MO SB818

State Highways and Transportation Commission administers aeronautics program and may provide grants from the aviation trust fund to political subdivisions, state instrumentalities, and privately owned Federal Aviation Administration-designated reliever airports for planning, acquisition, construction, improvement, and maintenance.

Aviation trust fund is a revolving trust fund exempt from general revenue fund transfer provisions, with all interest earned deposited back to the fund; grants prioritize airports with consistent local funding for the past five years with no reductions.

Fund uses include matching funds (up to 90% state/10% local) for runway maintenance, land acquisition, taxiway and aircraft parking area construction, runway lighting installation, fencing, navigational equipment, airport planning projects, and safety equipment.

Lowers threshold for optional promotional funding from six million dollars to four million five hundred thousand dollars in annual deposits; limits promotional spending to two million dollars annually and requires at least four million dollars spent on other purposes.

Adds "airport business plans" and "strategic plans" as eligible airport planning projects; allows up to $500,000 annually for operating unfunded air traffic control towers with no more than $167,000 per individual tower.