The Fall Legislative Agenda

In addition to the September 30th deadline for appropriation bills, there are a number of other legislative measures that need to be addressed including the farm bill.  Also, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s authorization expires on September 30th. The law sets funding levels and authorizes revenue collections for Airport and Airway Trust Fund programs, which are paid for through airline ticket, fuel and other user fees and taxes. The House passed a five-year reauthorization bill (HR 3935), but a few issues are holding up the Senate bill (S 1939), and the differences between the two are extensive. The House includes an entire title on general aviation and a section that would raise the pilot retirement age, both of which are not in the Senate version. The Senate legislation contains more provisions aimed at improving travel for passengers.   Finally, the authorizations for the Coast Guard, pandemic preparedness program, Graduate Medical Education program, the National Health Service Corps, and the Community Health Center program are all expiring at the end of this month, along with a number of tax extenders.