The U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 4 voted 383-41 to pass a bipartisan bill offered by U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) that would promote innovation and growth in American aviation.
“This bill is a gamechanger for how we develop new transportation options, help with the future ways we move goods, and create new jobs,” Rep. Graves said. “It will also support our emergency preparedness and disaster relief efforts.”
The Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, H.R. 1339, which Rep. Graves cosponsored on Feb. 25 with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS), would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to establish an advanced air mobility (AAM) interagency working group to plan and coordinate efforts related to the safety, infrastructure, physical security, cybersecurity, and federal investment necessary to bolster America’s AAM ecosystem, according to the congressional record bill summary.
Advanced air mobility refers to an air transportation system that moves people and cargo between places using new aircraft designs that are integrated into existing airspace operations, as well as operated in local, regional, intraregional, rural, and urban environments, the summary says.
“The time is fast approaching for ways the federal government will have to plan for new and emerging aviation technology which could positively disrupt existing ways of life,” said Rep. Graves. “We should be taking the steps now to mitigate and integrate the benefits, instead of waiting for the positive disruption caused by future technology, and ensuring our existing transportation and infrastructure systems have the right preparation.”
The congressman added that H.R. 1339 “pushes the United States forward in the right direction and bolsters our global leadership in this transformative space.”
“This is a great bill,” he said, “and I am glad to have worked with Congresswoman Sharice Davids to get it over the finish line.”
Rep. Davids also commended House passage of the bill and said she looks “forward to bringing industry and federal agency leaders together to take advantage of this emerging technology and continue promoting U.S. leadership in aviation.”
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association and the Regional Airline Association support H.R. 1339, which now advances to the U.S. Senate for consideration.