In a move hailed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) as helpful to the general aviation manufacturing industry and certification processes, the U.S. House advanced H.R. 4, a long-term reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“This bill provides key provisions and language that improves safety, streamlines regulatory burdens, strengthens job creation, encourages competitiveness and innovation, and stimulates exports,” GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce said. “We applaud the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and all House members for their work on this bill and encourage the U.S. Senate to pass its FAA legislation expeditiously.”
H.R. 4 is a multi-tiered bill that modernizes and seeks to improve upon a number of areas at the administration. For starters, it directs the FAA to fully utilize Organization Designation Authorization, affecting the validation and acceptance processes for certification, streamlining the agency’s acceptance of mandatory continuing airworthiness instructions and laying out an improvement demand for the FAA’s guidance and communication.
In addition, the bill also calls for a task force on flight standards reform to motivate improvements in the FAA’s Flight Standards Office. GAMA praised an amendment from U.S. Reps. Ron Estes (R-KS) and Jason Lewis (R-MN) that was included in the legislation that would add aircraft manufacturers to the task force. “Their amendment will allow manufacturers to have a voice on issues critical to them as the task force makes recommendations to address Flight Standards shortcomings,” Bunce said.
Included in H.R. 4 are a range of amendments that include job promotion programs targeted at women and veterans, as well as enhancements for the agency’s education and training programs. The measure now moves to the Senate for consideration.