Airport Alert: Bipartisan Bill to Gradually Raise PFC Cap Introduced in House
April 21, 2021
Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) today introduced legislation that proposes to gradually raise the federal cap on local Passenger Facility Charges beginning in 2023. The bipartisan plan — which is backed by AAAE and ACI-NA — would help airports build critical infrastructure projects and prepare for the recovery ahead.
The Rebuilding America's Airport Infrastructure Act proposes to raise the PFC cap to $5.50 on January 1, 2023 and by an additional dollar every year through 2026 when the cap would reach $8.50. It then calls for the PFC cap to be adjusted annually for inflation.
As the infrastructure debate continues to heat up, AAAE and ACI-NA are urging Congress to raise the outdated federal cap on PFCs. AAAE's list of priorities for the infrastructure bill include raising the PFC cap, increasing federal funding for airport infrastructure projects, and investing in contract tower construction.
Last week, another key lawmaker — House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chair David Price (D-NC) — highlighted the advantages of PFCs during an exchange with Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. After the hearing, AAAE President and CEO Todd Hauptli thanked Chairman Price for raising the topic of PFCs with Secretary Buttigieg.
"As Congress gears up to consider the next infrastructure bill, we urge you and your colleagues to take this opportunity to significantly increase airport investment through an immediate infusion of federal funding and by providing airports with additional local authority to meet their well-documented needs into the future," Hauptli wrote. "Taken together, these will help airports build critical infrastructure projects, support good-paying jobs, and prepare for the recovery ahead."
House Transportation Committee Approves FY22 Views and Estimates
Earlier today, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee adopted its Views and Estimates for Fiscal Year 2022. The document hits on some of the Committee's aviation priorities for the year, including overseeing how the FAA implements the coronavirus relief bills that Congress approved in the past year.
During today's session, Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) made another pitch for passing a transformational infrastructure bill. The Committee document echoes that sentiment and states, "another agenda item for the Committee will be to advance an infrastructure bill that once again increases investment in airports of all sizes, throughout the country, to ensure their safety, resiliency, and preparedness to meet growing and future passenger demands."
