A bill introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Garret Graves (R-LA), ranking member of the Aviation Subcommittee, is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
The Expedited Delivery of Airport Infrastructure Act of 2021 would allow public agencies and other entities the flexibility to use Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds as incentive payments for the early completion of AIP projects. The incentive payments would be for planning, developing, and executing infrastructure projects like runways and taxiways.
“This proven, smart reform is already in use for road and bridge construction, and it’s just common sense to make this same incentivization tool available for the construction of aviation infrastructure projects,” Rep. Sam Graves said. “Delivering airport projects ahead of schedule will save money and essentially provide a similar impact as increasing investment without requiring any additional federal resources.”
The bill was passed by the Senate on Wednesday and now heads to the President’s desk for his signature.
“This bill will help change the way we facilitate airport construction. Every day an airport project isn’t completed, project costs go up, and opportunities for economic activity via tourism and business development are missed. Whether traveling for leisure or work, this bill will ensure on-time and under-cost project delivery and will complement the millions in funding we’ve secured for Louisiana’s airports over the past few years,” Rep. Garret Graves said.