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U.S. Lower House Passes Bills on Aviation Safety and Infrastructure

U.S. Lower House Passes Bills on Aviation Safety and Infrastructure

The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed two bills addressing key aviation safety and infrastructure concerns by utilizing the latest technologies and processes available.

The bills were backed by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).

The National Aviation Preparedness Plan Act calls for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) to collaborate with other departments and federal agencies to develop a national aviation preparedness plan for communicable disease outbreaks.

The bill was introduced by House Aviation Subcommittee Chair Rep. Rick Larsen.

“The health of our nation’s aviation workforce is vital to maintaining our transportation network in times of crisis, as we’ve seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ed Bolen, President and CEO, NBAA.

The Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act, introduced by House General Aviation Caucus member Rep. Greg Stanton, was called passed.

This legislation would provide $100 million in grants for local governments to utilize unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and for training the next generation UAS workforce.

“At a time when the safety of our national infrastructure is of great concern to us all, this legislation would implement these key aviation systems to greatly speed the inspection process while also garnering support for UAS in other roles,” Bolen added.

The bills will then be passed to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

INDUSTRY REPORTS