
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provide not less than 3 and not more than 10 grants to 
eligible airports in each fiscal year. 
‘‘(d) ELIGIBLE AIRPORT DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘eligible airport’ means an airport that— 
‘‘(1) is a general aviation airport or a nonpri-
mary commercial service airport (as determined by 
the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration); and 
‘‘(2) serves a community with a population of 
at least 75,000. 
‘‘§ 41782. Authorization of appropriations 
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated for each fis-
cal year $50,000,000 to carry out section 41781.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL
AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 
chapter 417 of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 41767 the 
following: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—REGIONAL AIRPORT EXPANSION PROGRAM 
‘‘41781. Grants for growing regional airports. 
‘‘41782. Authorization of appropriations.’’. 
Æ 
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