With a 398-to-23 vote, the House of Representatives on Wednesday sent to the Senate H.R. 302, a measure that includes long-term reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration.
H.R. 302 includes the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which authorizes FAA programs and airport infrastructure investments for the next five years, promotes safety and American leadership in aviation and the aerospace industry, and improves the flying experience for passengers, according to a statement released by the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
The legislation also includes the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, which will help communities better prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate against disasters, the committee said.
The committee said if the Senate approves the legislation and sends it to the president’s desk, it will mark the largest package of FEMA reforms since the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 and the first time since 1982 that the FAA will have received a full five-year reauthorization.
“This important legislation provides the FAA with the long-term funding it needs to carry out its safety mission and guarantees that the United States will continue to lead the world in all things aviation,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. “This legislation also includes critical provisions, many of which I have called on Congress to enact for years, that will improve aviation safety and the air travel experience for more than 900 million passengers who fly in the United States each year.”
Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., said “This bill ensures long-term stability at the FAA, allowing critical research programs, including those at South Jersey’s FAA Technical Center, to continue without interruption. This FAA reauthorization also represents bipartisan compromise to advance the nation’s aviation interests and safety in the skies.”
Rick Larsen, D-Wash., an Aviation Subcommittee ranking member, said the FAA reauthorization will “better prepare and diversify the aviation workforce, increase the global competitiveness of U.S. aerospace manufacturers and pave the way for advanced drone operations in U.S. airspace.”