ADVOCATING FOR YOU continued A deeper dive on some of the provi- sions follows:


Sec. 221, ADS-B Safety-Enhancement Incentive Program ■ Establishes a rebate program to incen-


tivize certain general aviation aircraft owners and operators to purchase and install safety-enhancing ADS-B technol- ogy on their aircraft. –The amount of a rebate is equal to the lesser of the cost of purchasing such technology or $2,000, and the owner or operator must redeem or present the rebate for payment within 180 days of issuance.


Sec. 261, Required Consultation with


National Parks Overflights Advisory Group ■ Requires the FAA administrator and other agencies to consult with the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group and consider all advice, informa- tion, and recommendations that the advisory group provides.


Sec. 265, Low-Altitude Rotorcraft and


Powered-Lift Operations ■ Requires the FAA administrator to establish or update low-altitude routes and flight procedures within three years after the date of enactment to ensure safe rotorcraft and powered-lift aircraft operations within Class B airspace of the National Airspace System.


Sec. 301, Extension of Aviation Workforce


Development Programs ■ Amends Section 625 (Aviation Workforce Development Programs) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 to reauthorize funding levels of $15 million each for the aviation maintenance pro- gram and the aircraft pilot program for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026.


14 ROTOR SEPTEMBER 2023


■ Authorizes funding for an aviation manu- facturing workforce development pro- gram at $15 million for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026.


Sec. 531, GAO Study on Expansion of the


FAA Weather Camera Program ■ Directs the Government Accounting Office (GAO) to conduct a study regard- ing the feasibility and potential safety benefits of expanding the FAA’s Weather Camera Program to locations in the United States that lack weather camera services.


Sec. 535, Crash-Resistant Fuel Systems in


Rotorcraft ■ Directs the FAA administrator to task the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) with reviewing and updating the 2018 report of the Rotorcraft Occupation Protection Working Group by reviewing National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) data from 2016 to 2023 on post-crash fires in helicopter accidents and determining to what extent crash-resistant fuel sys- tems could have prevented fatalities.


■ Mandates ARAC to develop recommen- dations to encourage helicopter owners and operators to expedite installation of crash-resistant fuel systems regardless of original certification and manufacture date and requires the FAA to implement the recommendations or work with the US Helicopter Safety Team, as appropriate, to implement the recommendations.


Sec. 609, Beyond Visual Line Of Sight


Rulemaking ■ Mandates the FAA administrator to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) no later than four months after the date of enactment of this act, with a


final rule no later than 16 months after the date of enactment, for uncrewed aircraft systems (UASs) that operate beyond visual line of sight and primarily at or below 400 ft. above ground level (agl). –The rulemaking is required to include airworthiness standards for uncrewed aircraft, standards for associated ele- ments of such aircraft, and criteria related to how remote pilots of such aircraft will be qualified to operate these UASs.


Sec. 652, Powered-Lift Aircraft


Rulemakings ■ Requires the FAA to publish by the beginning of 2025 an NPRM and a final interim regulation for the operation of powered-lift aircraft.


More to Do Although the FAA reauthorization bill has secured passage in the House, the jour- ney to enactment remains incomplete. As of this writing in late August, the Senate had yet to deliberate on its own iteration of the bill. The next steps involve the Senate


Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation taking up its version and advancing it for Senate approval, followed by a reconciliation process in which the House and Senate resolve the variations between their bills. Upon congressional approval of the reconciled version, the bill will move on to the president for his signature. This entire process must conclude by Sep. 30, 2023. If Congress fails to finalize the bill before this date, an extension of the current authorization will become necessary via a continuing resolution. For enthusiasts of aviation politics, this is truly an exciting time!


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