FAA Reauthorization Goes to President‘s Desk For Signature

With passage by the Senate the bill that reauthorizes the FAA budget has been passed by Congress and now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature. The bill, which is expected to be signed into law by President Trump, will refund the agency, at a baseline, but it contains a number of important additions, including language that would help aircraft manufacturers more efficiently design, certify and produce aircraft, provisions that industry organizations, including the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), have lauded.

In response to the Senate passage, GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce said, "We thank the Senate and the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, including Chairman John Thune (R-SD), Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL), Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), for their work on this important reauthorization," said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. "We look forward to the president signing the bill into law quickly, so we can get to work with the FAA and our industry partners on fully and successfully implementing the reforms in the legislation."

The legislation calls for the establishment of an advisory committee composed of manufacturing industry leaders that will encourage the FAA to reform its regulatory processes, including certification and safety, as well as advising the agency on global competitiveness and rulemaking. A second provision requires the FAA to modernize its approach to certificating innovative technology and systems, while others require the FAA to work more cooperatively with foreign regulatory agencies and to establish more standardized rules and enforcement.

Other provisions would establish youth aviation employment initiatives and mandate speedy action on already adopted but not yet implemented Part 23 reforms.