---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 47173"
title: "49"
title_heading: "Transportation"
number: "47173"
heading: "Airport funding of FAA staff"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/47173"
units:
  - "Subtitle VII — Aviation Programs"
  - "Part B — Airport Development and Noise"
  - "Chapter 471 — Airport Development"
  - "Subchapter III — Aviation Development Streamlining"
---

# §47173. Airport funding of FAA staff

- (a) **Acceptance of Sponsor-Provided Funds.—** Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may accept funds from an [airport sponsor](/usc/49/47175.md?p=2), including funds provided to the [sponsor](/usc/49/47102.md?p=26) under [section 47114(c)](/usc/49/47114.md?p=c), to hire additional staff or obtain the services of consultants—
  - (1) to facilitate the timely processing, review, and completion of environmental activities associated with an [airport development](/usc/49/47102.md?p=3) [project](/usc/49/47102.md?p=17);
  - (2) to conduct special environmental studies related to an [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) [project](/usc/49/47102.md?p=17) funded with Federal funds;
  - (3) to conduct special studies or reviews to support approved noise compatibility measures described in part 150 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations;
  - (4) to conduct special studies or reviews to support environmental mitigation in a record of decision or finding of no significant impact by the Federal Aviation Administration; and
  - (5) to facilitate the timely processing, review, and completion of environmental activities associated with new or amended flight procedures, including performance-based navigation procedures, such as required navigation performance procedures and area navigation procedures.
- (b) **Administrative Provision.—** Instead of payment from an [airport sponsor](/usc/49/47175.md?p=2) from funds apportioned to the [sponsor](/usc/49/47102.md?p=26) under [section 47114](/usc/49/47114.md), the Administrator, with agreement of the [sponsor](/usc/49/47102.md?p=26), may transfer funds that would otherwise be apportioned to the [sponsor](/usc/49/47102.md?p=26) under [section 47114](/usc/49/47114.md) to the account used by the Administrator for activities described in [subsection (a)](#a).
- (c) **Receipts Credited as Offsetting Collections.—** Notwithstanding [section 3302 of title 31](/usc/31/3302.md), any funds accepted under this section, except funds transferred pursuant to [subsection (b)](#b)—
  - (1) shall be credited as offsetting collections to the account that finances the activities and services for which the funds are accepted;
  - (2) shall be available for expenditure only to pay the costs of activities and services for which the funds are accepted; and
  - (3) shall remain available until expended.
- (d) **Maintenance of Effort.—** No funds may be accepted pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a), or transferred pursuant to [subsection (b)](#b), in any fiscal year in which the Federal Aviation Administration does not allocate at least the amount it expended in fiscal year 2002 (excluding amounts accepted pursuant to [section 337](/usc/49/337.md) of the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002 (115 Stat. 862)) for the activities described in [subsection (a)](#a).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 108–176, title III, § 304(a), Dec. 12, 2003, 117 Stat. 2537; amended Pub. L. 112–95, title V, § 503, Feb. 14, 2012, 126 Stat. 103.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 337 of the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002, referred to in subsec. (d), is section 337 of Pub. L. 107–87, Dec. 18, 2001, 115 Stat. 862, which is not classified to the Code.

### Amendments

2012—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–95 substituted “services of consultants—” for “services of consultants in order to facilitate the timely processing, review, and completion of environmental activities associated with an airport development project.” and added pars. (1) to (5).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section applicable only to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 2003, except as otherwise specifically provided, see section 3 of Pub. L. 108–176, set out an Effective Date of 2003 Amendment note under section 106 of this title.