[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 23 (Monday, February 6, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E279-E280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


       AMENDING THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS ACT OF 1986

                                 ______


                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 6, 1995
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce 
legislation to amend the Metropolitan Washington Airports Act of 1986, 
which has been overturned by a Supreme Court ruling. Under the 1986 
Airports Act, Congress transferred control of National and Dulles 
Airports from the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] to a local 
authority, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority [MWAA]. When 
the Supreme Court last month upheld a decision by the Appeals Court 
regarding the constitutionality of the Congressional Board of Review, 
it also dissolved the authority of MWAA. On March 31, MWAA's ability to 
pass a budget, issue bonds, and implement plans for the $2 billion 
renovations at National Airport will end. Consequently, we, in 
Congress, must act quickly and pass legislation to allow National and 
Dulles Airports to continue to operate.
  My legislation would create a new Airport Authority governed by a 
board of directors made up of 11 members who would meet certain 
criteria: they must live in the area affected by the airports; and they 
cannot be paid for their services on the board.
  The members of the board of directors would be appointed: 1 by the 
Governor of Virginia, 1 by the mayor of the District of Columbia, 1 by 
the Governor of Maryland, 2 each by the representatives from the local 
governments of Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia who sit 
on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments [COG] board 
[[Page E280]] of directors, and 2 by the Virginia State legislature.
  Under my bill, the Congressional Review Board would be dissolved, in 
keeping with two separate rulings by the Supreme Court.
  An airport authority appointed by local elected officials, under the 
watchful eye of Congress, would work hard to foster regulations that 
are fair and in the best interest of both the airlines and the public. 
An authority that is responsible to local concerns will help the 
aviation industry remain a good neighbor to the communities that it 
serves. I hope all of my colleagues will join me in support of this 
necessary legislation.
                                H.R. --

       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 ``Metropolitan Washington 
     Airports Act Amendments of 1995''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Section 6002(7) of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Act 
     of 1986 (49 U.S.C. App. 2451(7)) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``declining'' after ``perceived''; and
       (2) by striking ``the growing local interest,'' and 
     inserting ``the increasing need for local planning and 
     management on a metropolitan statistical area basis,''.

     SEC. 3. AIRPORTS AUTHORITY.

       (a) Board of Directors.--Section 6007 of the Metropolitan 
     Washington Airports Act of 1986 (49 U.S.C. App. 2456) is 
     amended by striking subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(e) Board of Directors.--
       ``(1) Appointment.--The Airports Authority shall be 
     governed by a board of directors of 11 members as follows:
       ``(A) 1 member shall be appointed by the Governor of 
     Virginia.
       ``(B) 1 member shall be appointed by the Mayor of the 
     District of Columbia.
       ``(C) 1 member shall be appointed by the Governor of 
     Maryland.
       ``(D) 2 members shall be appointed by the Virginia State 
     legislature.
       ``(E) 2 members shall be appointed by those representatives 
     from Virginia local governments who are on the Board of 
     Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of 
     Governments.
       ``(F) 2 members shall be appointed by those representatives 
     from the District of Columbia government who are on the Board 
     of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of 
     Governments.
       ``(G) 2 members shall be appointed by those representatives 
     from Maryland local governments who are on the Board of 
     Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of 
     Governments.

     The Chairman shall be appointed from among the members by a 
     majority vote of the members and shall serve until replaced 
     by a majority vote of the members.
       ``(2) Restrictions.--Members (A) shall serve without 
     compensation other than reasonable expenses incident to board 
     functions, and (B) must reside within the Washington Standard 
     Metropolitan Statistical Area.
       ``(3) Terms.--Members shall be appointed for terms of 4 
     years.
       ``(4) Required number of votes.--7 votes shall be required 
     to approve bond issues and the annual budget.
       ``(f) Airport Noise.--
       ``(1) Balanced environmental protection.--In order to 
     protect the public from the impact of aircraft noise and at 
     the same time provide for suitable air transportation service 
     to the Washington Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, a 
     proposed action of the board of directors which could result 
     in a change in the impact of aircraft noise in the vicinity 
     of a Metropolitan Washington Airport may not take unless, at 
     least 60 days before the action is to take effect, the board 
     of directors--
       ``(A) notifies, in writing, the Committee on Noise 
     Abatement at National and Dulles Airports of the Washington 
     Council of Governments of the action for the purpose of 
     allowing such committee the opportunity to review, and submit 
     comments on, the action; and
       ``(B) submits, in writing, to such committee a response to 
     any comment of such committee with respect to the action 
     within 30 days after the date of receipt of such comment.''.

     SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsections (b) and 
     (c), the amendments made by sections 2 and 3 shall take 
     effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (b) Limitation on Applicability.--Persons appointed as 
     members of the board of directors of the Metropolitan 
     Washington Airports Authority on the date of the enactment of 
     this Act shall continue to serve on such board until their 
     respective terms expire under former section 6007(e).
       (c) Initial Appointments.--
       (1) Virginia appointments.--The Governor of Virginia shall 
     appoint under new section 6007(e)(1)(A) a person to fill the 
     vacancy of the first member appointed by the Governor of 
     Virginia under former section 6007(e)(1)(A) whose term 
     expires after the date of the enactment of this Act. The 
     Virginia State legislature shall appoint under new section 
     6007(e)(1)(D) persons to fill the vacancies of the second and 
     third members appointed by the Governor under former section 
     6007(e)(1)(A) whose terms expire after such date of 
     enactment. Representatives from Virginia local governments 
     shall appoint under new section 6007(e)(1)(E) persons to fill 
     the vacancies of the fourth and fifth members appointed by 
     the Governor under former section 6007(e)(1)(A) whose terms 
     expire after such date of enactment.
       (2) District of columbia appointments.--The Mayor of the 
     District of Columbia shall appoint under new section 
     6007(e)(1)(B) a person to fill the vacancy of the first 
     member appointed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia 
     under former section 6007(e)(1)(B) whose term expires after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act. Representatives from 
     the District of Columbia government shall appoint under new 
     section 6007(e)(1)(F) persons to fill the vacancies of the 
     second and third such members appointed by the Mayor under 
     former section 6007(e)(1)(B) whose terms expire after such 
     date of enactment.
       (3) Maryland appointments.--The Governor of Maryland shall 
     appoint under new section 6007(e)(1)(C) a person to fill the 
     vacancy of the first member appointed by the Governor of 
     Maryland under former section 6007(e)(1)(C) whose term 
     expires after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
     Representatives from Maryland local governments shall appoint 
     under new section 6007(e)(1)(G)--
       (A) a person to fill the vacancy of the second member 
     appointed by the Governor under former section 6007(e)(1)(C) 
     whose term expires after such date of enactment; and
       (B) a person to fill the vacancy of the member appointed by 
     the President under former section 6007(e)(1)(D) when the 
     term of such member expires after such date of enactment.
       (d) Definitions.--In this section, the following 
     definitions apply:
       (1) Former section 6007(e).--The term ``former section 
     6007(e)'' means section 6007(e) of the Metropolitan 
     Washington Airports Act of 1986 as in effect on the day 
     before the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (2) New section 6007(e).--The term ``new section 6007(e)'' 
     means section 6007(e) of the Metropolitan Washington Airports 
     Act of 1986, as amended by section 3 of this Act.
     

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