FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2024
H.R. 3935

Subtitle B – Advanced Air Mobility
Sec. 951. Definitions
This section defines “Advanced Air Mobility,” “powered-lift aircraft,” “Regional Air Mobility,”
“Urban Air Mobility,” and “Vertiport.”
Sec. 952. Sense of Congress on FAA leadership in advanced air mobility
This section states that it is the sense of Congress that the United States position itself as a global
leader in advanced air mobility and states that the FAA shall work with manufacturers,
prospective operators, and other relevant stakeholders to enable the safe entry of these aircraft
into the national airspace system.
Sec. 953. Application of National Environmental Policy Act categorical exclusions for
vertiport projects
This section states that the FAA shall apply applicable categorical exclusions in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and subchapter A of
chapter V of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, or establish new categorical exclusions with
the Council on Environmental Quality for use when considering the environmental impacts of
proposed vertiport projects on airports.
Sec. 954. Advanced air mobility working group amendments
This section extends the inter-departmental working group established though the Advanced Air
Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act by six months and clarifies the intended scope of
such working group to cover urban and regional air mobility. This section also makes technical
corrections, definitional edits, and expands the future uses of the working group if determined
valuable by DOT.
Sec. 955. Rules for operation of powered-lift aircraft
This section requires the FAA to publish a special final rule for the operations of, and pilot
requirements for, powered lift aircraft within 7 months and applies specific requirements and
considerations to such rulemaking.
If the FAA fails to publish such special final rule within 16 months, specific existing operating
and training rules shall apply to powered-lift aircraft until such time as the FAA publishes a
special final rule.
In addition, this section establishes a powered-lift aviation rulemaking advisory committee to
provide recommendations on the development of permanent regulations for the certification and
operation of powered-lift aircraft. The FAA shall initiate a rulemaking based on those
recommendations and other requirements.
Sec. 956. Advanced propulsion systems regulations
This section requires that the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) provide
recommendations to the FAA on updating regulations related to new forms of propulsion
mechanisms and methods.
Sec. 957. Powered-lift aircraft entry into service
This section requires the FAA to provide short-term and long-term solutions for the safe
integration of powered-lift aircraft into the national airspace, including controlled airspace. This
section also requires that the FAA evaluate the impact of such operations on air traffic
controllers and the use of other tools to support ATC.
Sec. 958. Infrastructure supporting vertical flight
This section requires the FAA to update the Vertiport Design Engineering Brief, publish a
performance-based vertiport design advisory circular, and begin performing the work necessary
to update the Heliport Design Advisory Circular in order to provide performance-based design
guidance.
This section further requires that the FAA provide a mechanism by which an existing
infrastructure operator can safely accommodate powered-lift aircraft.
Lastly, this section requires that the FAA provide Airport District Offices with adequate
guidance to support the development of vertiports, update relevant forms, and consider powered-
lift operations in operational forecasts.
Sec. 959. Charting of aviation infrastructure
This section instructs the FAA to continue to improve the accuracy of the Airport Master Record
database and improve the process by which the operators of private and public aviation
infrastructure can update database.
Sec. 960. Advanced air mobility infrastructure pilot program extension
This section amends the Advanced Air Mobility Infrastructure Pilot Program established in the
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 to conform the definitions to this Act. This section also
clarifies that the consideration of the use of existing infrastructure in concert with new
infrastructure is eligible under the grant program.
Lastly, this section expands the information collected by DOT under the pilot program and
extends the program for two years, through 2026.
Sec. 961. Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies
This section directs the FAA to create a plan to establish a Center for Advanced Aviation
Technologies that would support the testing and advancement of new and emerging aviation
technologies. The section directs the FAA to consider the following as roles and responsibilities
for the Center: facilitating partnerships between industry, academia, and other government
agencies, identifying new and emerging aviation technologies, innovative aviation concepts, and
other relevant aviation services, and developing testing corridors or other flight demonstration
zones to facilitate safe integration of advanced air mobility into the National Airspace System.
This section would further direct the FAA to establish the Center not later than September 30,
2026.