GA to benefit from numerous AOPA-backed amendments
The US Senate last week passed its version of the
FAA reauthorization bill, which contains many of the things AOPA
has been fighting for on Capitol Hill. Many of the provisions in
the Senate bill that benefit general aviation mirror provisions in
the House version.
One of the key amendments, sponsored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg
(D-NJ), declares air traffic controllers' jobs to be inherently
governmental, meaning that they could not be contracted out: Their
services must be provided directly by the government. The House
bill contains a similar, but somewhat narrower, amendment.
"NO" To User Fees
"Our members have told us over and over again that
the threat of user fees to fly in the National Airspace System is
one of their top three concerns," said AOPA President Phil Boyer.
"Changing the designation of air traffic control (ATC) from
"commercial," and therefore vulnerable to privatization, to
"inherently governmental" is one of the single strongest steps
Congress can take to protect access to the sky."
The Senate bill also includes the "Meigs Legacy" amendment.
Offered by Iowa Democrat Sen. Tom Harkin, an AOPA member, and
co-sponsored by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. James
Inhofe (R-OK), also an AOPA member, the amendment imposes stiff
fines for any local community that fails to give adequate notice
before closing any airport that's part of the National Plan of
Integrated Airport Systems. Companion legislation, sponsored by
AOPA member Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC), is included in the House
version of the bill.
Remembering Meigs Field
"What happened in Chicago happened because of a very unique set
of circumstances," said Boyer. "Nothing exactly like it could
happen anywhere else in the country. But the Meigs Legacy
legislation would provide the FAA with a big enough bite that any
community even contemplating closing such a crucial airport would
be forced to think twice."
The Senate approved an amendment offered by Sen. Inhofe that
requires that if the FAA imposes an air defense identification zone
(ADIZ), the administrator must within 60 days justify its
continuation to the two congressional transportation committees,
and must continue to provide written reports on the need every 60
days that the ADIZ is in effect. The amendment also requires the
FAA to include in each report ways that operations within the ADIZ
can be improved.
Helping Hand
Conrad Burns (R-MT) introduced a measure to compensate
businesses harmed by restrictions imposed immediately after the
September 11 terrorist attacks. AOPA supported Sen. Burns's
legislation, which closely mirrored an earlier effort backed by
AOPA to help GA businesses after the airspace shutdown. That
earlier effort died after the bill became bloated with
special-interest money.
The Senate's FAA reauthorization bill contains a number of other
measures advocated by AOPA, including creation of a pilot program
to help preserve privately owned public-use airports and provisions
that encourage development of hangars on airports and improve the
way airport improvements at GA airports are funded.
Because the House and Senate versions of the bill differ, the
two sides must now meet in conference to hammer out a compromise
bill. The conference session has not yet been scheduled.