--S.643--

S.643

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine

An Act

To authorize the Airport Improvement Program for 2 months, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Interim Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act'.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- Section 48103 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking from `$1,205,000,000' through the period and inserting `$1,607,000,000 for the 8-month period beginning October 1, 1998.'.

(b) OBLIGATIONAL AUTHORITY- Section 47104(c) of such title is amended by striking `March' and inserting `May'.

(c) LIQUIDATION-OF-CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION- The Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 is amended by striking the last proviso under the heading `Grants-in-Aid for Airports, (Liquidation of Contract Authorization), (Airport and Airway Trust Fund)' and inserting `Provided further, That not more than $1,300,000,000 of funds limited under this heading may be obligated before the enactment of a law extending contract authorization for the Grants-in-Aid for Airports Program beyond May 31, 1999.'.

SEC. 3. AIRWAY FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

Section 48101(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following:

`(3) $2,131,000,000 for fiscal year 1999.'.

SEC. 4. FAA OPERATIONS.

Section 106(k) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking from `$5,158,000,000' through the period and inserting `$5,632,000,000 for fiscal year 1999.'.

SEC. 5. REMOVAL OF THE CAP ON DISCRETIONARY FUND.

Section 47115(g) is amended by striking paragraph (4).

SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF AVIATION INSURANCE PROGRAM.

Section 44310 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking `March' and inserting `May'.

SEC. 7. MILITARY AIRPORT PROGRAM.

Section 124 of the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 1996 is amended by striking subsection (d).

SEC. 8. DISCRETIONARY FUND DEFINITION.

(a) AMENDMENT OF SECTION 47115- Section 47115 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by striking `25' in subsection (a) and inserting `12.5'; and

(2) by striking the second sentence in subsection (b).

(b) AMENDMENT OF SECTION 47116- Section 47116 of such title is amended--

(1) by striking `75' in subsection (a) and inserting `87.5';

(2) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) in subsection (b) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and inserting before subparagraph (A), as so redesignated, the following:

`(1) one-seventh for grants for projects at small hub airports (as defined in section 41731 of this title); and

`(2) the remaining amounts based on the following:'.

SEC. 9. RELEASE OF 10 PERCENT OF MWAA FUNDS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding sections 49106(c)(6)(C) and 49108 of title 49, United States Code, the Secretary of Transportation may approve an application of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (an application that is pending at the Department of Transportation on March 17, 1999) for expenditure or obligation of up to $30,000,000 of the amount that otherwise would have been available to the Authority for passenger facility fee/airport development project grants under subchapter I of chapter 471 of such title.

(b) LIMITATION- The Authority may not execute contracts, for applications approved under subsection (a), that obligate or expend amounts totalling more than the amount for which the Secretary may approve applications under that subsection, except to the extent that funding for amounts in excess of that amount are from other authority or sources.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.

END