House and Senate negotiators have reached agreement on a four-year measure authorizing $63.6 billion for Federal Aviation Administration programs, including FAA's Airport Improvement Program (AIP) construction grants. Once the measure is enacted, it would bring an end to more than four years of short-term authorizations for AIP and other FAA programs.
News of the House-Senate deal came at a meeting of conferees late in the afternoon of Jan. 31. The final conference report was filed about mid-day on Feb. 1, a Senate staffer said. The measure next goes to the full House and Senate for final congressional votes.