Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2024

Bill: 118-hr-7454
Sponsor: Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6]
Introduced: 2024-02-26 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Atmospheric science and weather
Aviation and airports
Employment and training programs
Government trust funds
Infrastructure development
Noise pollution
Research administration and funding
Rural conditions and development
Sales and excise taxes
Transportation safety and security
Travel and tourism
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2024-02-26
text: 

Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2024

This bill temporarily extends specific Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs and activities through May 10, 2024.

For example, the bill extends the FAA

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilot programs (e.g., the UAS Test Site Program and the UAS remote detection and identification pilot program),

weather reporting programs,

Remote Tower Pilot Program, and

Essential Air Service Program.

The bill also extends the authorization for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). (This program provides grants for planning, development, and noise compatibility projects at or associated with certain public-use airports.)

Further, the bill extends through May 10, 2024, the FAA's authority for expenditures from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) and to collect various taxes and fees to fund the AATF, including taxes on aviation fuel and airline tickets. (The AATF is the primary funding source for all major FAA accounts that fund federal aviation programs, with the remainder coming from general fund appropriations.)

The bill also extends through May 10, 2024, the authority of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to take certain actions to mitigate a credible threat to certain facilities or assets from a UAS. These include certain facilities that are located in the United States and identified as high-risk and a potential target for unlawful UAS activity.

action_date: 2024-02-29
text: 

Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2024

This bill temporarily extends specific Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs and activities through May 10, 2024.

For example, the bill extends the FAA

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilot programs (e.g., the UAS Test Site Program and the UAS remote detection and identification pilot program),

weather reporting programs,

Remote Tower Pilot Program, and

Essential Air Service Program.

The bill also extends the authorization for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). (This program provides grants for planning, development, and noise compatibility projects at or associated with certain public-use airports.)

Further, the bill extends through May 10, 2024, the FAA's authority for expenditures from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) and to collect various taxes and fees to fund the AATF, including taxes on aviation fuel and airline tickets. (The AATF is the primary funding source for all major FAA accounts that fund federal aviation programs, with the remainder coming from general fund appropriations.)

The bill also extends through May 10, 2024, the authority of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to take certain actions to mitigate a credible threat to certain facilities or assets from a UAS. These include certain facilities that are located in the United States and identified as high-risk and a potential target for unlawful UAS activity.

action_date: 2024-03-06
text: 

Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2024

This bill temporarily extends specific Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs and activities through May 10, 2024.

For example, the bill extends the FAA

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilot programs (e.g., the UAS Test Site Program and the UAS remote detection and identification pilot program),

weather reporting programs,

Remote Tower Pilot Program, and

Essential Air Service Program.

The bill also extends the authorization for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). (This program provides grants for planning, development, and noise compatibility projects at or associated with certain public-use airports.)

Further, the bill extends through May 10, 2024, the FAA's authority for expenditures from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) and to collect various taxes and fees to fund the AATF, including taxes on aviation fuel and airline tickets. (The AATF is the primary funding source for all major FAA accounts that fund federal aviation programs, with the remainder coming from general fund appropriations.)

The bill also extends through May 10, 2024, the authority of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to take certain actions to mitigate a credible threat to certain facilities or assets from a UAS. These include certain facilities that are located in the United States and identified as high-risk and a potential target for unlawful UAS activity.

action_date: 2024-03-08
text: 

Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2024

This act temporarily extends specific Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs and activities through May 10, 2024.

TITLE I--FEDERAL AVIATION PROGRAMS

(Sec. 101) This section extends through May 10, 2024, the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). This program provides grants for planning, development, and noise compatibility projects at or associated with certain public-use airports.

(Sec. 102) This section extends through May 10, 2024, certain expiring Department of Transportation (DOT) and FAA authorities and programs.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the authority of DOT to provide insurance and reinsurance for the federal government for risks from operating an aircraft and providing related goods or services.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site Program, which provides verification of the safety of public and civil UAS, operations, and related navigation procedures before their integration into the national airspace system.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the authority of DOT to provide exemptions from some requirements for UAS by using a risk-based approach to determine if certain UAS may operate safely in the national airspace system.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the FAA's airport safety and airspace hazard mitigation and enforcement program to test and evaluate technologies or systems that detect and mitigate potential aviation safety risks posed by UAS.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, competitive access disclosure requirements for AIP grant applications for large and medium hub airports. Specifically, an airport must provide assurances to DOT that it will report if it has been unable to accommodate one or more requests by an air carrier for access to gates or other facilities at that airport in order to provide service or expanded service.

This section extends authorization through May 10, 2024, for AIP grants for airports located in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

This section extends authorization through May 10, 2024, for the FAA AIP supplementary discretionary funds for grants for airport or terminal development projects.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, AIP grant authorization for compatible land use planning and projects by state and local governments. Airport-compatible land uses are those that can coexist with a nearby airport without constraining the safe and efficient operation of the airport, or exposing people living or working nearby to significant environmental impacts.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, authorization for the AIP non-movement area surveillance surface display systems pilot grant program. These systems use on-airport sensors to track vehicles or aircraft that are equipped with transponders on portions of the airfield surface that are not under the control of air traffic control.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, authorization for the FAA weather reporting programs.

