Airport Alert: Key House Committee Advances FY25 DOT/FAA Spending Bill With $4 Billion for AIP
Key House Committee Advances FY25 DOT/FAA Spending Bill With $4 Billion for AIP
July 10, 2024
After a long day of debate, the House Appropriations Committee approved on a party-line vote its version of the annual funding bill for the programs and operations of the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration for the next fiscal year (2025), which begins on October 1. As we have noted, House Republicans are moving annual appropriations bills levels with funding levels below what House and Senate Democrats find acceptable. Committee Democrats were united in their opposition to the measure today.
The committee-approved bill next moves to the House floor. Leaders hope to secure its passage through the chamber prior to the August recess. A companion DOT/FAA funding bill has yet to be introduced in the Senate, although we expect the process to begin ramping up in the upper chamber the week of July 22. Ultimately, lawmakers will have to reconcile differences between the House and Senate measures – a process that is unlikely to be completed until after the November elections.
As a reminder, the House measure proposes $4 billion for AIP consistent with the authorized funding levels included in the recently enacted FAA reauthorization bill. Of the $4 billion, the bill designates $163.6 million for administration expenses; $15 million for the Airport Cooperative Research Program; $43.4 million for Airport Technology Research; and $10 million for the Small Community Air Service Development Program. The House measure also proposes an additional $257 million in general fund resources to fund 84 airport earmarks rather than taking those funds from base AIP funding, along with $3 million in general fund resources for additional Small Community Air Service Development Program grants to communities where air service was terminated from October 1, 2021, through January 1, 2024. The FAA Contract Tower Program would be funded at $256 million – a $50.6 million increase over FY24.
Overall, the measure includes $21.7 billion in total budgetary resources for the FAA. Of that amount, $13.6 billion is proposed for FAA operations, which committee leaders say would allow the agency to hire 2,000 air traffic controllers to replace the retiring workforce. The bill proposes $3.5 billion for FAA facilities and equipment, which is $358 million above the FY24 enacted level. The FAA research, engineering, and development account is funded at $260 million. The bill provides a total of $587 million for the Essential Air Service Program.
Unfortunately, the measure does not include funding for supplemental discretionary AIP grants, which were authorized at $200 million annually in the recently enacted FAA authorization bill. The House measure also fails to propose funding authorized in the FAA bill to assist airports with transitioning to fluorine-free firefighting foam as requested by AAAE, airports, and a large contingent of House lawmakers.
Additional Information:
• House FY25 THUD Spending Bill
• Report to Accompany House FY25 THUD Spending Bill
• Latest AAAE Alert on Key Airport Provisions in House FY25 THUD Spending Bill
July 10, 2024
After a long day of debate, the House Appropriations Committee approved on a party-line vote its version of the annual funding bill for the programs and operations of the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration for the next fiscal year (2025), which begins on October 1. As we have noted, House Republicans are moving annual appropriations bills levels with funding levels below what House and Senate Democrats find acceptable. Committee Democrats were united in their opposition to the measure today.
The committee-approved bill next moves to the House floor. Leaders hope to secure its passage through the chamber prior to the August recess. A companion DOT/FAA funding bill has yet to be introduced in the Senate, although we expect the process to begin ramping up in the upper chamber the week of July 22. Ultimately, lawmakers will have to reconcile differences between the House and Senate measures – a process that is unlikely to be completed until after the November elections.
As a reminder, the House measure proposes $4 billion for AIP consistent with the authorized funding levels included in the recently enacted FAA reauthorization bill. Of the $4 billion, the bill designates $163.6 million for administration expenses; $15 million for the Airport Cooperative Research Program; $43.4 million for Airport Technology Research; and $10 million for the Small Community Air Service Development Program. The House measure also proposes an additional $257 million in general fund resources to fund 84 airport earmarks rather than taking those funds from base AIP funding, along with $3 million in general fund resources for additional Small Community Air Service Development Program grants to communities where air service was terminated from October 1, 2021, through January 1, 2024. The FAA Contract Tower Program would be funded at $256 million – a $50.6 million increase over FY24.
Overall, the measure includes $21.7 billion in total budgetary resources for the FAA. Of that amount, $13.6 billion is proposed for FAA operations, which committee leaders say would allow the agency to hire 2,000 air traffic controllers to replace the retiring workforce. The bill proposes $3.5 billion for FAA facilities and equipment, which is $358 million above the FY24 enacted level. The FAA research, engineering, and development account is funded at $260 million. The bill provides a total of $587 million for the Essential Air Service Program.
Unfortunately, the measure does not include funding for supplemental discretionary AIP grants, which were authorized at $200 million annually in the recently enacted FAA authorization bill. The House measure also fails to propose funding authorized in the FAA bill to assist airports with transitioning to fluorine-free firefighting foam as requested by AAAE, airports, and a large contingent of House lawmakers.
Additional Information:
• House FY25 THUD Spending Bill
• Report to Accompany House FY25 THUD Spending Bill
• Latest AAAE Alert on Key Airport Provisions in House FY25 THUD Spending Bill
