The House Ways and Means Committee today passed H.R.3539, a tax code modification companion bill to H.R.2881, the House FAA reauthorization legislation. In a victory for general aviation groups, the committee voted to keep airline taxes, including the airline fuel tax, at existing levels. Under the legislation, avgas taxes would increase from 19.3 to 24.1 cents per gallon and the jet-A tax would rise from 21.8 to 35.9 cents per gallon. According to AOPA, money from the increased taxes on GA fuel would be earmarked exclusively for ATC modernization. “H.R. 2881 is the framework of the best solution for all of aviation, and we’re delighted that the Ways and Means Committee concurred with the recommendations of the Transportation Committee,” said AOPA president Phil Boyer. “This bill ensures that there will be more than enough money to pay for air traffic control modernization.” The House Transportation Committee is expected to pass H.R.2881 later this week, which would then send the FAA reauthorization bill to the House for a floor vote.