After several short-term extensions, Congress is one step closer to approving a long-term reauthorization measure for the FAA.
While legislators faced a May 10, 2024, deadline to pass a five-year reauthorization bill that authorizes funding for the agency, that was pushed to May 17 after the House voted on its fourth short-term extension.
One thing that was holding up the Senate vote for reauthorization were a number of attempts by Senators to add non-aviation-related amendments to the measure.
Aviation advocates urged the legislators to oppose “non-germane” amendments and “support swift passage of this critical legislation to enable general aviation to thrive, drive economic prosperity, and meet the evolving needs of businesses across the nation to ensure America remains the global leader in aviation,” according to a letter sent by the National Business Aviation Association to transportation committee leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
The association also issued a call to action to its members to reach out to legislators. Officials report that in less than 36 hours, more than 500 people answered that call, “demonstrating to Congress their constituents recognize the urgent need to secure a long-term reauthorization measure.”
That call seemed to help as the Senate passed its long-term reauthorization on March 9, by a vote of 88-4.
In addition to passing a long-term authorization, the Senate passed a short-term extension of the current FAA authorization bill that will last through May 17, 2024.
The bill now goes back to the House for consideration before it can be signed into law by President Biden.
In addition to providing a long-term roadmap for FAA operations, the reauthorization bill also “strengthens the safety, efficiency, and accessibility of general aviation,” according to aviation advocates, who add that the legislation also includes a first-ever general aviation title.
The bill also includes prioritization for research and initiatives for sustainable fuels and technologies; improvements to the rulemaking process and modernization of the agency’s approach to pilot mental health; and efforts to bolster the industry’s next-generation workforce.
You can read the full letter NBAA sent to Congressional leaders here.
Hate it for the airline guys that the geezers of the Senate legalized age discrimination by not extending the retirement age, but glad the FAA funding debacle is over.
Don’t hold your breath, this ant over yet.
Watch, some greedy congressman and/or lobbyist, in the last minute, is going to introduce an amendment that would privatize Aviation as a whole, messing everything up; they’ll be using the current situation with ATC as an excuse.