[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 171 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5190-H5191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        EXPEDITED DELIVERY OF AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2020

  Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5912) to amend title 49, United States Code, to permit the 
use of incentive payments to expedite certain federally financed 
airport development projects, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5912

       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 ``Expedited Delivery of 
     Airport Infrastructure Act of 2020''.

     SEC. 2. ALLOWABLE COST STANDARDS FOR AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT 
                   PROJECTS.

       (a) In General.--Section 47110(b)(1) of title 49, United 
     States Code, is amended--
       (1) by striking ``(1) if the cost necessarily'' and 
     inserting ``(1)(A) if the cost necessarily'';
       (2) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting ``; 
     or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) if the cost is an incentive payment incurred in 
     carrying out the project described

[[Page H5191]]

     in subparagraph (A) that is to be provided to a contractor 
     upon early completion of a project, if--
       ``(i) such payment does not exceed the lesser of 5 percent 
     of the initial construction contract amount or $1,000,000;
       ``(ii) the level of contractor's control of, or access to, 
     the worksite necessary to shorten the duration of the project 
     does not negatively impact the operation of the airport;
       ``(iii) the contract specifies application of the incentive 
     structure in the event of unforeseeable, non-weather delays 
     beyond the control of the contractor;
       ``(iv) nothing in any agreement with the contractor 
     prevents the airport operator from retaining responsibility 
     for the safety, efficiency, and capacity of the airport 
     during the execution of the grant agreement; and
       ``(v) the Secretary determines that the use of an incentive 
     payment is likely to increase airport capacity or efficiency 
     or result in cost savings as a result of shortening the 
     project's duration;''.
       (b) Technical Correction.--Section 47110(e)(7) of title 49, 
     United States Code, is amended by striking ``(7) Partnership 
     Program Airports.--'' and inserting ``(7) Partnership program 
     airports.--''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Carbajal) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) 
each will control 20 minutes.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  October 1, 2020, on page H5191, the following appeared: The 
SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Carbajal) and the gentlewoman from West Virginia 
(Mrs. Miller) each will control 20 minutes.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: The SPEAKER pro 
tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Carbajal) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) each will 
control 20 minutes.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5912, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5912, the Expedited Delivery 
of Airport Infrastructure Act of 2020, introduced by Representative Sam 
Graves, the ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure. The bill incentivizes the early completion of airport 
projects funded by the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport 
Improvement Program, AIP.
  Although current airline passenger traffic has declined precipitously 
due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will come a time when domestic 
and global air travel will return to its prepandemic heights and 
continue to grow further. Airports will once again have to keep up with 
growing passenger demand. This legislation will help to address this 
future need by allowing airports to use their AIP funding to offer 
incentive payments to contractors for early completion of airport 
development projects.
  Importantly, H.R. 5912 includes conditions that ensure projects 
completed early do not have a negative impact on airport safety, 
efficiency, or capacity.
  I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5912, the Expedited 
Delivery of Airport Infrastructure Act of 2020.
  This bill, which I am very proud to have introduced, gives airports 
the option to use some of their Airport Improvement Program, or AIP, 
money to expedite early completion of airport projects.
  Incentives such as these are commonly used in the surface 
transportation area, as encouraging early completion of road projects 
obviously can spare drivers additional weeks or months of congestion 
and sitting in traffic.
  An airfield is no different. Taking a runway or taxiway out of 
commission can impair airport efficiency and capacity, and it results 
in flight delays, upset travelers, you name it.
  Additionally, some airports, particularly in cold weather States, are 
racing against the clock to complete projects during a limited 
construction season. Even if a project is on schedule, an early winter 
or late spring can grind construction to a halt, costing the airport 
time and money.
  This bill is going help ensure that airports have the tools necessary 
to avoid these situations and get runways back into service faster.
  This bill allows airports to achieve cost savings. Projects completed 
early means a greater chance of avoiding construction price increases 
due to inflation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5912, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R 5912, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________