Aviation Funding Solvency Act

Key Points

• This bill would let the FAA keep running during a government shutdown by tapping into the Aviation Insurance Revolving Fund — a special pot of money normally used for aviation war risk insurance — to cover day-to-day operations and equipment costs.
• If the fund starts running low, the FAA must prioritize paying air traffic controllers — the workers who keep planes safely spaced in the sky — before spending on anything else.
• The bill includes a safety net for the insurance fund itself: the FAA cannot draw from it if doing so would drop the fund's balance below $1 billion, ensuring the fund can still cover its original purpose.
• Spending during a shutdown would be capped at the previous year's levels, and all money spent would be charged back to normal appropriations once Congress passes a budget or continuing resolution.
• The bill also permanently extends the FAA's authority to provide non-premium war risk insurance by removing the existing sunset date, which ensures this insurance program continues without needing periodic reauthorization.