Airport Alert: President Signs Coronavirus Relief/FY21 Omnibus Spending Bill Into Law, Including $2 Billion for Airports
December 29, 2020
After a few days of drama, the President on late Sunday evening signed into law H.R. 133, 'an Act making consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, providing coronavirus emergency response and relief, and for other purposes.' The measure has not yet been assigned a public law number.
The coronavirus relief sections of the massive measure include $2 billion for airports and concessionaires as outlined in detail in our previous Airport Alert. We now turn our attention to working with DOT and FAA to see the money distributed as quickly as possible to meet pressing airport needs. We will keep you apprised of any and all developments on that front.
Provisions in the measure funding the federal government for fiscal year 2021, which runs through September 30, 2021, also include good news for airports. Specifically, the package includes $3.35 billion for the traditional AIP account and an additional $400 million for supplemental discretionary grants. It also includes the AIR Act, a AAAE-backed bill that would ensure that airports aren't unfairly penalized with AIP formulas because of the dramatic decline in passengers and operations during the pandemic.
The omnibus also includes funding for airport priorities at DHS. It includes $46.4 million for the LEO Reimbursement Program, rejecting the administration's proposal to eliminate funding for this program. It also contains $87.2 million above the administration's budget request to fund additional front line screener personnel to continue exit lane staffing at airports. The measure also directs TSA to provide a briefing to Congress on the agency's proposed ASP national amendment regarding airport worker screening, including the full impact, costs, and benefits of the proposal on all affected airports.
As we end 2020 and look forward to 2021, we want to say thank you again for your support throughout a very difficult and challenging year for AAAE, airports, our industry, our country, and our world. We are particularly grateful to our loyal Federal Affairs Members. As we've said many times, we simply couldn't do what we do in Washington without your continued active participation and financial support.
Happy New Year!
After a few days of drama, the President on late Sunday evening signed into law H.R. 133, 'an Act making consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, providing coronavirus emergency response and relief, and for other purposes.' The measure has not yet been assigned a public law number.
The coronavirus relief sections of the massive measure include $2 billion for airports and concessionaires as outlined in detail in our previous Airport Alert. We now turn our attention to working with DOT and FAA to see the money distributed as quickly as possible to meet pressing airport needs. We will keep you apprised of any and all developments on that front.
Provisions in the measure funding the federal government for fiscal year 2021, which runs through September 30, 2021, also include good news for airports. Specifically, the package includes $3.35 billion for the traditional AIP account and an additional $400 million for supplemental discretionary grants. It also includes the AIR Act, a AAAE-backed bill that would ensure that airports aren't unfairly penalized with AIP formulas because of the dramatic decline in passengers and operations during the pandemic.
The omnibus also includes funding for airport priorities at DHS. It includes $46.4 million for the LEO Reimbursement Program, rejecting the administration's proposal to eliminate funding for this program. It also contains $87.2 million above the administration's budget request to fund additional front line screener personnel to continue exit lane staffing at airports. The measure also directs TSA to provide a briefing to Congress on the agency's proposed ASP national amendment regarding airport worker screening, including the full impact, costs, and benefits of the proposal on all affected airports.
As we end 2020 and look forward to 2021, we want to say thank you again for your support throughout a very difficult and challenging year for AAAE, airports, our industry, our country, and our world. We are particularly grateful to our loyal Federal Affairs Members. As we've said many times, we simply couldn't do what we do in Washington without your continued active participation and financial support.
Happy New Year!
