Members of Congress returned to Washington for their final legislative period before the midterm elections, with the House convening for a single week and the Senate scheduled for up to three weeks.
On the House side this morning, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford testified at an Appropriations Subcommittee oversight hearing focused heavily on ATC modernization efforts and controller workforce issues, while outgoing Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) presided over a mark-up of six aviation bills, including three endorsed by NATA. The Aviation Medication Transparency Act (H.R. 2592) would require FAA to publish an easily accessible and understandable list of approved prescription and over-the-counter medications for pilots and air traffic controllers, and the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act (H.R. 7553) would streamline FAA’s type certification process to safely accelerate AAM innovation through transparent timelines, regulatory clarity, and predictable guidance. Both bills were passed by the Senate Commerce Committee earlier this summer. The T&I Committee also approved the Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act (H.R. 8597), which would direct FAA to install Airborne Position Reference Tools (APRTs) at contract tower locations that do not have surveillance tools like Standard Terminal Automation Replacement Systems (STARS). The bill would provide funding, including reimbursement for airports that have already installed APRTs.
On the other side of the Capitol, the Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to consider the Senate companion to the Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act (S. 3929) on Wednesday, as well as the Runway SAFE-T Act (S. 5224), which would establish a taskforce on enhanced training for ground vehicle operations at part 139 airports and provide grants for vehicle movement training and technology.