[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1847 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1847

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to increase access to general 
               aviation airports, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 7, 2023

   Mr. Budd introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to increase access to general 
               aviation airports, 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 ``General Aviation Airport Access 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PUBLIC AIRPORT APRON ACCESS FOR TRANSIENT GENERAL AVIATION 
              AIRCRAFT.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 401 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 40131. Apron access for transient general aviation aircraft
    ``(a) Transient Apron.--A covered airport shall provide transient 
general aviation aircraft parking on or near the existing apron when 
the pilot or owner of that aircraft does not need or request fuel or 
use other related services from the covered airport or a fixed-base 
operator at the covered airport.
    ``(b) Transient Fees.--A covered airport may assess a fee on a 
transient general aviation aircraft for using the transient apron 
described in subsection (a) and, if it does assess such a fee, the fee 
shall be fair, reasonable, transparent, publicly available (including 
on the website of the entity that imposes such fee), and exclude any 
extraneous or hidden costs.
    ``(c) Access to Transient Apron.--A controlled access airport, or a 
fixed-base operator at a controlled access airport, may not charge a 
fee for a pilot or passengers to transit between their transient 
general aviation aircraft parked on the transient apron described in 
subsection (a) and a place outside the airport's perimeter fence, 
whether or not such transit requires passing through a building.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Controlled access airport.--The term `controlled 
        access airport' means an airport that is a public use airport 
        and--
                    ``(A) is required to have an airport security 
                program under part 1542 of title 49, Code of Federal 
                Regulations; or
                    ``(B) the airport or a fixed-base operator at the 
                airport does not allow a pilot unescorted access to the 
                pilot's transient general aviation aircraft that is 
                parked on the transient apron described in subsection 
                (a).
            ``(2) Covered airport.--The term `covered airport' means an 
        airport that is a public use airport and has--
                    ``(A) received a grant under section 48103 or 
                chapter 471 at any time during the most recent 20-year 
                period; or
                    ``(B) been the recipient of a Federal property 
                conveyance.
            ``(3) Fixed-base operator.--The term `fixed-base operator' 
        means a business granted the right by an airport sponsor or 
        heliport sponsor to operate on an airport or heliport and 
        provide aeronautical services, including fueling and charging, 
        aircraft hangaring, tiedown and parking, aircraft rental, 
        aircraft maintenance, and flight instruction.
            ``(4) Public use airport.--The term `public use airport' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 47102.
            ``(5) Transient general aviation aircraft.--The term 
        `transient general aviation aircraft' means an aircraft, not 
        owned or operated by an air carrier or foreign air carrier, 
        that is seeking to park temporarily at an airport.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 401 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 40130 the following:

``40131. Apron access for transient general aviation aircraft.''.
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