The U.S. Senate has unanimously agreed to legislation reauthorizing and extending funding for the Federal Aviation Administration for the next six months, sending the bill to President Barack Obama to be signed into law.
Senators agreed to the bill, H.R. 3614, the Airport and Airway Extension Act, by unanimous consent, without debate or changes, after the House of Representatives had passed the bill by voice vote on Monday.
The legislation provides a “clean” extension of the FAA’s current authorization and funding, currently set to expire at the end of September, for an additional six months through to the end of March, including its authority to draw from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and spend money on the Airport Improvement Program.
This includes up to $1.675 billion in additional funds from the trust fund and the extension of the collection of passenger, cargo and fuel excise taxes that provide the bulk of funding for the trust.