USPA Legislation Reports

Greetings! First, Here is an update from Washington, D.C. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says preliminary aviation accident statistics for 2007 show there were 24 nonfatal accidents involving Part 121 airlines. No fatalities occurred among Part 135 commuter operators (fewer than ten seats); on-demand Part 135 operations reported 43 fatalities, up from 16 in 2006. While the number of general aviation accidents rose from 1,518 in 2006 to 1,631, fatalities were down from 703 to 491, a 30 percent drop, and the lowest annual total in over 40 years.

Secondly, Under the most recent Congressional continuing resolution, FAA will obligate 75 percent of the overall FY08 AIP funding until June 30. In the guidance, three options for airports were outlined:

1. Take the grants based on 75 percent entitlements, with the expectation that the remaining 25 percent will be available in the fourth quarter. All projects must be based on usable units of work, so airports would be either reducing the scope of the project, committing their own funds, or bidding using add-alternates to tailor the project to available funding, thereby increasing their flexibility to take additional funding.
2. “Wait and see” if full funding will be available before FY 2008 expires on September 30, 2008. However, the airport assumes a risk when taking this approach. If FAA’s expenditure authority is not extended after June 30^th, the airport sponsor will lose the opportunity to use any unobligated entitlement funds, including prior year carryovers, made available to the airport sponsor in FY08 or convert them to carryover before FY09. Airports choosing this option were strongly encouraged to declare carryover entitlement funding to FAA by no later than June 1^st.
3. “Declare their intention” to carry over their partial FY2008 funding into FY2009. If an airport sponsor is silent and does not declare its intention to defer these funds, FAA will be unable to take the necessary actions to designate these as “protected” carryover funds and these funds will “expire” if no extension occurs after June 30^th. Again, declared carryover funding was encouraged by no later than June 1^st. discretionary funding went on a priority basis, with most funds going to Letter of Intent discretionary commitments, Noise and Military Airport Program set-asides, and the highest-priority safety projects that are ready by sponsors to implement. “What struck me was this FAA guidance letter really kind of shows the negative impacts of delay in getting a reauthorization bill done,” says T.J. Schulz, Vice President of Airport Consultants Council.

“Any one of these options is certainly not desirable. This is no way to run your airport.’

Thirdly, Here is an update concerning Missouri Aviation. The only Aircraft and Airport Bills are as follows:

 

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session (2008)
Bills Indexed by Subject
AIRCRAFT AND AIRPORTS

HB 1495 --- Sponsor: Bruns, Mark J. --- CoSponsor: Sater, David

Changes the laws regarding the Aviation Trust Fund and the funding for certain air traffic control towers

HB 1639 --- Sponsor: Bruns, Mark J. --- CoSponsor: Richard, Ron

Changes the laws regarding the Aviation Trust Fund and air traffic control towers

HB 1760 --- Sponsor: Storch, Rachel --- CoSponsor: Oxford, Jeanette Mott

Requires statewide elected officials and members of the General Assembly to report any use of a private plane, the cost of the flight, and all the passengers within 72 hours after the flight

HB 1888 --- Sponsor: Schoeller, Shane --- CoSponsor: Lampe, Sara

Allows a municipality to annex land within the airport zone of the City of Springfield if it agrees to enforce Springfield's zoning ordinance

HB 2221 --- Sponsor: St. Onge, Neal C.

Revises the definition of "commercial aircraft" as it relates to the taxation of aircraft by lowering the maximum certified gross take-off weight from 7,000 to 1,000 pounds

HCR 10 --- Sponsor: Scharnhorst, Dwight

Urges Congress to enact legislation to protect airline customers

HCR 43 --- Sponsor: Funderburk, Doug --- CoSponsor: Darrough, Bruce

Urges the United States Air Force to reconsider its decision to replace a Boeing-made refueling tanker with a tanker supplied by a foreign country

HCR 46 --- Sponsor: Funderburk, Doug --- CoSponsor: Darrough, Bruce

Urges the United States Air Force to reconsider its decision to replace a Boeing-made refueling tanker with a tanker supplied by a foreign country

SB 930 --- Sponsor: Stouffer, Bill

Removes cap on amount of aviation-generated revenue that may be deposited in state aviation trust fund and expands purposes for which moneys in the aviation trust fund may be used

SB 943 --- Sponsor: Clemens, Dan

Allows cities to annex land within airport zones in Greene County if cities agree to enforce Springfield's airport zoning ordinance

SB 947 --- Sponsor: Stouffer, Bill

Removes cap on amount of aviation-generated revenue that may be deposited in state aviation trust fund and expands purposes for which moneys in the aviation trust fund may be used

SB 1049 --- Sponsor: Kennedy, Harry

Expands sales tax exemption purchases of tangible personal property used in the repair and maintenance of aircraft

SB 1073 --- Sponsor: Dempsey, Tom

Creates a state and local sales and use tax exemption for defense articles sold to foreign governments

Last Updated May 27, 2008 at 4:30 p.m.

 

                                                                 

 

NOTE: Your Web site address for Texas Legislation: www.texas.gov

Look for Transportation-Aviation, to search all aviation bills.

 

Web site address for Illinois legislation: www.illinois.gov

Look for Transportation-Aviation, to search all aviation bills.

 

All other states should follow this same format, to search your specific state’s aviation and airport bills.

 

Remember, that as members of USPA, MPA, TPA, TXAA, NMPA, NPA, IPA, EAA, AOPA, or other pilot associations of which you may be a member, we have a powerful voice, in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, or whatever state you may represent. Every group of taxpayers and pilots carries a strong voice to Washington, D.C., as well as at the state and local level.

We need to learn how to use our voices, and speak up for general aviation.

So let us not forget to exercise our rights and privileges, so we can continue to make a “Difference for General Aviation”.

 

 

UNTIL NEXT TIME!

 

SAFE FLYING!

 

Larry G. Harmon

Vice President

Government & Technical Affairs

United States Pilots Association

USPAVPLHARMON228@aol.com