Draft Federal Legislative Agenda for 2024
Briefing to Port of Seattle Commission
January 9, 2024
Eric Schinfeld, Sr. Manager, Federal & International Government Relations, Port of Seattle
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Item No. 11a_supp
Meeting Date: January 9, 2024
Overview
• 2023 Key Accomplishments & 2024 Outlook
• Overview of Draft 2024 Policy Priorities
Infrastructure and Transportation
Decarbonization and Sustainability
Community and Equity
Trade, Economic Development and Workforce
• Next steps
– Incorporate Commission feedback
– Seek Commission adoption at 1/23/24 meeting
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2023 Successes
• Inclusion of Key StART Priorities in House & Senate Versions of FAA Reauthorization:
– U.S. Representative Adam Smith’s Protecting Airport Communities from Particle Emissions Act
– Representative Smith’s Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program Act
– Creating a clear process and deadline for review and action on the FAA’s 65 DNL noise contour metric
– Funding for the FAA’s Environmental Mitigation Pilot Program
– FAA guidance for new regional airport capacity
• 2023 StART DC Fly-in
– 20 Elected officials and staff advocating jointly and successfully for the above priorities
• Inclusion of Flexibility for Airport Owned Parks in House & Senate Versions of FAA Reauthorization
– Provides SEA the option to sell or preserve certain park parcels, even if federal dollars were used for their purchase
• Passage of MARAD Reauthorization
– PIDP for cruise shore power and “seafood cargo” infrastructure
• FY24 Senate Transportation Appropriations Funding
– Secondary Noise Insulation Study Funding
Impactful Progress on Current Port Priorities
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2024 Outlook
• Divided government/Presidential Election Year
– Limits potential for legislative progress
– Agencies have significant rulemaking authority
• Potential areas of Port-relevant legislative progress:
– Appropriations
– FAA Reauthorization Act
– Farm Bill
– Supplemental Appropriations Bill (for CBP staffing)
• Potential areas of Port-relevant executive/agency progress:
– Grant funding
– Clean energy/Climate/Green Corridor
– Trade
– Workforce development
Potential Opportunities for Progress on Port Priorities
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Top Policy Priorities
I. Infrastructure and Transportation
1) Federal funding for infrastructure projects
2) Federal staffing of our aviation and maritime facilities
3) Address regulatory issues that impact infrastructure development
II. Decarbonization and Sustainability
4) Federal funding & partnerships, particularly SAF and green corridor
5) Transition from PFAS firefighting foams
6) Address regulatory issues and backlogs that impede environmental mitigation work
7) Federal funding & partnerships to support SRKW, including underwater noise
III. Community and Equity
8) Federal policies, funding & partnerships to address aircraft noise and emissions
9) Federal policies & partnerships to address equity priorities, including immigration and human trafficking
IV. Trade, Economic Development and Workforce
10) Federal funding for economic development, tourism promotion, and workforce development programs
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New/Updated Infrastructure &
Transportation Priorities for 2024
• Take advantage of the provisions from last year ’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that extended
authorization for PIDP to be used to fund infrastructure at “seafood cargo” facilities.
• Pursue additional CBP staffing through the supplemental appropriations legislation
• Support design of the West Waterway portion of the Seattle Harbor Navigation Improvement Project; pursue
approvals for early action to remove high spots in the waterway
• Reach agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers to develop a plan to begin design on the East Waterway
portion of the project
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New/Updated Decarbonization Priorities for 2024
• Support the finalization and implementation of a new version of the U.S. DOE’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated
Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) model as the secondary methodology for calculating tax credits
under the new SAF Blender’s Tax Credit.
• Take advantage of the provisions from last year ’s NDAA that extended authorization for PIDP to be used to fund
shore power for cruise terminals, for ports that also operate cargo facilities.
• Work with partners to successfully invest federal funding for clean hydrogen projects, such as from the Pacific
Northwest’s Regional Hydrogen Hub program.
• Advocate for the 2024 Farm bill to include a 1) new U.S. Department of Agriculture “Farm to Fly” Program and 2)
the addition of “fuel for ocean-going vessels” to the Renewable Fuel Standard to expand alternative fuel resources
for the aviation and maritime sector.
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New/Updated Sustainability Priorities for 2024
• Work within existing federal programs and/or support the creation of new federal programs that can enhance
domestic ship building capacity – particularly related to vessels that can utilize alternative maritime fuels and/or
help transport clean energy like offshore wind turbines
• Support implementation of reforms to federal regulatory processes to speed the approval and creation of NWSA
and home port habitat sites
• Pursue legislation to allow the Port of Seattle to conduct its environmental remediation and restoration around
Terminal 25 South without being required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge that area to navigable
depths, given that it is not currently maintained as such
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New/Updated Community & Equity Priorities for 2024
• Advocate for Congressional passage of provisions included in the House and Senate versions of the FAA
Reauthorization Act that were prioritized by the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART):
o U.S. Representative Adam Smith’s Protecting Airport Communities from Particle Emissions Act
o Representative Smith’s Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program Act
o Creating a clear process and deadline for review and action on the FAA’s 65 DNL noise contour metric
o Funding for the FAA’s Environmental Mitigation Pilot Program
o FAA guidance for new regional airport capacity
• Advocate for Congressional passage of the provision included in both the House and Senate versions of the
FAA Reauthorization Act that provides SEA the option, if desired, to sell or preserve certain park parcels, even if
federal dollars were used for their purchase
• Advocate for Congressional passage of FY24 Senate Transportation Appropriations Legislation that funds a
secondary noise insulation study
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Next Steps
• Today – Commission briefing in public session
• Now through January 23, 2024 – Incorporate feedback received
• January 23, 2024 – Ask Commission for adoption in public session
• February 2024 – Meetings with Congressional offices to distribute agenda and share priorities
• March – December 2024 – Commissioners participation in DC advocacy, such as:
– March: ACI/AAAE, PNWA & AAPA DC Fly-ins
– April: Seattle Chamber-Portland Chamber Joint DC Fly-in
– TBD: 2024 StART DC Fly-in?
– August: Congressional Recess meetings & tours
– December: AWB DC Fly-in
Questions?
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