The House and Senate cleared a comprehensive funding bill that keeps the FAA’s budget in Fiscal Year 2015 slightly above last year’s level but shrinks the general-fund contribution to the agency’s budget to near all-time lows.

The House narrowly cleared the so-called “cromnibus” bill on December 11 by a 219-206 vote. The Senate followed with a 56-40 vote during a rare Saturday session on December 13, just a few hours before a temporary extension for the federal funding was set to expire. (The term CRomnibus was coined by political observers to reflect the bill’s origins as an omnibus bill, which is how Congress would normally fund the government, and a continuing resolution (CR), which is how Congress funds the government in the absence of agreement.)

Lawmakers provided $15.84 billion in Fiscal Year 2015 funding for the FAA, slightly higher than the $15.76 billion budget for 2014 and $440 million more than the White House request of $15.4 billion (figures do not include rescission funds or other accounting adjustments).

The FAA’s operations fund will receive $9.74 billion, while $2.6 billion was set aside for facilities equipment, $3.35 billion for Airport Improvement Program grants and $156.74 million for research, engineering and development.

The cromnibus called for the user-paid Airport and Airway Trust Fund to cover more than 88 percent of the FAA’s operations funds. In Fiscal Year 2014, the trust fund covered slightly more than two-thirds of the agency’s operations budget, and in 2013 it paid for a little more than half.

Both the White House and Congressional Budget Office documents show an eventual “zeroing out” of the general fund contribution to the aviation system over the next decade, with the users covering the entire cost of the FAA’s budget. The White House would accomplish this goal through new user fees. Congress, however, has only accounted for existing taxes covering the costs.

NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen last week told an Air Line Pilots Association symposium that the industry needs to work together to emphasize the message that the general public benefits from a healthy national air transportation system–the underlying reason for the general fund contribution.

But arguing for larger general-fund contributions might become difficult as Congress in 2015 faces renewed debate on the debt ceiling and cuts to blunt sequestration. In the bill, Congress renews its ban on the agency’s developing any new user fees, a provision that reinforces Capitol Hill’s general opposition to them despite the White House’s repeated request for $100 per-flight ATC charges.

Long-term Agency Goals

The budget contains funding to continue implementation of NextGen initiatives, including additional funding for ADS-B. Congress also places an emphasis on the FAA’s certification and inspection activities, as evidenced by a measure calling for the agency to submit an annual report on its Flight Standards and Aircraft Certification staffing by March 31. The measure builds in a $100,000 penalty each day it is late. The FAA further is directed to report on its efforts to streamline certification activity and improve its use of delegation authority.

Congress paves the way for the FAA to begin adopting practices recommended by the Part 23 aviation rulemaking committee, permitting the agency to enter into a grant agreement with “a nonprofit standard-setting organization to assist in the development of aviation safety standards.” Report language accompanying the bill stresses that Congress expects the FAA to issue a final rule on the Part 23 by late 2015, as required by law.

The contract tower program–at risk for steep cuts recently under sequestration–will be funded at $144.5 million, largely in line with the request of contract tower representatives and industry leaders.

Unleaded fuel research also is funded, with Congress setting aside $6 million for the effort, $300,000 more than requested by the administration.

The Fiscal Year 2015 budget also carries over a number of miscellaneous provisions from previous budget bills, including the continued ban on an increase in the 100,000-pound weight limit at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and the continued call for the FAA to permit aircraft operators to request privacy from flight tracking programs.

The bill further prohibits the FAA from raising its fees for aeronautical navigation products unless the agency justifies to Congress the need for the fees.

NATA president and CEO Tom Hendricks stressed the importance of passing an FAA budget that covers all of 2015, rather than more stopgap measures, as had been the case for the past several months. “Taking such action funds important priorities such as NextGen and removes the budgetary uncertainty the agency faces when operating under short-term funding bills,” Hendricks said.