With Congress back in session this week, the fight over FAA reauthorization has resumed. Thirty-three GA organizations signed a letter sent to Senate leaders on Wednesday, asking them to get it done. “It is essential that the FAA is provided long-term authorization for its activities and programs to maintain and advance the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world,” the groups wrote. The last multiyear authorization bill for the FAA was passed in 2012, and expired almost three years ago. Since September 2015, the agency has been operating under a series of short-term extensions.
A recent analysis in Politico noted several contentious issues with the current bill, including a provision that would prevent states from setting their own standards for meal and rest breaks for interstate truckers. Drone advocates also are lobbying against an amendment that would allow state and local governments to regulate drone deliveries.The House has already passed its version of a long-term reauthorization bill, which would last for five years. GA advocates want the Senate to move soon, so there will be time for the House and Senate to reach a final agreement by Sept. 30, when the current bill expires. “There is bipartisan support for moving the FAA bill forward now,” the groups said in their letter. “The FAA’s success and that of the aviation system will be significantly enhanced by progress and passage of a long-term FAA reauthorization bill.”
