Washington, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), 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), sending the bill to President Biden’s desk.

The bill includes a nearly 20 percent increase in authorization levels for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) which supports critical projects at Harry Reid International, Henderson Executive, and Boulder City Municipal airports in Nevada’s First Congressional District.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 also includes measures to strengthen the domestic aviation workforce, enhance aircraft safety, and protect the rights of travelers.

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

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

• Expanding the Rights of Passengers with Disabilities: Establishes aircraft accessibility standards, sets a timeline for DOT to investigate and respond to disability-related complaints, and makes airline mobile applications more accessible, all of which are key provisions from her Air Carrier Access Amendments Act, previously led by former Rep. Jim Langevin.
• Ensuring Safer Handling of Assistive Devices: Sets aviation worker training standards for assisting wheelchair users on airplanes throughout the boarding and deplaning process, and for properly handling and stowing assistive devices.
• Protections for Powered Wheelchairs: Requires 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.
• Opening Regulatory Pathways for Drones: Requires the FAA to issue a rulemaking for establishing airworthiness and operational criteria for certifying pilots and drone operations, including those operated beyond visual line of sight, while ensuring the safety of manned aviation.
• Continued Authority for New Drone Entrants: Extends Section 44807 authority 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 a provision from H.R. 3969, which Rep. Titus introduced with Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA).
• Wildfire Detection and Suppression: Improves wildfire detection and suppression efforts by 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).
• Enhancing Safety at Music Festivals and Other Large Outdoor Events: Establishes a process for entities to restrict the use of unauthorized drones around large outdoor gatherings, like the Electric Daisy Carnival, to ensure the safety of attendees.
• Improving the Consumer Travel Experience: Extends the authorization of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee through Fiscal Year 2028 and adds ticket agents as a non-voting member to the Committee. This is based on Rep. Titus’s bipartisan ACPAC Modernization Act which she introduced with Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-NY).
• Air Traffic Controller Staffing: Preserves an amendment from Rep. Titus requiring the FAA to implement maximum hiring levels for air traffic controllers over the next four years so that passengers and cargo can continue to move safely and efficiently in and out of Southern Nevada.

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