# 119-s-3885: Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act

119-s-3885, Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3885
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3885
- Congress: 119
- Title: Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-02-12
- Sponsor: Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT)
- Cosponsors: 11
- Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

This bill would push the FAA to make the aircraft type certification process more **transparent and predictable**. It targets modernization for new technologies like advanced air mobility and sets deadlines for plans, timelines, and delegation guidance. - Manufacturers and advanced air mobility developers would get a public plan and standard timelines that clarify issue papers, special conditions, and means of compliance, with a plan due within 180 days and timeline updates within 270 days. - Airports and prospective vertiport or infrastructure providers would be consulted on design changes needed to support new aircraft and operations. - FAA staff and applicants would get updated delegation guidance within 90 days and clearer criteria for when issue papers are required. The Administrator must also report annually to Congress on performance meeting the standard timelines and on missed deadlines.

## Cosponsors (11)

- Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC] (R-NC), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT] (R-UT), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY] (R-WY), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] (R-IN), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2026-06-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moreno, Bernie [R-OH] (R-OH), 2026-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-07-14T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Clearer rules for FAA issue papers: benefit, low. If enacted, the FAA Administrator would amend FAA Order 8110.112A within 180 days. The changes would set clear criteria for when to create an issue paper and who decides. They would account for performance‑based projects and reduce recurring issue papers. Stable compliance papers would be converted…
- Faster, clearer aircraft certification timelines: benefit, low. If enacted, the FAA Administrator would publish a plan on the FAA website within 180 days. The FAA would set standard timeline ranges for major certification steps within 270 days. The FAA would consult industry, infrastructure providers, and employee representatives. Complex safety issues would be…
- New FAA delegation rules for certification: benefit, low. If enacted, the FAA Administrator would publish updated delegation guidance within 90 days. The guidance would set who can qualify to take on delegated certification tasks. It would mark compliance findings as routine or safety‑critical. It would require documentation and management review when the…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.
- 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona.
- 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina.
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.
- 119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for the State of California.

## Sources
- [119-s-3885 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3885)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897)
- [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-739)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3885 (as of 2026-09-10).