CONGRESSMAN BISHOP SUPPORTS BIPARTISAN BILL PROMOTING AEROSPACE INNOVATION & AVIATION SAFETY

WASHINGTON – Last week, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) supported the passage of H.R.3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act. This bill reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for five years. The bill was approved by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 351-69.

It will maintain American leadership in aviation safety and aerospace innovation, strengthen and diversify the U.S. aviation workforce, make groundbreaking investments in sustainability and resiliency, and improve consumer protections and accessibility.

“Americans are returning to the skies in ever larger numbers. This bipartisan bill will help keep them safe and includes important protections for consumers. It will broaden the aviation industry workforce – creating good-paying jobs in communities across the country – and make sure that we stay on the cutting edge of technology,” said Congressman Bishop. “Middle and Southwest Georgia’s airports are gateways to our communities. They welcome visitors, help move cargo, and support local industry and agriculture. This bill will ensure that these airports are able to grow with our community and economy.”

Highlights from the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act

• It makes considerable efforts to mitigate the impacts of aviation noise on local communities through several means, including requiring FAA to take certain actions to reduce undesirable aircraft noise when implementing or revising a flight procedure.

• It directs DOT to require airlines to develop policies addressing reimbursement for passengers for hotel and meal costs when a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed.

• It directs DOT to improve airline personnel and contractor training standards on assisting passengers with disabilities using wheelchairs with boarding and deplaning and stowing wheelchairs and mobility aids.

• It prevents runway incursions by expanding ground surveillance and detection equipment at large and medium hub airports to better inform air traffic controllers of potential danger.

• It studies how to reduce the harm of turbulence, radiation exposure and cabin fumes for passengers and flight crews.

• It triples authorized funding for the FAA’s workforce program to $45 million, which will strengthen the talent pipeline of pilots, aviation maintenance technical workers, and aviation manufacturing workers.

• It establishes a DOT-DOD working group to advise on improving the career transition between the military and civilian workforces.

• It directs the FAA to coordinate with federal agencies and contractors to develop a plan to use drones for wildfire detection, mitigation, and suppression efforts, and adds an FAA liaison to the National Interagency Fire Center.

• It provides funding for state, local and tribal governments to use drones to visually inspect, repair and maintain critical infrastructure, and invests in the training of the workforce to use these advanced technologies.

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