FAA reauthorization clears Congress
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 has passed in both houses of Congress and now heads to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
The Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill 88-4 on May 9 and the House of Representatives approved it on May 15 with a 387-26 vote. The FAA Reauthorization bill notably includes language to continue funding for the Airport Asphalt Pavement Technology Program, which grants $3 million for airfield asphalt paving research and another $3 million for concrete.
NAPA joined with the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) in supporting the inclusion of the AAPTP funding in a joint letter sent to committee leaders on May 1.
Learn more about AAPTP.
NAPA Vice President for Government Affairs Nile Elam called the AAPTP a “vital program” for the FAA.
“We welcome the House’s overwhelmingly bipartisan vote yesterday on the FAA Reauthorization bill, ensuring a five-year reauthorization package totaling $105 billion in various federal investments and programs will be signed by the president. This package will continue the much-needed momentum of federal investment in all facets of our infrastructure network, including a $600 million annual boost in the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) to $4 billion a year, and authorization of $200 million to fund airport resilience and runway safety projects,” Elam said. “NAPA is especially grateful for Congress’s inclusion of the Airport Pavement Technology Program, a $6 million grant that benefits both asphalt and concrete runway projects and allows studies on how best to research, deploy and extend the lifecycle of airfield pavements. This is a vital program for the FAA, and we thank leadership in both the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee for their recognition and support of this critical pavement research.”
“Yesterday’s vote illustrates that federal infrastructure investment brings the spectrum of elected officials together, and NAPA will continue this momentum as we begin to shift towards the next highway bill in the 119th Congress.”
“The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 is one of the farthest reaching, most consequential pieces of legislation this House will consider in the 118th Congress. For over a century, the United States has led the world in aviation safety and innovation, and this bill is critical to ensuring America remains the global leader in aviation. It’s vital to our economy, to millions of American jobs, and to the millions of passengers that depend on our National Airspace System every single day,” said T&I Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO). “This comprehensive bill improves our aviation system’s safety, infrastructure, and workforce. It will enhance the FAA’s efficiency and the overall passenger experience, while encouraging domestic innovation in aviation. And I’m proud to say this legislation includes the first-ever title in an FAA reauthorization bill dedicated to general aviation, the foundation of our civil aviation system and where many of our pilots, mechanics, and other hard-working aviation professionals begin their careers.”
“The bill we are sending to President Biden today will create a safer, cleaner, greener and more accessible aviation system here in the U.S.,” said T&I Ranking Member Rick Larsen. “This bipartisan bill provides critical safety enhancements, grows America’s aviation workforce by creating good-paying jobs, invests in resilient infrastructure at U.S. airports of all sizes, sets clear priorities for advancing innovative aviation technologies and provides robust protections for airline customers. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 is the result of months of good faith work between House and Senate committee leaders, and I look forward to seeing President Biden sign it into law.”
“The American people expect and deserve the safest, most reliable and modern aerospace system in the world and this landmark bill is intended to deliver just that. Our bipartisan legislation sets clear priorities to strengthen aviation safety standards, implement new safety technology, hire more Air Traffic Controllers and safety inspectors, give passengers a guaranteed right to a refund, advance innovation and modernize our air travel infrastructure nationwide. With tonight’s overwhelming vote, we are one step closer to getting this bill onto the president’s desk,” said Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
“Today the Senate overwhelmingly passed a major FAA Reauthorization that will modernize and transform our country’s aviation system. It was a privilege to lead this significant piece of bipartisan legislation. It included hundreds of key priorities from across the political spectrum and touching every state in the nation. It ultimately gives the FAA the stability it needs to fulfill its primary mission—advancing aviation safety—while also making travel more convenient and accessible. America’s aviation sector is the most innovative in the world, and this bill takes it to the next level by integrating the technologies of the future into our nation’s aerospace system,” said Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX).
