H.R. 2881 user fee bill

Aviation General Aviation
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user-fee-bill
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced its version of a FAA Reauthorization Proposal (H.R. 2881) late June 28 without the inclusion of any user fees.

The bill now moves to the House Ways and Means Committee, with a recommendation to increase the current aviation gas tax from 19.3 cents per gallon to 24.1 cents per gallon and the Jet-A fuel tax rate from 21.8 cents per gallon to 30.7 cents per gallon. The House bill does include FAA and EAA supported language regarding the release of information contained in abandoned type certificates.

The language in the bill does contain some alterations that need to be evaluated but this is a good step in addressing the needs of vintage aircraft owners, an EAA spokesman said.

The House bill authorizes $13 billion for FAA Facilities and Equipment for implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. The EAA said this is important as it reinforces the GA community’s contention that the FAA could move forward with the building of the next generation air transportation system without imposing user fees.

Not all the news is good, however. The bill would increase fees for various FAA services such as aircraft registration and certification fees. For example, the one-time, five-dollar fee to register an aircraft would increase to $130.

The House is debating additional amendments and revisions to the bill that could result in provisions that the White House has indicated would result in a veto. The EAA staff is continuing its review of the bill and will provide additional information following that review as the House continues their work towards a final bill.

Because the House and Senate versions of this bill will need to be negotiated in a conference committee, EAA asked every member to contact their Senator to ask that the Modernization Surcharge/User Fee be removed from the Senate FAA reauthorization proposal and to not eliminate or reduce the airlines’ 4.3 cent fuel tax because of the damage this will due to the Trust Fund.

The AOPA chimed in saying the House got it right.

“The leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and aviation subcommittee refused to be bullied by the airlines or accept the FAA’s claims of poverty,” said AOPA President Phil Boyer.

“They took a reasoned, rational look at what needed to be done and how to pay for it, and delivered a solution that promotes the interests of all segments of aviation.”

Tracking Bill H.R. 2881 ](http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2881) as it moves through the system.

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Now if Senators Rockefeller and Lott would get over their misguided assertion that the airlines are subsidizing corporate operators… :angry: Some airline lobby must be lining their coffers and have them completely snowed… Hmmmmm…What was I thinking…That’s politics… :unamused:

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But, but, but the $25 per flight segment only applies to corporate aircraft so there’s NO way it could ever creep into GA!

And there’ll be a new TwinStar in everyone’s driveway in the morning…

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Especially since their definition of a corporate aircraft is one of those big nasty republican loving Gulfstream types…heavens no, a little Cessna or Cirrus piston single could never be considered a “corporate” transportation tool…no no, not in America… :open_mouth:

Make mine a shiney red one please… :smiley:

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Uh, the definition of General Aviation includes corporate aircraft so I hope you were being sarcastic.

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I hope that my interpretation of it as sarcasm was correct…that’s the way I’ve been posting along… under the impression of dami’s point.

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James is probably being sarcastic, but I am going to make sure my driveway is empty tonight just in case!

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You’re both right. He was being sarcastic, but Dami’s dig was aimed at the fact that corporate aviation IS GA.

So change JHEM’s post to read"…creep into small GA aircraft"

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CLICK HERE, and HERE. News update from ANN on passing of H.R. 2881 by Congress.