Under the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994, airport sponsors may submit applications to the Secretary of Transportation for financial assistance for airport improvement projects. Under the act, upon approval by the Secretary of Transportation, the United States government may pay for certain project costs.
Existing law establishes the Aeronautics Account in the State Transportation Fund. Existing law requires that funds in the account be paid to certain public entities owning and operating an airport for projects for airport and aviation purposes, as defined, or operation and maintenance purposes, as defined. Existing law authorizes any balance remaining in the fund to be used as a portion of the local match for federal Airport Improvement Program grants for general aviation airports, as defined, or reliever airports, as defined. Existing law prohibits the California Transportation Commission from allocating funds until the federal grant offer is accepted by the public entity. Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation, upon allocation of the funds by the commission, to pay a public entity 5% of the amount of a federal Airport Improvement Program grant.
This bill would authorize the department, until December 31, 2006, upon allocation of the funds by the commission, to pay a public entity 10% of the local matching share of a federal Airport Improvement Program grant for security projects, as defined, at small general aviation airports, as defined.
The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.