FAA must speed up airplane approval but cannot be sued for delays.

What it does

The bill tells the FAA to make a plan within 180 days. The plan must set timelines for approval steps and use industry standards when safe. It gives guidance on letting airplane makers do some of their own testing. The goal is to help new types of aircraft get approved faster. Flying safety stays important.

Who it affects

Airplane makers and companies building new aircraft benefit from faster approval. People who fly may see new aircraft and lower costs sooner. People cannot sue the FAA in court if it misses its own timelines.

One thing to notice

The bill sets timelines for the FAA to meet. Courts cannot enforce them if the FAA misses them.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

7 cosponsors: 4 Republicans, 3 Democrats.

• Feb 12, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 12, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure”
• Sep 15, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Sep 15, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

7 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 7 reports from Jun 2026 to Jun 2026.

Those reports show $5,167,301 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 28 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 86% of bills with any report.

Troy Nehls, who sponsored the bill, received $199,300 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• Boeing Company — $2,770,000 in 1 report
• American Association of Airport Executives — $1,172,100 in 1 report
• Airports Council International -- North America — $775,201 in 1 report
• Joby Aero, Inc. — $180,000 in 1 report
• Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International — $150,000 in 1 report

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• industry standards — Rules that airplane makers agree on together for safety and design.
• timelines — Dates and schedules for when approval steps must be done.
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.
• sponsored — To sponsor a bill is to introduce it in Congress and put your name on it.