President Trump has approved a five-year Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization that includes an NSPE-backed amendment to expand the use of qualifications-based selection on federally funded airport projects.

In May, NSPE and other engineering and construction associations sent a letter to Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, urging the incorporation of this amendment offered by Rep. Bruce Westerman, P.E., (R-AR) and Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL).

The provision requires airports to comply with the Brooks Act, which established QBS as the method of procuring design services on federal projects, if any portion of a project uses Airport Improvement Program funds. This amendment was designed to prevent agencies from segmenting state or local funds for A/E services in order to avoid federal QBS rules.