(a) In General.—The Secretary of Transportation may make project grants under this subchapter to an airport described in subsection (b) from funds under section 47114 apportioned to that airport or funds available for discretionary grants to that airport under section 47115 to conduct airport development to repair the runway safety area of the airport damaged as a result of a natural disaster in order to maintain compliance with the regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration relating to runway safety areas, without regard to whether construction of the runway safety area damaged was carried out using amounts the airport received under this subchapter.

(b) Airports Described.—An airport is described in this subsection if—

(1) the airport is a public-use airport;

(2) the airport is listed in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems of the Federal Aviation Administration;

(3) the runway safety area of the airport was damaged as a result of a natural disaster;

(4) the airport was denied funding under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 4121 et seq.) ¹ with respect to the disaster;

(5) the operator of the airport has exhausted all legal remedies, including legal action against any parties (or insurers thereof) whose action or inaction may have contributed to the need for the repair of the runway safety area;

(6) there is still a demonstrated need for the runway safety area to accommodate current or imminent aeronautical demand; and

(7) the cost of repairing or replacing the runway safety area is reasonable in relation to the anticipated operational benefit of repairing the runway safety area, as determined by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.