This section extends to May 11, 2024, a learning period (i.e., moratorium) that applies to certain DOT commercial spaceflight safety regulations governing the design or operation of a launch vehicle to protect the health and safety of crew, government astronauts, and space flight participants.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, authority for DOT to enter into a reimbursable agreement with the Department of Interior for the purpose of funding airport development at Midway Island Airport.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the termination date for a final order establishing mileage and adjustment eligibility under the Essential Air Service (EAS) Program using the most commonly used route between the place and the nearest medium hub airport or large hub airport. (The EAS program was established to ensure that small communities that were served by certificated air carriers before the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 would continue to receive scheduled passenger service.)

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the moratorium on discontinuing the FAA Contract Weather Observer Program at any airport.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the authority for the FAA remote tower pilot program. A remote tower is a remotely operated air navigation facility, including all necessary system components, that provides the functions and capabilities of an air traffic control tower whereby air traffic services are provided to operators at an airport from a location that may not be on or near the airport.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the authority for DOT to provide AIP grants for airport access roads in certain remote locations and for storage facilities for certain snow removal and safety equipment.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the authority for the FAA's UAS remote detection and identification pilot program. Under the program, the FAA uses available remote detection or identification technologies for safety oversight, including enforcement actions against operators of UAS that are not in compliance with federal aviation laws and regulations.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the authority for the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, which advises DOT in carrying out activities relating to airline customer service improvements.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the requirement that the Aviation Consumer Advocate at DOT submit an annual report to Congress summarizing aviation consumer complaints and recommendations.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the authority for the FAA Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee to address the needs of passengers with disabilities.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the authority for an FAA pilot program to provide air traffic control services on a preferential basis to aircraft equipped with certain Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) avionics.

This section extends through May 10, 2024, the pilot program that allows AIP funds to be used for activities related to the redevelopment of airport properties.

(Sec. 103) This section reauthorizes through May 10, 2024, FAA salaries, operations, and maintenance.

Further, this section extends through May 10, 2024, DOT's authority to reduce the FAA's expenses for non-safety-related activities if DOT determines that the funding levels are insufficient to meet the FAA's authorized salary, operations, and maintenance expenses.

(Sec. 104) This section extends through May 10, 2024, the FAA's authority to acquire, establish, and improve air navigation facilities and equipment.

(Sec. 105) This section extends through May 10, 2024, the FAA's authority to conduct civil aviation research, engineering, and development.

(Sec. 106) This section reauthorizes through May 10, 2024, the FAA Essential Air Service Program.

Further, this section reauthorizes through May 10, 2024, the Small Community Air Service Development Program, a DOT grant program designed to help small communities address air service and airfare issues.

TITLE II--AVIATION REVENUE PROVISIONS

(Sec. 201) This section extends through May 10, 2024, the FAA's authority for expenditures from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF). The AATF is the primary funding source for all major FAA accounts that fund federal aviation programs, with the remainder coming from general fund appropriations.

(Sec. 202) This section extends through May 10, 2024, the authority for the FAA to collect various taxes and fees to fund the AATF, including taxes on aviation fuel and airline tickets.

TITLE III--MISCELLANEOUS EXTENSIONS

(Sec. 301) This section extends through May 10, 2024, the authority of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to take certain actions to mitigate a credible threat to certain facilities or assets from an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). These include certain facilities that are located in the United States and identified as high-risk and a potential target for unlawful UAS activity.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2024-03-08
text: Became Public Law No: 118-41.
action_date: 2024-03-08
text: Became Public Law No: 118-41.
action_date: 2024-03-08
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2024-03-08
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2024-03-08
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2024-03-08
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2024-03-07
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2024-03-06
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2245-2246)
action_date: 2024-03-06
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2024-02-29
text: Received in the Senate, read twice.
action_date: 2024-02-29
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2024-02-29
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 401 - 19 (Roll no. 59). (text: CR H756-757)
action_date: 2024-02-29
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 401 - 19 (Roll no. 59). (text: CR H756-757)
action_date: 2024-02-29
text: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H765-766)
action_date: 2024-02-29
text: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
action_date: 2024-02-29
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 7454.
action_date: 2024-02-29
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H755-759)
action_date: 2024-02-29
text: Mr. Graves (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
action_date: 2024-02-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
action_date: 2024-02-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security.
action_date: 2024-02-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Science, Space, and Technology, the Judiciary, and Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2024-02-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Science, Space, and Technology, the Judiciary, and Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2024-02-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Science, Space, and Technology, the Judiciary, and Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2024-02-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Science, Space, and Technology, the Judiciary, and Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2024-02-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Science, Space, and Technology, the Judiciary, and Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2024-02-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2024-02-26
text: Introduced in House

Enacted as: number: 118-41