Federal

Natural Hazard Resilience for Airports Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov · 746 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill changes federal rules to allow airports to use a federal funding program for projects that help them survive natural disasters and severe weather. The bill adds projects related to natural hazards and emergency management to the types of improvements eligible for Federal Aviation Administration airport improvement funding.

Who It Affects

Airports that apply for Federal Aviation Administration improvement program funding. State and local officials who coordinate emergency management plans with airports. The Federal Aviation Administration, which administers the airport improvement program. The Secretary of Transportation, who will make certain determinations about airport improvements.

Key Provisions

Planning for airports must now include "long-term resilience from the impact of natural hazards and severe weather events" (Sec. 2(a)(1)). Airports can fund improvements to runways, taxiways and aprons needed to help the airport keep operating after earthquakes, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, wildfires, winter storms and other natural disasters (Sec. 2(b)). Eligible airports can fund planning for disaster preparedness to maintain airport operations during a natural disaster, airport communication equipment, fixed emergency generators, and airfield infrastructure improvements that help with disaster response (Sec. 2(b)). An airport must maintain its facilities in a way suitable for disaster relief and must have developed an emergency natural disaster management plan in coordination with state and local officials to qualify for certain funding (Sec. 2(b)).

What Changes

Federal law will now specifically include natural hazard and emergency management projects in the definition of eligible airport improvement projects. Long-term resilience to natural disasters becomes an official consideration in airport planning requirements.

Important Definitions

None defined in the bill text.

II 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1033 To amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure certain projects related to natural hazards and emergency management are eligible for funding under the Federal Aviation Administration’s airport improvement pro- gram, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 29, 2023 Mr. SCHATZ (for himself and Mr. BUDD) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure certain projects related to natural hazards and emergency man- agement are eligible for funding under the Federal Avia- tion Administration’s airport improvement program, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Natural Hazard Resil- 4 ience for Airports Act of 2023’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:56 Apr 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1033.IS S1033 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •S 1033 IS SEC. 2. ENSURING THAT CERTAIN PROJECTS RELATED TO 1 NATURAL HAZARDS AND EMERGENCY MAN- 2 AGEMENT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING 3 UNDER THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINIS- 4 TRATION’S AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PRO- 5 GRAM. 6 (a) INTERMODAL PLANNING.—Section 47101(g) of 7 title 49, United States Code, is amended— 8 (1) in paragraph (1), in the second sentence, by 9 inserting ‘‘(including long-term resilience from the 10 impact of natural hazards and severe weather 11 events)’’ after ‘‘environmental’’; and 12 (2) in paragraph (2)— 13 (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking 14 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 15 (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the 16 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 17 (C) by adding at the end the following new 18 subparagraph: 19 ‘‘(E) consider the impact of hazardous 20 weather events on long-term operational resil- 21 ience.’’. 22 (b) DEFINITION OF AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT.—Sec- 23 tion 47102(3) of title 49, United States Code, is amended 24 by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:56 Apr 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1033.IS S1033 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •S 1033 IS ‘‘(S) improvements, supported by planning 1 or resiliency studies, or planning for improve- 2 ments, of primary runways, taxiways, and 3 aprons necessary at an airport to increase oper- 4 ational resilience to prepare the airport for re- 5 suming or maintaining flight operations in the 6 event of an earthquake, flooding, high water, 7 sea level rise, a hurricane, a tropical storm, a 8 cyclone, storm surge, a tidal wave, a tornado, a 9 tsunami, wind driven water, wildfire, land insta- 10 bility, or a winter storm. 11 ‘‘(T)(i) in the case of an airport that meets 12 each of the requirements described in clause 13 (ii)— 14 ‘‘(I) planning for disaster prepared- 15 ness associated with maintaining airport 16 operations during a natural disaster; 17 ‘‘(II) acquiring airport communication 18 equipment and fixed emergency generators 19 that are not eligible for funding under pro- 20 grams funded under the Department of 21 Homeland Security; and 22 ‘‘(III) constructing, expanding, or im- 23 proving airfield infrastructure to include 24 aprons and terminal buildings the Sec- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:56 Apr 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1033.IS S1033 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •S 1033 IS retary of Transportation determines will 1 facilitate disaster response at the airport. 2 ‘‘(ii) The requirements described in this 3 clause are the following: 4 ‘‘(I) The airport and the facilities and 5 fixed-based operators on, or connected 6 with, the airport are operated and main- 7 tained in a manner the Secretary of Trans- 8 portation considers suitable for disaster re- 9 lief. An airport shall not be considered as 10 failing to meet the requirement under the 11 preceding sentence if a runway is unusable 12 because the runway is under scheduled 13 maintenance or is in need of necessary re- 14 pairs. 15 ‘‘(II) The airport has developed an 16 emergency natural disaster management 17 plan in coordination with State and local 18 officials.’’. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:56 Apr 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1033.IS S1033 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB

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