Joco Today

On June 14, 2023, Representative Sharice Davids voted to advance bipartisan legislation to improve customer protections and accessibility, increase America’s aviation safety standards, and strengthen domestic aviation workforce and manufacturing. Today’s vote in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee begins the formal process of passing the next Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization, which will fund the agency for the next five years and provide new guidance and standards for the agency, airlines, and manufacturers

“In recent months, we’ve seen a frustrating rise in mass flight cancellations, runway near-misses, and costs for air travelers. It’s time Congress acts to provide Americans with a sense of security while traveling,” said Davids. “I’m proud to have worked with Republicans and Democrats to advance legislation that includes many of the priorities I’ve pushed for, including updated safety regulations, more protections for consumers, and incentives to boost the aviation industry here in America. I’m glad we could once again come together to protect the physical and financial well-being of Americans and I look forward to continuing these discussions with my colleagues in the House and Senate.”

The bipartisan Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, which Davids voted for today,will reauthorize the FAA and protect the flying public. Specifically, it:

• Improves airline customer protections and accessibility by directing the Department of Transportation (DOT) to:
  • Develop policies for airlines to reimburse passengers for meal and hotel costs incurred when a flight is cancelled;
  • Require airlines to create plans to prevent and limit the impact of mass flight cancelations;
  • Establish policies allowing passengers to sit next to their young child.
     
• Increases America’s aviation safety standards by:
  • Decreasing the risk of airport collisions;
  • Reviewing airplane passenger emergency medical kits and evacuation procedures;
  • Requiring the FAA to update security measures to help prevent assaults against flight crews and passengers.
     
• Strengthens U.S. aviation workforce and manufacturing by:
  • Hiring more air traffic controller agents;
  • Boosting American manufacturing through limiting Chinese-owned companies from accessing federal dollars.

The bill includes additional priorities Davids has pushed for in the past, including advanced air mobility (AAM) regulations and the use of sustainable aviation fuel. Davids’ legislation to promote AAM, an emerging sector of the aviation industry that creates an entirely new mode of transportation using specialized vehicles to transport people and cargo, was signed into law by President Biden last year. Davids also voted for a new law that included investments in infrastructure needed for sustainable aviation fuel, a biofuel that has similar properties to conventional jet fuel but with a smaller carbon footprint.

Today’s markup vote follows a series of House Transportation and Infrastructure hearings on various aviation issues and the solicitation of input from Members of Congress and the aviation stakeholder community. The bill now heads to the House floor for debate and a vote. The Senate has released a separate, bipartisan legislative plan to reauthorize the FAA. The House and Senate will likely prioritize a combination of the two bills that will pass in both chambers before the 2018 FAA reauthorization expires on September 30, 2023.

Davids, who has served on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee since being elected to Congress, has prioritized consumer protections and safety throughout the FAA reauthorization process. During a March committee hearing, Davids spoke with airline professionals about how the overall flying experience, including safety and transparency of hidden fees, could be improved. She also called on DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg to provide answers for January’s aviation safety notification system meltdown and to hold airlines accountable for recent mass cancellations.

Original source can be found here.