# 119-s-5572: Modern Skies Act

119-s-5572, Modern Skies Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO] (R-MO); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5572
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5572
- Congress: 119
- Title: Modern Skies Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-28
- Sponsor: Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO] (R-MO)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-16

## Summary

**Modernize U.S. airports and air traffic control to handle growing demand and aging infrastructure.** This bill focuses on large, targeted investments in terminal reconstruction at certain medium hubs and major upgrades to air traffic automation and cloud systems to speed operations and improve resilience. - Travelers and nearby communities may see smoother passenger flow, preserved historic terminals, and expanded cargo capacity from upgraded terminals and support systems. These projects aim to improve capacity and resilience at busy regional airports. - Sponsors of qualifying "transitional hub" airports can compete for up to three pilot grants to rehabilitate flagship terminals. The federal share for pilot projects may reach 90% of costs for approved projects. - The FAA gets major technology funding focused on national air traffic control and terminals, including $7.2 billion for a common automation platform and $2.0 billion for cloud infrastructure to modernize operations and controller tools. *Authorizes about $30.1 billion in FY2027 appropriations for FAA modernization and grants, increasing federal spending.*

## Provisions PRIA read

- Major air traffic control upgrades: benefit, high. If enacted, the government would fund large FY2027 upgrades to air traffic control. The bill would provide $7.2 billion for a common automation platform and controller workstation, $2 billion for cloud computing and telecom infrastructure, $300 million to consolidate terminal ATC facilities, $600 m…
- Major airport terminal grants: benefit, high. If enacted, the government would provide large FY2027 funding to speed terminal rebuilding and related airport projects. The bill would create a $10 billion pilot for up to 3 "transitional hub" airports, with up to a 90% federal share and up to 3% for administration. It would also provide $5 billio…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026
- 119-s-933: NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-3903: Railway Safety Act of 2026
- 119-s-5007: SEARCH Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-5572 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5572)

## Related
- [119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4668)
- [119-s-933: NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-933)
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4378)
- [119-s-3903: Railway Safety Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3903)
- [119-s-5007: SEARCH Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5007)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5572 (as of 2026-10-16).