On July 16, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., that would update regulations to certificate the manufacturing of small airplanes to improve safety, decrease costs, and unleash private-sector creativity.

The Small Airplane Revitalization Act (H.R. 1848) requires the FAA to issue a final rule based on the Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee’s recommendations by the end of 2015. To address outdated regulations that hinder innovation and inhibit release of modern safety technologies, the bill would allow the industry and regulators to develop a more consensus-based compliance standard.

Companion legislation (S. 1072) has been introduced in the Senate by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Stay tuned as ARSA continues to follow the effort to streamline small aircraft certification.

More from ARSA