The Small Airplane Revitalization Act, which won unanimous passage in the House last month, took another major step toward becoming law after the bill sailed through a Senate committee.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee’s bill, like the House version, would require the FAA to establish new, less onerous Part 23 airplane certification standards by Dec. 31, 2015. The FAA helped write the legislation, which has the goal of making aircraft and avionics certification less expensive. The aim is to double safety while cutting certification costs in half.
The companion House bill passed by a vote of 411-0. The Senate bill is expected to win broad support as well, meaning it will likely head to President Obama this fall.
AOPA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association applauded the speed with which the bill has moved through Congress.
“This legislation will help industry and the FAA develop and adopt more effective regulations and standards that will spur manufacturers’ investment in new aircraft designs. It will also help put critical lifesaving equipment into the existing fleet of airplanes,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. “These changes represent a win-win by enhancing safety and relaxing unnecessary regulatory cost burdens on industry and the FAA, which will help revitalize the lighter end of general aviation.”
We welcome your comments on flyingmag.com. In order to maintain a respectful environment, we ask that all comments be on-topic, respectful and spam-free. All comments made here are public and may be republished by Flying.
