Does Not Resolve Long-Term Issues For Funding The Agency
Congress on Thursday passed the so-called "Mini-Bus"
appropriations bill which includes funding for the FAA for the
current fiscal year. The conference report, which passed the House
of Representatives 298-121 and the Senate 70-30 Thursday,
supports important aviation programs and services vital to the
general aviation community. President Obama is expected to sign the
bill.
“Given the FAA Reauthorization bill is not complete, this
legislation is particularly timely in providing the needed funding
and guidance to move the FAA forward on key initiatives that
promote general aviation safety, growth and job creation,”
said GAMA’s President and CEO, Pete Bunce. “Notably,
the committee responded to the need to maintain strong support for
aircraft certification by providing funding for additional
certification personnel. We appreciate that policymakers understand
the important link between job growth and the ability to quickly
and efficiently move new products and safety-enhancing technologies
to the marketplace.”
In addition, the legislation provides for investment in the NextGen
program to modernize our nation’s air transportation system,
continues research initiatives to transition to an unleaded
aviation gasoline, and restores the Block Aircraft Registry Request
program (BARR) by reversing the DOT’s recent action to
eliminate the program.
GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce
“We would like to thank the Chairmen of the Senate and
House THUD subcommittees, Senator Patty Murray and Representative
Tom Latham, as well as ranking members Senator Susan Collins and
Representative John Olver for their bipartisan leadership on this
important legislation.”
The NBAA noted that the bill reinstates the BARR program. "We
are pleased that by including this language in an appropriations
bill, members of the House and Senate have demonstrated their
understanding that the Administration's effort to curtail the BARR
program paves the way for unwarranted invasions of the privacy of
aircraft owners and operators, threatens competitiveness for
companies and poses a potential security risk for people aboard
business airplanes," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "The
BARR is a congressionally enabled program, and it’s clear
that congress doesn’t want the government to limit it."
The BARR language included in H.R. 2112, which provides funding
for several government agencies, including the Department of
Transportation, is found in Section 119A. It states:
"Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, none of the funds made available under this Act
or any prior Act may be used to implement or to continue to
implement any limitation on the ability of any owner or operator of
a private aircraft to obtain, upon a request to the Administrator
of the Federal Aviation Administration, a blocking of that owner's
or operator's aircraft registration number from any display of the
Federal Aviation Administration's Aircraft Situational Display to
Industry data that is made available to the public, except data
made available to a Government agency, for the noncommercial
flights of that owner or operator."
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen
The specific steps FAA officials will now take to comply with
the language in the appropriations bill have not yet been
announced. "NBAA will keep Members advised as to what the passage
of this legislation means for how they apply for or remain in the
BARR program," Bolen said, "but for the moment, they should expect
no changes to their status."
Also yet to be determined is the impact of the appropriations
bill’s congressional approval on the court challenge NBAA and
the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) have made to the
government’s plan in court. A full hearing on the matter is
currently scheduled for December 2.
Congress must still deal with the issues that have prevented
them from passing a multi-year FAA authorization bill for the past
four years. The bill passed Thurday only authorizes spending for
the current fiscal year.
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