July 22 2021 0Comment

House Appropriators Include Crucial Airport Research Funding for 2022

Last Friday, the House Appropriations Committee passed the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2022. This important action is another step forward in approval of funding that benefits the airport pavement research and construction community. The appropriations measure provides $105.7 billion in funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation. In great news for ACPA and the concrete pavement community, report language directs FAA to fund the ACPA conceived and supported Airfield Pavement Technology Program, which invests in research and technology that improves the quality of airfield pavements, reduces costs, and improves safety.

“Going back to 2018, we worked closely with both PCA and NAPA to advocate for an airport technology program in the 2018 FAA bill (the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018),” says Leif Wathne. “With the language secured in that authorizing bill, ACPA, with support from PCA and NAPA, then secured an additional $6 million in funds appropriated over the baseline amount for airport technology research in 2019, 2020, and 2021”.  “The APTP program is the basis for the CP Tech Center’s recent cooperative agreement with FAA that will provide researchers around the country the opportunity to help address some of the critical research needs in concrete construction for airfields,” he says.

The legislation also provides $61.9 billion in Highway Trust Fund contract authority to the Federal Highway Administration programs, consistent with the INVEST in America Act. For discretionary programs, the bill proposes $1.2 billion in funding for the RAISE grant program (previously known as BUILD) and $400 million in supplemental funding for the Airport Improvement Program.

Look for additional development on this funding effort in future issues of ACPA TODAY.

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