Now Goes To President Obama For Signature, Funds Agency For Just Over A Year
U.S. Senate has given final approval to the “FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016.” The legislation extends the FAA’s funding and aviation taxes at current levels through September 30, 2017. The legislation includes provisions addressing the challenges of integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace, bolstering airport security, and streamlining the third-class medical process for general aviation pilots.
The Senate passed the legislation two days after the House passed an identical bill.
The third class medical reform included in the bill will save general aviation pilots time, money, and frustration while giving them tools they need to take charge of their health and fitness to fly. For most pilots who have held a valid FAA medical certificate within 10 years from the date the legislation is signed into law, the reforms mean they will never again need to see an FAA aviation medical examiner (AME). Most other pilots who have never held an FAA medical certificate will need to go through the medical certification process only once. Even pilots who have a medical condition that requires a special issuance medical certificate will only have to go through the process once in most cases.
“We are grateful to Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Joe Manchin (D-WV), two general aviation pilots who led the third class medical reform effort in the Senate, along with all of their colleagues who have helped make medical reform a reality,” said AOPA president and CEO Mark Baker (pictured). “In addition, we appreciate the hard work of Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) for their tireless work in advancing an FAA reauthorization bill through the Senate and including third class medical reform in the FAA extension.”
“NATA thanks Congress for taking swift action on the bipartisan agreement reached last week by the House Transportation and Senate Commerce Committees,” stated William R. Deere, the association’s Senior Vice President for Government and External Affairs. “Lawmakers have long-considered aviation a non-partisan matter and the legislation now before the President for signature represents the hard work of congressional members and staffs from both sides of the Capitol and political aisles. However, some key aviation issues remain unresolved so we will continue to work with Congress toward enactment of more comprehensive, long-term legislation that includes improving the agency’s regulatory consistency and other provisions that will assist the agency and aviation businesses to operate more efficiently.”
“We are particularly appreciative that lawmakers rejected a divisive House proposal to create a corporatized air traffic control system. The cost for that victory was that many non-controversial provisions to enhance aviation safety, agency efficiency and our country’s economic competitiveness must wait until next year. We will urge the next Congress to drop this divisive proposal in 2017 and approve legislation that represents consensus work of the House, Senate and aviation stakeholders.”
“Today, Congress passed the most significant airport security reform bill in over a decade,” said Senator Thune (pictured). “Reforms in our bill will help ensure that attacks like those in Brussels and Istanbul do not happen in American airports. I’m proud of the Commerce Committee’s work leading this effort and look forward to seeing the president sign this bill into law before the end of the week.”
“This bill will bolster security at many of our nation’s airports and help us better protect the flying public,” said Senator Nelson. “In these tumultuous times that we live, ensuring the safety of Americans must remain a top priority.”
“AMA congratulates the House and Senate on finalizing an FAA extension that preserves the Special Rule for Model Aircraft and affirms the importance of a community-based approach to managing the model aviation community," said Dave Mathewson, executive director of the Academy of Model Aeronautics. "We look forward to working with Congress on a long-term reauthorization bill next year that will further strengthen the Special Rule for Model Aircraft and incentivize more hobbyists to follow community-based safety programming.
“The FAA extension also contains several initiatives and pilot programs to advance the research and development of unmanned aircraft systems. AMA, with its eight decades of model aviation experience, hopes to lend its expertise to these efforts and work collaboratively with industry and government stakeholders to facilitate the safe integration of UAS.”
(Source: AOPA, NATA, Senate Commerce Committee, AMA news releases. Images from file)
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.16.24)
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