This bill revises Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) program requirements for the Airport Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. The Airport DBE program seeks to offer small disadvantaged businesses (i.e., certified as owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals) a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded contracts related to airports.
The Department of Transportation must develop a training program for FAA employees who provide guidance and training to entities that certify whether a small business qualifies for the Airport DBE program.
This bill also revises application requirements for certain airports to impose passenger facility charges, including by requiring such airports that participate in the Airport DBE program to include a detailed description of good faith efforts to contract with disadvantaged businesses and to ensure that all small businesses fairly compete for work funded with passenger facility charges.
Further, the bill requires large- and medium-hub airports that participate in the Airport DBE program to report annually to the FAA on the number of new disadvantaged businesses that were awarded a contract or concession during the previous fiscal year.