sperdue
Filing Flight Plan
Please support the new bill in front of the Texas Legislature:
Below are the facts about the bill.
Texas HB 2839:
Recreational Use Statute (RUS) Amendment to include Aviation Activities
The Texas Recreational Use Statute (RUS) was originally enacted in 1965 to limit the liability of Texas land
owners who allow others to use their land for hunting, fishing or camping. The TX RUS has been amended
many times over the years to expand the immunity and to broaden the scope of the law.
Texas House Bill 2839 would once again expand this immunity to provide tort liability protection for private
owners of public use aviation landing facilities by simply adding “aviation activities” to the existing RUS.
Owners of private airfields, which are utilized in the same recreational manner as other privately owned,
publicly consumed recreational areas, may be held liable for a pilot’s negligent activity at the airfield. With
this possibility present, many private airfield owners choose to limit their runway to their usage only.
Amending the statute does not change the “restricted” or “private” status of the airfield. Pilots must continue
to ask private airfield owners for permission to use their airstrips; however, with this statue in place, general
aviation’s reach across the backcountry areas of the State would be expanded. Private landowners are more
prone to allowing public access without fear of being held liable for incidents occurring on the airfield.
HB 2839 would offer more public use viable fields in case of inflight emergencies and would greatly expand
general aviation’s reach across the backcountry areas of the State by making it possible for those airfield
owners to open their facility to public use without fear of being held liable for incidents occurring on the
airfield. With the added liability protection afforded by HB2839, airfield owners will finally be able to
support the additional flights conducted by general aviation operators (agricultural applicators, medical
evacuation providers, law enforcement, and many small businesses), increasing Texas’ annual economic
impact within the State from its current $14.6 billion a year.
— general aviation alone accounts for $14.6 billion total annual economic impact.
— There are approximately 51,000 pilots and 32,000 aircraft based in the state.
— There are 2,039 registered airports and many more unregistered (all private-owned, private-use)
in Texas, of which: -288 are public-owned, public-use airports, - 106 private-owned airports are currently opened for public usage,
- Two (2) airports are military joint use (Wichita falls and killeen), and
-1,643 are private-owned, private-use airports.
This is the number of potential airports that could be opened up if HB 2839 is passed.
___________________________
Here is the actual bill- HB 2839
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83R/billtext/pdf/HB02839I.pdf#navpanes=0
Who is your representative:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/find-your-representative/
Below are the facts about the bill.
Texas HB 2839:
Recreational Use Statute (RUS) Amendment to include Aviation Activities
The Texas Recreational Use Statute (RUS) was originally enacted in 1965 to limit the liability of Texas land
owners who allow others to use their land for hunting, fishing or camping. The TX RUS has been amended
many times over the years to expand the immunity and to broaden the scope of the law.
Texas House Bill 2839 would once again expand this immunity to provide tort liability protection for private
owners of public use aviation landing facilities by simply adding “aviation activities” to the existing RUS.
Owners of private airfields, which are utilized in the same recreational manner as other privately owned,
publicly consumed recreational areas, may be held liable for a pilot’s negligent activity at the airfield. With
this possibility present, many private airfield owners choose to limit their runway to their usage only.
Amending the statute does not change the “restricted” or “private” status of the airfield. Pilots must continue
to ask private airfield owners for permission to use their airstrips; however, with this statue in place, general
aviation’s reach across the backcountry areas of the State would be expanded. Private landowners are more
prone to allowing public access without fear of being held liable for incidents occurring on the airfield.
HB 2839 would offer more public use viable fields in case of inflight emergencies and would greatly expand
general aviation’s reach across the backcountry areas of the State by making it possible for those airfield
owners to open their facility to public use without fear of being held liable for incidents occurring on the
airfield. With the added liability protection afforded by HB2839, airfield owners will finally be able to
support the additional flights conducted by general aviation operators (agricultural applicators, medical
evacuation providers, law enforcement, and many small businesses), increasing Texas’ annual economic
impact within the State from its current $14.6 billion a year.
— general aviation alone accounts for $14.6 billion total annual economic impact.
— There are approximately 51,000 pilots and 32,000 aircraft based in the state.
— There are 2,039 registered airports and many more unregistered (all private-owned, private-use)
in Texas, of which: -288 are public-owned, public-use airports, - 106 private-owned airports are currently opened for public usage,
- Two (2) airports are military joint use (Wichita falls and killeen), and
-1,643 are private-owned, private-use airports.
This is the number of potential airports that could be opened up if HB 2839 is passed.
___________________________
Here is the actual bill- HB 2839
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83R/billtext/pdf/HB02839I.pdf#navpanes=0
Who is your representative:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/find-your-representative/
