WASHINGTON—In an effort to move forward with legislation to reauthorize federal aviation programs, the House late Thursday approved a proposal by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee designed to prod the Senate to take up the measure.

On June 15, the House passed HR 1000, the Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21^st Century (AIR 21), a bill to fund the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and other aviation programs through FY 2004, but companion legislation is stalled in the Senate. With the current authorization for AIP set to expire August 6, the Senate passed and sent to the House a temporary extension, providing funds for two additional months.

The House, however, substituted the language of AIR 21 for the extension bill, and formally requested a conference with the Senate to work out differences on a multi-year reauthorization.

"A comprehensive reauthorization bill is the only way to finally put the Air Improvement Program and other Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs on a stable footing, allowing for the long-term planning so needed by this agency," said Rep. James L. Oberstar, Ranking Democratic Member on the committee.

Oberstar told the House that the country faces four principal challenges in aviation: the need for increased capacity at the nation’s airports, accelerating the modernization of the air traffic control system, promoting competition in the airline industry, and increasing aviation safety.

"AIR 21 will provide more support for airport and air traffic control investment, improve management of the FAA, and lift slot controls at three critical airports, allowing for increased competition, lower fares and better air service," Oberstar said. "With AIR 21, the FAA will have the resources to hire, train and compensate the air traffic controllers, safety and security inspectors, and maintenance technicians who are vital to keeping our skies safe every day. It addresses the problems of runway incursions, provides whistleblower protection to FAA and airline employees who raise safety questions, and requires collision avoidance equipment on cargo planes. At its core, AIR 21 is about safety."

AIR 21 finances these activities by drawing on the Aviation Trust Fund. The revenues in the trust fund are collected in the form of federal aviation fuel and airline ticket taxes, ostensibly to finance federal aviation programs. In recent decades, however, surpluses have been allowed to accumulate in the trust fund in order to balance spending in other segments of the federal budget. Oberstar said AIR 21 returns the trust fund to its intended purpose, and restores faith with the people who have paid these taxes.

"AIR 21 will help the aviation system meet all these challenges by unlocking the Aviation Trust Fund and ensuring that taxes paid by passengers will be used when collected to enhance the safety, efficiency and security of the aviation system," Oberstar said.

The Democratic members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee named to the conference committee are Oberstar, Rep. Nick Joe Rahall (W. Va.), ranking Democrat on the Ground Transportation Subcommittee, Rep. William O. Lipinski (Ill.), ranking Democrat on the Aviation Subcommittee, Rep. Peter DeFazio (Ore.), ranking Democrat on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, and Reps. Jerry Costello (Ill.), Pat Danner (Mo.), Eddie Bernice Johnson (Tex.), Juanita Millender-McDonald (Ca.), and Leonard Boswell (Iowa).

NOTE: The House and Senate both adjourned for the August recess without further action. Authorization for Airport Improvement Program, therefore, was not extended beyond August 6. AIP is the only FAA program affected.