[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2658-H2659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AIRPORT REGULATORY RELIEF ACT OF 2025
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6427) to amend title 49, United States Code, to permit the
use of State highway standards for airfield pavement construction and
improvement under certain circumstances, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6427
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 ``Airport Regulatory Relief
Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. USE OF STATE HIGHWAY STANDARDS.
Section 47114(d)(4) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended to read as follows:
``(4) Use of state highway specifications.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall use the highway
specifications of a State for airfield pavement construction
and improvement using funds made available under this
subsection or subsection (c)(1)(D) at nonprimary airports
serving aircraft that do not exceed 60,000 pounds gross
weight if--
``(i) such State provides notice to the Secretary that
nonprimary airports in the State intend to use such highway
specifications; and
``(ii) the Secretary determines that such specifications
will not negatively affect safety.
``(B) Deadline.--The Secretary shall make a determination
described in subparagraph (A)(ii) not later than 6 months
after a State provides notice to the Secretary under
subparagraph (A)(i).
``(C) Extension.--If the Secretary determines that the time
provided under subparagraph (B) is insufficient to make a
determination, the Secretary may extend the determination
period by 6 months, so long as the Secretary--
``(i) notifies the State that provided notice pursuant to
subparagraph (A)(i) of the extension; and
``(ii) provides justification for the extension to such
State.
``(D) Additional extensions.--The Secretary may authorize
additional extensions under subparagraph (C).''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Taylor) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Figures) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
General Leave
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 6427.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 6427, the Airport Regulatory Relief Act of 2025,
is a commonsense piece of legislation that reduces the burden on States
seeking to use State highway specifications for airfield projects at
nonprimary airports serving smaller aircraft.
Our Nation's small and general aviation airports are vital links for
rural communities, connecting them to essential services, supporting
local jobs, and strengthening the national aviation system.
Under current law, States seeking to use State highway pavement
standards for airfield projects must formally request approval from the
Secretary of Transportation.
This legislation cuts unnecessary red tape by allowing States to
notify the Secretary, rather than navigate a lengthy approval process.
At the same time, the bill preserves safety by maintaining the
requirement that the Secretary determine that such standards will not
negatively affect aviation safety.
By streamlining the process while upholding safety, this legislation
will help deliver airfield improvements faster and more efficiently to
the communities that need them most.
Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Begich for his leadership on
this issue. I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6427, the Airport Regulatory
Relief Act, as amended, introduced by my colleague from Alaska,
Representative Begich.
Current law provides small, general aviation nonprimary airports
flexibility in how they construct runways by granting them the choice
of using either Federal aviation paving standards or State highway
paving standards. These options come with stipulations that the runways
only service small planes, A, and, B, the DOT determines that it would
not decrease aviation safety.
Unfortunately, local and rural airports are having trouble with the
time it takes the DOT to make these determinations.
H.R. 6427 would allow small airports to be more agile in their
project planning by changing the requirement for States to formally
request permission from the Department of Transportation in order to
use State highway specifications.
By allowing States to simply notify the Department of Transportation
of their intention to use the State highway specifications rather than
formally request permission, critical airfield pavement construction
projects will no longer be subject to lengthy and bureaucratic delays.
For oversight, the bill maintains the requirement that the Department
of Transportation make a determination on whether the use of such State
highway standards would negatively affect aviation safety.
If more time is needed to conduct the safety review, the DOT may take
successive 6-month extensions, so long as the DOT also notifies the
airport and provides such airport with justification.
This deadline and extension process will help increase transparency
for airport applicants, who will now be more regularly updated, and
ensure accountability by requiring justification to come from the
Department of Transportation.
[[Page H2659]]
Madam Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues
to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Alaska (Mr. Begich), who is the author of this legislation.
Mr. BEGICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6427, the
Airport Regulatory Relief Act of 2025, a bill I introduced to cut
unnecessary Federal red tape and deliver real cost savings to America's
small, rural airports, especially those across my home State of Alaska.
For Alaska, maintaining our small airports is essential to keeping
people, goods, and services moving, ensuring that supplies can reach
even the most remote communities, and preserving access to lifesaving
medical care, reliable mail service, and economic opportunity.
For years, the FAA has required even our smallest nonprimary
airports, those serving aircraft under 60,000 pounds gross weight, to
follow the same costly, one-size-fits-all Federal pavement standards
written for the Nation's largest international hubs. These rigid
mandates and bureaucratic approval processes drive up construction
costs, create lengthy delays, and stall critical runway repairs.
H.R. 6427 fixes exactly that problem. It allows States to use their
own proven highway construction standards for airfield pavement
projects at these nonprimary airports.
The process is simple and safe: The State simply notifies the
Secretary of its intent, and the FAA must determine that the
specifications will not negatively affect safety in any way. There is
no new Federal spending and no lowering of standards, just commonsense
flexibility that gets work done faster and cheaper for the airports
that need it most.
This legislation has strong bipartisan support because it helps rural
airports in every corner of the country without ever compromising the
safety of the traveling public.
Madam Speaker, in Alaska, our airports are lifelines. Passing H.R.
6427 will empower States and local communities to maintain those
lifelines more efficiently and affordably.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this
commonsense measure.
Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, our local and rural airports are the backbone of
general aviation in the United States, and they need Congress' help to
remain cost competitive. This is a commonsense piece of legislation
that removes the Federal Government.
This is not a situation where the Federal Government knows what is
best. Many States have been doing this much longer than the Federal
Government.
My State of Alabama is not often thought of as one in the lens of
aviation history, but the Wright brothers, whom we have spoken about
today at length, were from Ohio and flew in North Carolina. When it
came time to open their first civilian flight school, a little-known
fact is that they opened it in Montgomery County, Alabama, which I now
have the privilege of representing.
They did that in 1910. The FAA wasn't founded until 1958, so the
State of Alabama has been dealing with how to land aircraft on small
airfields for nearly 50 years before the Federal Government was. They
know how to get the job done, and this bill allows them to do just
that.
Madam Speaker, that is why I support H.R. 6427, and I urge my
colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, nonprimary airports play a vital role in connecting
rural and underserved communities like mine to essential services,
sustaining local jobs, and enabling emergency response capabilities.
Cutting red tape helps reduce project delays, lower construction costs,
and gives communities faster access to modern, safe airfield
infrastructure, allowing limited dollars to stretch further and deliver
greater value to passengers and local economies.
This commonsense measure reduces the burden on smaller airports
seeking to use State highway pavement standards for airfield
construction projects.
Madam Speaker, I was cosponsor of this legislation. I urge support of
this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Taylor) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 6427, 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.
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