The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that would fund the Federal Aviation Administration through September 2017. The bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives, which has stalled on consideration of its own version of the bill.
The Senate bill calls for a modest increase in funding for the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program but does not address the airport industry’s push for an increase in the cap on passenger facility charges.
In addition, the bill would enhance security at airports through increased screening of airport workers, enhanced pre-security area activities and other efforts. It would also establish new consumer protections for lost or delayed bags, and standardize the ways airlines collect fees.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bill “will make important strides for our national security and for travelers,” adding that “it does so without increasing fees or taxes on passengers. It does so without imposing heavy-handed regulations that can stifle consumers’ choice.”
Approval of the Senate’s bill in the House of Representatives appears to be unlikely. Several leaders in the House are pushing for the privatization of the nation’s air traffic control system, which is currently under the jurisdiction of FAA.
“We will take a look at the completed product, but in the House we will continue to push forward on the AIRR Act,” Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Bill Shuster said in a statement. “Transformational air traffic control reform is absolutely necessary to end the unacceptable status quo at the FAA and to ensure the future of America’s aviation system.”
