1. State aid. The commissioner may, from amounts appropriated, approve grants to cities, towns or counties separately, or to cities and towns jointly with one another or with counties for an appropriate share of the total cost of any airport development project. [PL 1977, c. 678, §31 (NEW).] 2. State approval. No municipality or other political subdivision in this State, whether acting alone or jointly with another municipality, a political subdivision or with the State, shall submit to the administration any request for federal aid under the Federal Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970, so called, or any amendment thereof, unless the project and the project application have been first approved by the commissioner. This subsection may be waived by the commissioner if no state funds are involved and the project falls within the latest airport master plan for that airport. [PL 1977, c. 678, §31 (NEW).] 2-A. Primary Airport Capital Improvement Grant Program; administration approval. Notwithstanding subsection 2, the Primary Airport Capital Improvement Grant Program, referred to in this subsection as "the state grant program," is established as a discretionary grant program administered by the department. The department shall distribute available state grant program funds to primary airports for eligible capital improvement projects as determined by the department. Funds may also be distributed to an eligible municipality or political subdivision of the State for airport equipment that is eligible under the administration's airport improvement program. The department shall provide state grant program funds to evenly share the local match with the eligible municipality or political subdivision of the State for the administration's airport improvement program grant offer and award an amount contingent upon the availability of state grant program funds. State grant program funds may be distributed only to projects ready for construction that are approved by the administration as eligible for state grant program funds. The department is not responsible for oversight or eligibility of projects under this subsection. [PL 2011, c. 351, §4 (NEW).] 3. Federal aid. This State, municipalities and other political subdivisions separately, and municipalities and other political subdivisions jointly with one another or with the State, are authorized to accept, establish, construct, own, lease, control, equip, improve, maintain and operate airports for the use of aircraft within their respective boundaries, or without those boundaries with the consent of the municipality or other political subdivision where the airport is or is to be located, and may use for the purpose or purposes any land suitable and available. The State, municipalities and other political subdivisions separately, and municipalities and other political subdivisions jointly with one another or with the State, by and through their duly constituted representatives, are authorized to apply for and accept federal aid to further any purpose related to the development of aeronautics and to do all things necessary or incidental thereto, subject to subsections 2 and 2-A. A request for federal aid under the federal Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982, 49 United States Code, Chapter 471, as amended, made by a municipality or other political subdivision in this State for a primary airport project is not required to be approved by the commissioner. Airports owned and operated by any city, town or county are declared to be governmental agencies and entitled to the same immunities as any agency of the State. [PL 2011, c. 351, §5 (AMD).] 4. Appropriations, bond issues and taxation. The purchase price or award for land acquired for an airport or landing field may be paid for by appropriation of moneys available therefor, or wholly or partly paid for from the proceeds of sale of bonds of the city, town or county as the proper officers of the city, town or county shall determine, subject to the adoption of a proposition therefor, if required by law as a prerequisite to the issuance of bonds of the cities, towns or counties for public purposes generally. Cities, towns and counties are authorized to appropriate or cause to be raised by taxation or otherwise in the cities, towns or counties sums sufficient to carry out chapters 1 to 17. [PL 1977, c. 678, §31 (NEW).]
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