[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 193 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6138-H6141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1315
ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP ACT
Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1339) to require the Secretary of Transportation to
establish an advanced air mobility interagency working group, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1339
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 ``Advanced Air Mobility
Coordination and Leadership Act''.
SEC. 2. ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY WORKING GROUP.
(a) Working Group.--Not later than 120 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation
shall establish an advanced air mobility interagency working
group (in this section referred to as the ``working group'').
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the working group established
under subsection (a) shall be to plan and coordinate efforts
related to the safety, operations, infrastructure, physical
security, cybersecurity, and Federal investment necessary for
maturation of the AAM ecosystem in the United States. It is
critical that Government agencies collaborate in order to
enhance United States leadership, develop new transportation
options, amplify economic activity and jobs, advance
environmental sustainability and new technologies, and
support emergency preparedness and competitiveness.
(c) Membership.--Not later than 60 days after the
establishment of the working group under subsection (a), the
Secretary of Transportation shall--
(1) appoint the Under Secretary of Transportation for
Policy to chair the working group;
(2) designate not less than one additional representative
to participate on the working group from each of--
(A) the Department of Transportation; and
(B) the Federal Aviation Administration; and
(3) invite the heads of each of the following departments
or agencies to designate not less than 1 representative to
participate on the working group, including--
(A) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
(B) the Department of Defense;
(C) the Department of Energy;
(D) the Department of Homeland Security;
(E) the Department of Commerce;
(F) the Federal Communications Commission; and
(G) such other departments or agencies as the Secretary of
Transportation determines appropriate.
(d) Coordination.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Transportation and
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall
coordinate with aviation industry and labor stakeholders,
stakeholder associations, and others determined appropriate
by the Secretary of Transportation
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and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration,
including the following:
(A) Manufacturers of aircraft, avionics, propulsion
systems, and air traffic management systems.
(B) Intended operators of AAM aircraft.
(C) Commercial air carriers, commercial operators, and
general aviation operators, including helicopter operators.
(D) Airports, heliports, and fixed-base operators.
(E) Aviation training and maintenance providers.
(F) Certified labor representatives of pilots, air traffic
control specialists employed by the Federal Aviation
Administration, aircraft mechanics, and aviation safety
inspectors.
(G) State, local, and Tribal officials or public agencies.
(H) First responders.
(I) Groups representing environmental interests.
(J) Electric utilities, energy providers, energy market
operators, and wireless providers.
(K) Unmanned aircraft system operators and service
suppliers.
(L) Groups representing consumer interests.
(M) Groups representing the interests of taxpayers.
(2) Advisory committees.--The Secretary of Transportation
and Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may
use such Federal advisory committees as may be appropriate to
coordinate with the entities listed in paragraph (1).
(e) Review and Examination.--Not later than 1 year after
the establishment of the working group under subsection (a),
the working group shall complete a review and examination of,
at a minimum--
(1) steps that will mature AAM aircraft operations,
concepts, and regulatory frameworks beyond initial
operations;
(2) safety requirements and physical and cybersecurity
involved with future air traffic management concepts which
may be considered as part of the evolution of AAM to higher
levels of traffic density;
(3) current Federal programs and policies that may be
leveraged to advance the maturation of the AAM industry;
(4) infrastructure, including aviation, multimodal,
cybersecurity, and utility infrastructure, necessary to
accommodate and support expanded operations of AAM after
initial implementation;
(5) anticipated benefits associated with AAM aircraft
operations, including economic, environmental, emergency and
natural disaster response, and transportation benefits; and
(6) other factors that may limit the full potential of the
AAM industry, including community acceptance of AAM
operations.
(f) Plan and Recommendations.--Based on the review and
examination performed under subsection (e), the working group
shall develop--
(1) recommendations regarding the safety, operations,
security, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and other Federal
investment or actions necessary to support the evolution of
early AAM to higher levels of activity and societal benefit;
and
(2) a comprehensive plan detailing the roles and
responsibilities of each Federal department or agency to
facilitate or implement the recommendations in paragraph (1).
(g) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the completion
of the review and examination completed under subsection (e),
the working group shall submit to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a report that--
(1) details the review and examination performed under
subsection (e); and
(2) provides the plan and recommendations developed under
subsection (f).
(h) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Advanced air mobility; aam.--The terms ``advanced air
mobility'' and ``AAM'' mean a transportation system that
transports people and property by air between two points in
the United States using aircraft, including electric aircraft
or electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, in both
controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
(2) Electric aircraft.--The term ``electric aircraft''
means an aircraft with a fully electric or hybrid (fuel and
electric) driven propulsion system used for flight.
(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) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such
term in section 47102 of title 49, United States Code.
(5) Vertical take-off and landing.--The term ``vertical
take-off and landing'' means an aircraft with lift/thrust
units used to generate powered lift and control and with two
or more lift/thrust units used to provide lift during
vertical take-off or landing.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Hampshire (Mr. Pappas) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Hampshire.
General Leave
Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include any extraneous material on H.R. 1339, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Hampshire?
There was no objection.
Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bill introduced by the
gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Davids) as well as the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Graves).
Once viewed as only a figment of people's imagination, flying cars
are now on the verge of becoming a reality and will take to the skies
in no time, thanks to recent innovations in aircraft and propulsion
technology. Advanced air mobility, or AAM, vehicles have the potential
to alleviate traffic congestion, reduce the current burden on surface
infrastructure, create good-paying U.S. jobs, and provide a more
environmentally sustainable mode of daily transportation. In fact, last
year, my home State of New Hampshire became the first State to safely
allow roadable aircraft to use our roads, once they become certified
for travel.
But as these new aircraft emerge in an already complex U.S. airspace,
we must ensure that they are safe, both for those on board and those on
the ground.
H.R. 1339, the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act,
would establish an interagency working group, bringing together the
Federal Government, States and localities, the aerospace industry,
labor unions, and other key stakeholders to plan and coordinate efforts
to safely integrate AAM operations in our national airspace system.
The interagency working group's recommendations on safety, security,
and infrastructure needs will help support the deployment of this
technology and advance U.S. leadership in this emerging global
industry. This legislation has support from both sides of the aisle and
the endorsement of several organizations representing the U.S. aviation
and aerospace sector.
Madam Speaker, I support this bipartisan bill, I urge my colleagues
to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1339, the Advanced Air
Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act.
I want to thank the sponsors of this legislation for introducing this
very important bill. The bill directs the Department of Transportation
to form a working group with other Federal agencies to ensure that the
advanced air mobility industry has the Federal backing it needs to
commence operations and to succeed.
I recently had the opportunity to fly a simulated advanced air
mobility, or AAM, flight and was very impressed with the technology.
In just a few short years, we may be seeing multiple companies
carrying paying passengers in highly automated electric vertical
takeoff and landing aircraft.
These operations will connect cities, towns, and neighborhoods all
across the country in a very safe, quiet, and environmentally friendly
way.
Madam Speaker, this is a good bill and keeps the momentum going for
American leadership in the advanced air mobility industry. That is why
I support H.R. 1339, and I urge a ``yes'' vote today.
Madam Speaker, before I reserve, I also want to pay tribute to Holly
Woodruff Lyons, our longtime Subcommittee on Aviation staff director.
After nearly 20 years on the committee, Holly will be retiring at the
end of this year.
It is hard to imagine the committee without Holly. Each new
Republican chairman or ranking member has received the same advice from
their predecessor: whatever you do, make sure Holly stays. I am sorry
to say that the streak has finally ended on my watch, but her legacy
will cast a long shadow in these halls for years to come.
Holly has helped shape every single piece of aviation legislation in
the past two decades, and she is responsible for literally hundreds of
provisions in law that have improved the lives of everyday Americans.
[[Page H6140]]
Holly is a consummate professional and dedicated staffer, and we will
sorely miss her counsel and very much miss her wisdom.
I am personally grateful for her service to this committee, both as a
pilot and a Member of Congress.
I thank her so much for dedicating her career to aviation safety and
her service to the American public. She will never be a stranger around
here, and I hope she and Mark make the most of their well-earned
retirements. I thank her for all she has done.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Graves
for yielding to Mr. Graves.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, and I
want to thank our sponsor on this legislation, Congresswoman Sharice
Davids, for working with us on this.
Congress is often the body that comes in and proposes legislation and
then proposes solutions after something has happened, after something
bad has happened. This is a different approach. This is Congress
actually stepping in and being proactive.
This is bipartisan legislation that recognizes the United States
leads the world in innovation related to aviation. The only way we are
going to be able to do that, that we are going to be able to continue
leading the world with these advanced technologies related to advanced
air mobility, is by being proactive in this case.
We are talking about incorporating innovative technology that is
going to effect virtually every aspect of our lives, but integrating it
into one of the most complex and one of the most congested airspace
areas in the world. This isn't something we can just do overnight once
the technology is ready.
This legislation puts together a working group for us to look at how
this is going to be integrated, what regulations we need in place, what
infrastructure changes we need to have in place in order to facilitate
this.
Madam Speaker, we can't cede this technology, this innovation, to
other countries. The United States has the safest, most advanced
aviation system in the world, but we are not going to be able to
maintain that without being proactive, without thinking through all of
the integration that is going to result; again, whether it be
infrastructure or people who want to use urban air mobility to fly from
one city to the other. In my home State of Louisiana, flying from Baton
Rouge to New Orleans, as opposed to sitting in the parking lot that is
Interstate 10 or those people that want to fly from Lake Charles to
Houston for the day, because they don't want to live in Houston, and
fly back and spend the night in Lake Charles. I am kidding, Texas
friends.
Madam Speaker, the people that work in the offshore industry, the
ability to fly through advanced air mobility to these facilities and
come back, doing it safer; doing it with less fuel, less emissions;
doing it more efficiently, less expensive; that is what this solution,
this technology, potentially provides for us.
There have been studies that show that by 2035, this industry could
employ 280,000 people, and the value of this industry sector could be
$115 billion.
Once again, Madam Speaker, we are not going to realize those benefits
without us being proactive and facilitating the integration of this
technology into our communities.
Madam Speaker, even our military, the Department of Defense,
recognizes the potential of eVTOL technology in its own operations, and
that is why it is investing in the Agility Prime program to help foster
the AAM industry.
The issues that we are looking at include aircraft certification,
ground infrastructure, air traffic control, battery storage,
cybersecurity, physical security, spectrum, and many other challenges.
This legislation helps to ensure that we have solutions in place when
the technology is ready.
Again, Madam Speaker, I want to thank the vice chair of the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Sharice Davids, for her
leadership and partnership in sponsoring the bill. I appreciate the
work of Ranking Member Sam Graves and Chairman DeFazio in allowing us
to move this forward in a bipartisan manner.
Madam Speaker, before I yield back, I also want to recognize one of
the hardworking heroes and unsung heroes of this Congress. I want to
take a few minutes to honor our Aviation Subcommittee Republican staff
director Holly Woodruff Lyons, who will be retiring at the end of the
year.
Holly was raised in sunny southern California, and she made the
inexplicable decision to choose to go to Colgate University in freezing
cold Upstate New York. I think she quickly realized the error of her
ways and transitioned to the University of San Diego School of Law for
law school.
She did some time in private practice, and then she began her federal
service over 20 years ago, in 1999, where she followed in her father's
footsteps and worked for the Federal Aviation Administration in the
Airports and Environmental Law Division.
Holly came to the Aviation Subcommittee as counsel in May of 2002
under then-Chairman Don Young. Madam Speaker, also having worked for
the dean of the House, I also question that decision.
When considering whether to take the job, Holly wondered whether she
was too old to start a career on Capitol Hill. But her first
subcommittee staff director saw there was something special about
Holly, and he told us that one of the best decisions he ever made was
recommending Holly to the committee.
Holly became the Aviation Subcommittee staff director in 2007, where
she remained for most of the last 14 years, working under Chairman
Mica, Chairman Shuster, and now Ranking Member Sam Graves. She did,
however, spend a brief time as deputy general counsel to the full
committee before returning to her rightful place in the subcommittee.
She made invaluable contributions, as the ranking member noted, to
every aviation legislative effort over the past 20 years, including the
Homeland Security Act of 2002; the Vision 100--Century Aviation
Reauthorization Act; the Cape Town Treaty Implementation Act of 2004;
the NTSB Reauthorization Act of 2006, and the Airline Safety and
Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010. She served as
the lead House negotiator on the European Union ETS Prohibition Act of
2011; the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012; the FAA Extension,
Safety, and Security Act of 2016; and the FAA Reauthorization Act of
2018. Recently, last Congress, she was also the lead House Republican
negotiator on the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and
Accountability Act.
In each one of these efforts, Holly has been a model staffer. She is
professional, intelligent, conscientious, and hardworking. She is an
excellent and fierce negotiator, as everyone who has had the pleasure
of sitting on her side of the table, or misfortune of sitting on the
other side of the table, knows. She fights for every advantage at every
turn while remaining disarmingly pleasant and entirely unflappable.
In one memorable negotiation, though, Holly leaned forward, made a
circle with her fingers, and told another committee in no uncertain
terms that they had zero jurisdiction over a certain topic. As one
former committee staff director is fond of saying: Holly plays for
keeps.
Madam Speaker, there are two kinds of people that work on Capitol
Hill: Those that have been schooled by Holly and those that will be.
But the reason everyone loves a good war story about Holly is that it
contrasts so much with her usual personally. She is friendly, kind,
approachable, and always ready to help. She has been a wonderful mentor
and friend to junior committee staff. She has almost singlehandedly
trained and mentored an entire generation of transportation and
aviation policy professionals. There is no one who has worked with or
for Holly who can say they haven't learned from her.
Madam Speaker, we often say that aviation is the safest form of
transportation, as though that is the way it has always been. When we
get on a plane, we don't have to think about whether it is safe or not
because of the incredible hard work of people like Holly and
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what they have done over the decades. It is only when we look back over
the career of someone like Holly where we can see how much things have
changed for the better. Without question, aviation is safer today than
it has ever been, in no small part through the work of Holly Woodruff
Lyons.
We thank Holly so much for her service to the committee, her service
to the House of Representatives, and her service to the American
people. Her work has saved lives and made this country a better, safer,
and more prosperous place. We are sad to see her go, but we will not
say goodbye. We still have her cellphone number. Instead, we will say,
see you soon. We wish her and Mark all the best as they start this next
chapter of their life.
Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, we thank Holly as well for her
contributions to the House and to this important issue area and wish
her all best in her next steps.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, in closing, this legislation
takes an important step in preparing the Federal Government and our
communities for the introduction of advanced air mobility vehicles.
Madam Speaker, I urge support, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this commonsense
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 New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1339, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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