S. 1438Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Small Community Air Service Enhancement Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 7:05 AM UTC

The Small Community Air Service Enhancement Act updates the federal program that supports air service to small communities. It broadens the definition of a service loss to include routes that are significantly reduced, raises the yearly funding amount, and requires the Secretary to solicit grant applications when sufficient funds are available. The changes affect small‑community airports, airlines that serve them, and the federal agencies that administer the assistance program.

Key Provisions

Expands the definition of a terminated service to also cover routes that are "significantly reduced" based on enplanements, seat capacity, schedule, connections, or routes.
Increases the authorized funding to $16 million per year for fiscal years 2024 through 2028 (up from $10 million for FY2018‑2023).
Adds a requirement that if more than $5 million is available in a fiscal year, the Secretary must issue an order soliciting grant applications for assistance under the program.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

May 3, 2023

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 3, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

May 3, 2023

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 3, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1438

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 3, 2023

Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Moran) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

A BILL

To make improvements to the small community air service development program.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Small Community Air Service Enhancement Act.

Improvements to the small community air service development program

Section 41743 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in subsection (c)(5)(E), by striking has been terminated; and inserting the following: “has been—

(i)

terminated; or

(ii)

significantly reduced (as measured by enplanements, capacity (seats), schedule, connections, or routes);

; and

(2)

in subsection (e)—

(A)

in paragraph (2), in the first sentence, by striking $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023 inserting $16,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028; and

(B)

by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(3)

Requirement if funding available

In any fiscal year in which the amount available to the Secretary to make agreements to provide assistance under this section exceeds $5,000,000, the Secretary shall, subject to the total amount so available, issue an order soliciting grant applications under this section during that fiscal year.