CONGRESS EXTENDS FAA FUNDING; PREVENTS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
September 30, 2015
The United States Senate and U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday to adopt H.R. 3614, the Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2015, which is a stopgap measure to extend the current programs and policies of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through March 31, 2016. Without this action, the FAA’s current authorization, which expires on September 30, 2015, would have lapsed, likely resulting in a government shutdown. Many had expected Congress to conclude a long-term FAA bill by September 30, 2015 that addressed contentious issues such as air traffic control reform and passenger facility charges, but Congress was unable to do so. With passage by Congress, the bill now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign the measure into law. Congressional leaders anticipate that with this extra time they will be able to develop a final long-term FAA reauthorization bill that will gain support in both the House and Senate.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6665).