Compliance with sponsorship requirements. The FAA authorizes the expenditure of funds under the Federal-aid Airport Program for airport planning and engineering or for airport development only if the Administrator is satisfied that the sponsor has met or will meet the requirements established by existing and proposed agreements with the United States with respect to any airport that the sponsor owns or controls.

Agreements with the United States to which this requirement of compliance applies include—

Any grant agreement made under the Federal-aid Airport Program;

Any covenant in a conveyance under section 16 of the Federal Airport Act;

Any covenant in a conveyance of surplus airport property either under section 13(g) of the Surplus Property Act (50 U.S.C. App. 1622(g)) or under Regulation 16 of the War Assets Administration; and

Any AP-4 agreement made under the terminated Development Landing Areas National Defense Program and the Development Civil Landing Areas Program.

If it appears that a sponsor has failed to comply with a requirement of an agreement with the United States with respect to an airport, the FAA notifies him of this fact and affords him an opportunity to submit materials to refute the allegation of noncompliance or to achieve compliance.

If a project is otherwise eligible under the Federal-aid Airport Program, a grant may be made to a sponsor who has not complied with an agreement if the sponsor shows—

That the noncompliance is caused by factors beyond his control; or

That the following circumstances exist:

The noncompliance consisted of a failure, through mistake or ignorance, to perform minor conditions in old agreements with the Federal Government; and

The sponsor is taking reasonable action promptly to correct the deficiency or the deficiency relates to an obligation that is no longer required for the safe and efficient use of the airport under existing law and policy.

Small proposals and projects. Unless there is otherwise a special need for U.S. participation, the FAA includes an advance planning and engineering proposal or an airport development project in the Federal-aid Airport Program only if—

The advance planning and engineering proposal involves more than $1,000 in United States funds; and

The project application involves more than $5,000 in U.S. funds.

Previously obligated work. Unless the Administrator specifically authorizes it, no advance planning and engineering proposal or project application may include any planning, engineering, or construction work included in a prior agreement with the United States obligating the sponsor or any other non-U.S. public agency to do the work, and entitling the sponsor or any other non-United States public agency to payment of U.S. funds for all or part of the work.