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House Passes Bipartisan FAA Reauthorization, with Numerous Provisions Championed by Rep. Titus

Washington, DC, July 20, 2023

Washington, DC – Today Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV), a senior member of the House Aviation Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Unmanned Systems Caucus, celebrated the House passage of legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The bill includes a nearly 20 percent increase in authorization levels for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), a critical funding source for continued safe operations at Harry Reid International, Henderson Executive, and Boulder City Municipal airports in Nevada’s First Congressional District.

The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, this year’s bill to reauthorize the FAA, includes measures to increase safety in the manufacturing, maintenance, and operation of aircraft; protect the U.S.’s aviation workforce; and help retain talent for generations. The legislation improves safety standards for employees across the sector, including mechanics, inspectors, and air traffic controllers while protecting the health and safety of flight crews.

“Air travel is critical for ensuring the continued success and growth of Southern Nevada. My efforts to protect the rights of passengers with disabilities, promote workforce development in the aviation sector, and ensure the safe integration of drones into the national airspace will help keep air travelers and crew safe and our local economy strong,” said Rep. Titus. “I’m proud to have secured so many wins for District One, disabled passengers, and everyday travelers in this year’s legislation to reauthorize the FAA.”


In her efforts to invest in and improve FAA programs that benefit Nevada’s First District, Rep. Titus led and secured the following initiatives:

  • Key provisions from her Air Carrier Access Amendments Act, previously led by former Rep. Jim Langevin, to establish aircraft accessibility standards, set a timeline for DOT to investigate and respond to disability-related complaints, and make airline mobile applications more accessible.
  • Aviation worker training standards for assisting wheelchair users on airplanes throughout the boarding and deplaning process.
  • Requiring DOT to evaluate the current regulations and provide recommendations for ensuring the safe transport of lithium-ion battery powered wheelchairs. This language advances the mission of Rep. Titus’s WHEELChairs on Airplanes Act.
  • Extending Section 44807 authority for 10 years, to use a risk-based approach to determine if new unmanned aircraft systems may operate safely in the national airspace system (NAS) on a case-by-case basis. This language is based on H.R. 3969, which Rep. Titus introduced with Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA).
  • Requiring the FAA to issue a rulemaking in a timely manner for establishing airworthiness and operational criteria for certifying pilots and commercial drone operations, including those operated beyond visual line of sight. (BVLOS) This language is based on H.R. 3969 which Rep. Titus introduced with Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA).
  • Requiring the FAA and U.S. Forest Service to develop a plan and initiate a process for designating areas in which public entities can operate drones Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) to detect wildfires and assist with suppression efforts.
  • Authorizing an FAA incentive program to help aircraft owners better equip themselves with equipment that will create a safer airspace.
  • Extending the authorization of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee until 2028 and adding ticket agents to the Committee. This is Rep. Titus’s bipartisan ACPAC Modernization Act which she introduced with Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-NY) to better reflect the consumer experience and ensure a more streamlined, customer-friendly travel experience.
  • Ensuring more comprehensive input is considered in the development of management plans for overflights of national parks, including those conducted over the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
  • Through the adoption of a bipartisan amendment offered by Rep. Titus on the House floor, the FAA will be required to implement maximum hiring levels for air traffic controllers, through the duration of the reauthorization, so that passengers and cargo can continue to move safely and efficiently in and out of Southern Nevada.

 

Rep. Titus is also proud to announce the inclusion of the following provisions that she supported:

  • Establishing the Bessie Coleman Women in Aviation Advisory Committee to advise the DOT Secretary and the FAA Administrator on the recruitment, retention, employment, education, training, well-being, and treatment of women in the aviation industry and in aviation-focused federal civil service positions.
  • Creating the National Center for the Advancement of Aerospace (NCAA), an independent, federally chartered non-profit entity that will support and promote aviation workforce development and aviation education. This language is based on the bipartisan H.R. 2879, the National Center for the Advancement of Aviation Act of 2023 which Rep. Titus is an original cosponsor of. 
  • Extending and increasing authorizations for providing federal funds to colleges, high schools, and aviation schools for preparing the next generation of pilots, maintenance workers, and aircraft manufacturers. This language is based on the bipartisan H.R. 3647 the Aviation Investment and Recruitment (AIR) Act which Rep. Titus is an original cosponsor of.
  • Establishing a global safety standard for American aircraft repairs and removing the incentive to offshore aircraft maintenance jobs. This language is based on H.R. 1716, the bipartisan Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act which Rep. Titus is an original cosponsor of.
  • Requiring an FAA report to review Emergency Medical Kit contents and providing recommendations to update them, including considerations for cardiac arrest and opioid overdoses. This language advances the mission of the bipartisan H.R. 3616 cosponsored by Rep. Titus.
  • Advancing protections against toxic cabin air by developing a system for flight attendants, pilots, and aircraft maintenance technicians to report fume events onboard passenger-carrying aircraft. This language is based on H.R. 1293, the bipartisan Cabin Air Safety Act, cosponsored by Rep. Titus.
  • Establishing programs within DOT to support the use of drones when inspecting, repairing, or constructing critical infrastructure. Awards are eligible for state, tribal, and local governments; metropolitan planning organizations; or groups of those entities. Funds can be used to purchase and deploy drones to increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve worker and community safety, reduce carbon emissions, or meet other priorities related to critical infrastructure projects through the use of drones. This language is based on H.R. 3593, the bipartisan Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act, cosponsored by Rep. Titus.
  • Requiring air carriers to publish on their website relevant dimensions and other characteristics of the cargo holds of all aircraft types operated by the air carrier. This also allows air carriers to protect the confidentiality of any trade secret or proprietary information submitted. This is based on H.R. 3082, the bipartisan MOBILE Act, cosponsored by Rep. Titus.