I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2916 To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a program to provide assistance to underserved airports to improve passenger and flight capac- ity, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 26, 2023 Mr. VASQUEZ (for himself and Mr. MANN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a pro- gram to provide assistance to underserved airports to improve passenger and flight capacity, 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 ‘‘Expanding Regional 4 Airports Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:22 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2916.IH H2916 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2916 IH SEC. 2. REGIONAL AIRPORT EXPANSION PROGRAM. 1 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 417 of title 49, United 2 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol- 3 lowing: 4 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—REGIONAL AIRPORT 5 EXPANSION PROGRAM 6 ‘‘§ 41781. Grants for growing regional airports 7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation 8 shall establish a program to provide grants to eligible air- 9 ports to improve passenger and flight capacity. 10 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE USES.—An eligible airport may use 11 a grant provided under this section for— 12 ‘‘(1) activities that improve passenger and flight 13 capacity at such airport, including— 14 ‘‘(A) the expansion of passenger and prop- 15 erty screening facilities; 16 ‘‘(B) runway lengthening; 17 ‘‘(C) hangar construction; and 18 ‘‘(D) improving passenger facilities; and 19 ‘‘(2) costs incurred to comply with operational 20 and security requirements under part 139 or part 21 154 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations. 22 ‘‘(c) GRANT REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the 23 program established under this section, the Secretary shall 24 provide not less than 3 and not more than 10 grants to 25 eligible airports in each fiscal year. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:22 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2916.IH H2916 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2916 IH ‘‘(d) ELIGIBLE AIRPORT DEFINED.—In this section, 1 the term ‘eligible airport’ means an airport that— 2 ‘‘(1) is a general aviation airport or a nonpri- 3 mary commercial service airport (as determined by 4 the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Adminis- 5 tration); and 6 ‘‘(2) serves a community with a population of 7 at least 75,000. 8 ‘‘§ 41782. Authorization of appropriations 9 ‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated for each fis- 10 cal year $50,000,000 to carry out section 41781.’’. 11 (b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 12 chapter 417 of title 49, United States Code, is amended 13 by inserting after the item relating to section 41767 the 14 following: 15 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—REGIONAL AIRPORT EXPANSION PROGRAM ‘‘41781. Grants for growing regional airports. ‘‘41782. Authorization of appropriations.’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:22 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2916.IH H2916 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS