Expedited Delivery of Airport Infrastructure Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 468) to amend title 49, United States Code, to permit the use of incentive payments to expedite certain federally financed airport development projects.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 468

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 2021''. 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 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 in the heading by striking ``Partnership Program Airports'' and inserting ``Partnership program airports''.

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Ms. NORTON. 468.

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 468, the Expedited Delivery of Airport Infrastructure Act of 2021. Introduced by the committee's ranking member, Sam Graves, the bill incentivizes the early completion of airport projects funded by the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program.

As the global pandemic begins to subside and the number of vaccinated Americans has steadily grown, the number of passengers traveling by air has dramatically increased. In fact, last month, the Transportation Security Administration recorded the highest number of daily passengers screened at U.S. airports since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing airports to find ways to keep up with the growing passenger demand.

This legislation will help address this need by allowing airports to use their Airport Improvement Program funding to offer incentive payments to contractors for early completion of airport development projects.

Importantly, H.R. 468 includes conditions that ensure projects completed early do not have a negative impact on airport safety, efficiency, or capacity.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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