On March 16, the House Transportation & Infrastructure committee approved another short-term extension of the most recent FAA authorization law, VISION 100, which expired in 2007.

The Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2011 (H.R. 1079) is a clean continuation of FAA funding authority through May 31. H.R. 1079 is necessary because a new FAA reauthorization bill will not be completed before the current extension expires on March 31.

The House is expected to consider the ARSA-endorsed FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011 (H.R. 658) in April. The Senate is waiting for the House to approve H.R. 658 before aviation leaders from the two chambers engage in conference negotiations to reconcile differences between the two bills. The FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act (S. 223) was approved by the Senate on Feb. 17.

In the meantime, repair stations must reach out to their lawmakers and do two things:

• Encourage their representatives to support for the repair stations provisions of H.R. 658 as passed by the T&I Committee; and,
• Urge the Senate to adopt the foreign repair station and non-certificated maintenance language in H.R. 658 when the bill goes to conference.

It is critical that the aviation maintenance industry keep a united front and remind Congress of the industry’s vitality and importance to the national economy and global civil aviation. ARSA has made it easy to contact your representatives and senators to urge their backing of the aviation maintenance provisions in H.R. 658.

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