Earlier this week, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania) introduced H.R. 4441, referred to as the Aviation, Innovation, Reform and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act, to authorize six years of funding for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs.  

The AIRR Act would provide increased funding for the Airport Improvement Program, which provides federal capital development and planning grants to airports.  The bill also continues to fund the Essential Air Service (EAS) program and increases funding for the program over the life of the bill from $275 million in Fiscal Year 2016 to $315 million in Fiscal Year 2022.  The EAS program provides subsidies to airline carriers for providing connectivity between eligible communities and major hub airports.  Additionally, the AIRR Act continues to authorize $5 million annually for the Small Community Service Development Program, which helps maintain limited air service to small and rural communities.  RCRC has historically supported funding for these three Federal programs as a number of our member counties receive tremendous economic and social benefits.

Chairman Shuster also included a controversial air traffic control system reform proposal in the AIRR Act, which seeks to establish a non-profit corporation to operate the nation’s air traffic control system as an independent entity from the Federal government.  Due to this component of the AIRR Act, several House Democrats and House appropriators, as well as airlines, and aviation labor and consumer groups have spoken in strong opposition to the proposal.  The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has scheduled the bill for markup on Thursday, February 11, 2016.