Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VII— - AVIATION PROGRAMS › Part PART A— - AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY › Subpart subpart i— - general › Chapter CHAPTER 401— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 40121
The FAA Administrator must stop any acquisition program started after the enactment date of the Air Traffic Management System Performance Improvement Act of 1996 and paid from the Facilities and Equipment account if the program is more than 50% over its cost goal, meets less than 50% of its performance goals, or is more than 50% behind schedule. The Administrator must also consider ending any major program that is more than 10% over cost, meets less than 90% of performance goals, or is more than 10% behind schedule. However, the Administrator may keep a program that otherwise would be ended if stopping it would hurt the safe and efficient operation of the national air transportation system. The Department of Defense gets the same acquisition-law exemptions the Administrator may waive under section 40110(d)(2) when DoD works with the FAA to improve or replenish the national air traffic control system. The FAA may buy land, goods, or services through DoD or other agencies but must follow the applicable acquisition laws and rules. If the Administrator decides to continue a program for the safety/efficiency reason, they must send that decision and the reasons to the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
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Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
49 U.S.C. § 40121
Title 49 — Transportation
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73