WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved eight bills on March 27, 2019, including a measure that would ensure FAA funding during government shutdowns.
Also approved were measures to improve airport infrastructure across the country, create a task force to improve the presentation of notices to airmen (NOTAM), strengthen aviation safety, help communities recover from disasters, increase disaster program transparency and oversight, and ensure Coast Guard pay during government shutdowns.
“The bills passed by the Committee today will speed up the recovery process for communities hit by disasters, improve accountability in federal disaster programs to ensure the taxpayers’ money is spent wisely, ensure that the men and women of the Coast Guard get paid during future government shutdowns, and improve safety information for pilots to make flying safer for all,” said Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO), who is a pilot and aircraft owner. “The Committee also approved a bill to ensure the FAA will be funded during shutdowns, along with my amendment to increase airport infrastructure investment levels through the Airport Improvement Program. These increases, supported by funds already available in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, will help large and small airports across the country, providing additional funding for general aviation airports, noise abatement, and capacity projects.”
The following legislation was approved by the Committee:
H.R. 1108, the Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2019. This bill addresses the impacts of any future government shutdown on the aviation system by keeping the FAA funded at existing levels during any lapse in appropriations.
The bill passed with an amendment offered by the Committee’s Ranking Member Sam Graves that provides for $650 million a year in additional funds to the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). This increased investment will provide for airport, runway, and taxiway infrastructure improvements at small and large airports across the country. The increase in AIP levels is supported by the unobligated balance in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund.
H.R. 1306, The Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act. This bipartisan bill streamlines and consolidates the collection of certain disaster information, so that following a disaster, damage assessments can be done more quickly and accurately. The bill ensures that, when there are multiple federal agencies involved in disaster response and recovery, FEMA and all agencies work to minimize overlaps in their assessments and consider the use of the newest technologies to streamline processes.
H.R. 1307, The Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act. This bipartisan bill increases accountability and transparency of federal disaster assistance and projects. Because disaster funding is often spread across multiple agencies with varying reporting requirements, helpful information to track disaster project costs and assistance is not readily available. This bill establishes a dedicated location on USAspending.gov and requires reporting of data that includes the amount of disaster assistance provided by an agency, the amount of assistance expended or obligated, and a detailed list of all disaster projects or activities.
H.R. 1311, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are met. This bipartisan bill consolidates resources for unmet needs within FEMA, providing more accountability and giving communities impacted by disaster a more streamlined process for such assistance. This will improve accountability, speed up needed disaster funding, and streamline the process for recovering communities.
Subcommittee on Aviation Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA), who sponsored the bill, said, “There’s no question that Restore Louisiana, Road Home and similar federally-funded, state-administered disaster relief grant programs take too long and waste too much money paying contractors and administrators. When disaster strikes, disruptive changes happen to people fast. The federal response needs to match the urgency that victims feel after having their lives turned upside down. This bill starts to fix the slow, unnecessary federal processes that often re-victimize people and jeopardize recovery for entire communities.”
H.R. 1775, The Notice to Airmen Improvement Act of 2019. This bill requires the FAA to establish a task force to review and make recommendations to improve the presentation of notices to airmen (NOTAMs). Information on NOTAMs, especially those critical to safely operating in and around busy airports, needs to be better prioritized and presented.
U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN), sponsor of H.R. 1775, said, “Although NOTAMs contain critical safety information, they are often lengthy and difficult to understand. These inefficiencies have the potential to create life-threatening situations. Modern air travel is incredibly safe, but we must be constantly working to maintain and improve upon safety protocols, and that is the objective of the Notice to Airmen Improvement Act.”
The Committee also approved two bills pertaining to the Coast Guard, including H.R. 367, the Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act of 2019. This bill ensures that members of the Coast Guard will be paid during any future lapses in appropriations when no such lapses occur for the other Armed Services (the Coast Guard is funded in a separate appropriations measure than the measure that funds the other four Armed Services).
In the next phase of lawmaking, the bills must go before the entire House of Representatives for a vote.