The National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing H.R.3935, Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, which would reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and related programs through fiscal year 2028.
“NASAO is very pleased that the House has passed the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act,” said NASAO President & CEO, Greg Pecoraro. “This forward-thinking legislation will provide a strong basis for managing the nation’s aviation system for the next five years to increase safety, improve infrastructure, and successfully integrate new technologies. We commend House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen for their leadership in crafting a comprehensive, bipartisan bill. NASAO looks forward to Senate action on its own version of FAA Reauthorization, so that both bills can be reconciled, and the FAA be authorized to continue and advance its important work. The United States has always led the world in the aviation industry, and securing the status of the FAA is critical to continuing that leadership.”
The bill would increase investments in the nation’s public-use airports, especially for our general aviation airports which are the backbone of our national aviation system. It would also establish a grant program for state, local, and tribal governments to receive funds to purchase and use small drones for inspection of critical infrastructure; create a drone education and workforce training grant program to support training of small drone operations; direct FAA to take steps to safely integrate drones and advanced air mobility (AAM) into the airspace; call for a comprehensive review of aviation weather observation reporting systems, such as Automated Weather Observing Systems (AWOS) and aviation weather observers, which serve as an integral part of ensuring safety in the aviation system; and authorize the State Block Grant Program, a program that enables certain States to optimize federal and state funding for their airport systems.
