HB1976

House Bill 1976 creates the 'Open Access to Public-Use Vertiports Act,' establishing a legal framework for the development and regulation of infrastructure for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The bill defines public-use vertiports and sets state policy to promote a network of these facilities for passenger and cargo air mobility services. A core component of the bill is the prohibition of exclusive access agreements, meaning the state and local governments cannot grant monopoly usage rights to any single operator at public-use vertiports. It encourages local governments to manage zoning to ensure equitable geographic distribution of these facilities across the state. Furthermore, the bill mandates that all vertiport designs must comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety standards and requires FAA approval of layout plans before operations can commence. The legislation is intended to be supplemental to federal law, with provisions for severability should any part conflict with federal regulations.