Congress OKs Travel Bills

<H1> Congress OKs Travel Bills</H1>By Barbara Cook<P. <I>Washington, </I>D.C. - The 104th Congress enacted a series of travel-related bills before adjourning a few weeks ago. Among the major pieces of legislation passed were the following:

<H1></H1> President Clinton signed an omnibus spending bill providing funding for $197.6 million in enhanced aviation security measures. The legislation will finance the implementation of airport and airline security measures recommended by Vice President Al Gore's aviation safety and security commission, including the purchase of significant numbers of advanced bomb detection devices, the hiring of 300 more FAA aviation security personnel to test airport security measures, money for 114 explosives detection canine teams, funds for the FAA to assess and improve security at airports and money to underwrite security research and operational testing of airport security screening equipment.

<H1></H1> The United States Tourism Organization Act of 1996, establishing a private-public national tourism office, passed both chambers and is expected to be signed by the President. A top priority of last year's White House Conference on Travel and Tourism, the bill officially designates the U.S. National Tourism Organization as the chief entity in charge of promoting all aspects of travel to this country-from vacation travel to the meetings business. An interim NTO has been operating since March 1996 out of the Washington, D.C., offices of the Travel Industry Association, pending passage of the legislation.

<H1></H1> Congress funded the Amtrak system for another six months, including three long-distance routes that were slated to be slashed on Nov. 10 due to the rail line's budget troubles. Lawmakers included an extra $82.5 million for the rail line as part of the omnibus spending bill for next year. Most of the added money will go for improvements in the Northeast Corridor line, which is being upgraded to add faster trains.

In addition, compromise legislation cleared both chambers to renew the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration for two years over a mix of related aviation initiatives, such as the beginnings of FAA reform. Special provisions in the FAA legislation include:

<H1></H1> Establishment of a two-year, five-airport pilot program to test the feasibility of turning over ownership and operation of the facilities from local governments to the private sector. Conditions would be attached to the pilot test, and only airports with commercial air service could be turned over to long-term leases. Smaller, general-aviation airports, which are used mostly by corporate and recreational aircraft, could be leased or sold.

<H1></H1> Elimination of the FAA's dual mandate of both promoting aviation safety and promoting commercial aviation. With the new legislation, the FAA's only priority is safety and security.

<H1></H1> Authorization for the FAA to certify small airports that are served by commuter airlines using equipment with 10 to 30 seats. The thrust of this provision is to impose increased safety standards on these smaller facilities.

<H1></H1> Authorization for the FAA to impose fees on overflights of this country by foreign carriers.

<H1></H1> $50 million in funding for the Essential Air Service program, which funds air service to small communities.