H.R. 2247 would allow pilots to present digital airman and medical certificates to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instead of physical documents and would require the agency to update its regulations by November 30, 2028.
Using information from the FAA, CBO estimates that the agency would need to acquire new software systems to issue and maintain digital certificates at an average cost of $3 million each year. Based on the cost of similar efforts and information from the FAA, CBO expects that the required rulemaking would cost $2 million.
In total, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2247 would cost $18 million over the 2026‑2031 period. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The estimated budgetary effects of the legislation are shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget function 400 (transportation).
Table 1.
Estimated Budgetary Effects of H.R. 2247
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2026-2031
Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation
Estimated Authorization
3
4
4
3
3
3
20
Estimated Outlays
*
5
4
3
3
3
18
* = between zero and $500,000.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Aaron Krupkin. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
