Virginia Law

All funds accumulated from any special sales tax, excise tax or use tax, now or which may hereafter be imposed under the laws of this Commonwealth on aviation motor fuel purchased or used in this Commonwealth in the propulsion of aircraft, and all funds heretofore or hereafter accumulated from any fees for licensing or registering of airmen, aircraft and airports, now or hereafter imposed under the laws of this Commonwealth, and all funds heretofore, and which may hereafter be, appropriated to the Department for the purpose of the promotion and development of aviation and airports, including the expense of the administration by the Department of the laws pertaining to aviation, as now or as may be hereafter enacted, and the jurisdiction for the administration thereof conferred on the Department, are hereby constituted a special fund within the Commonwealth Transportation Fund for the administration of the aviation laws, heretofore or hereafter enacted, insofar as the administration has been, or shall be, imposed upon the Department, for the construction, maintenance and improvement of airports and landing fields and for the promotion of aviation in the interest of operators and in the interest of the public. However, of the moneys expended for the construction, maintenance and improvement of airports at least thirty-five percent thereof computed over a period of three years shall be expended on carrier and reliever airports. Beginning July 1, 1998, any balances remaining in this fund at the end of the year shall be available for use in subsequent years for the purposes set forth in this chapter, and any interest income on such fund shall accrue to the fund.

In considering or evaluating the application for or award of any grant of moneys under this section, the Board shall take into account the capacities of all airports within the affected geographic region.

Code 1950, § 5-42; 1966, c. 576; 1970, c. 717; 1974, c. 388; 1979, c. 272; 1997, c. 423; 1998, c. 480.

Such special fund shall be expended and disbursed by order of the Department, through the medium of warrants drawn by the Comptroller, for the reasonable and necessary costs of administration of the Department and for the planning, construction, maintenance and improvement of airports and landing fields, to which the public now has, or which it is proposed shall have, access, and for the promotion of aviation in the interest of operators generally. Such expenditures and disbursements may be in the form of grants or loans to such person or persons as may be, in the discretion of the Board, entitled thereto in the interest of the public. Such grants or loans shall be made under such terms and conditions, as may be fixed by the Board and, in the case of loans, the rate of interest and the terms of repayment thereof as may be fixed by the Board.

In considering or evaluating the application for or award of any grant of moneys under this section, the Board shall take into account the capacities of all airports within the affected geographic region.

Code 1950, § 5-43; 1966, c. 576; 1970, c. 717; 1979, c. 272; 1998, c. 480.

The special fund created and provided for in § 5.1-51 shall be so set up on the books of the Comptroller as to segregate the amounts paid into the fund as a direct tax upon aviation motor fuel purchased by operators of airplanes and aircraft, and no portion of such fund, accumulated in the manner hereinbefore provided, shall ever be used for any other purpose than for the administration of the aviation laws and the construction, maintenance and improvement of airports and landing fields, and no portion of the same shall be covered into the general fund of the state treasury, such funds derived in the manner aforesaid being hereby irrevocably appropriated for promotion of aviation in the interest of operators and of the public, as provided in this chapter, and to the extent necessary only, for the administration of this and other aviation laws.

Code 1950, § 5-44; 1966, c. 576; 1970, c. 717.

Repealed by Acts 1979, c. 272.

No part of such special fund shall be used for recurring expenditures on any airport or landing field under this chapter; except that recurring expenditures may be made where the Department deems such expenditure to be necessary for the preservation of the safety of the public.

Code 1950, § 5-46; 1966, c. 576; 1979, c. 272.