3-239.

Airport authorities or municipalities; project applications under federal act; approval by division; required; division, act as agent; direct receipt of federal funds; when.

(1) No city airport authority, county airport authority, joint airport authority, or municipality in this state, whether acting alone or jointly with another city airport authority, county airport authority, joint airport authority, or municipality, or with the state, shall submit to any federal agency or department any project application under the provisions of any act of Congress which provides airport planning or airport construction and development funds for the expansion and improvement of the airport system, unless the project and the project application have been first approved by the Division of Aeronautics of the Department of Transportation.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no city airport authority, county airport authority, joint airport authority, or municipality shall directly accept, receive, receipt for, or disburse any funds granted by the United States under any act of Congress pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, but it shall designate the division as its agent and in its behalf to accept, receive, receipt for, and disburse such funds. Such authorities and municipalities shall enter into an agreement with the division prescribing the terms and conditions of such agency in accordance with federal laws, rules, and regulations, and applicable laws of this state. Such money as is paid by the United States shall be retained by the state or paid over to the city airport authority, county airport authority, joint airport authority, or municipality under such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the United States in making such grant.

(3) Any city airport authority, county airport authority, joint airport authority, or municipality operating a primary airport may directly accept, receive, receipt for, and disburse any funds granted by the United States for the primary airport under the provisions of any act of Congress pursuant to subsection (1) of this section by informing the division, in writing, of its intent to do so. If an airport loses its status as a primary airport before signing a grant agreement with the United States, the airport shall be subject to subsection (2) of this section.

(4) For purposes of this section:

(a) City airport authority means an authority established pursuant to the Cities Airport Authorities Act;

(b) County airport authority means an authority established under sections 3-601 to 3-622;

(c) Joint airport authority means an authority established under the Joint Airport Authorities Act;

(d) Municipality means any county, city, or village of this state and any other political subdivision, public corporation, authority, or district in this state which is or may be authorized by law to acquire, establish, construct, maintain, improve, and operate airports and other air navigation facilities; and

(e) Primary airport means any airport which:

(i) Receives scheduled passenger air service;

(ii) Has at least ten thousand revenue passenger enplanements or boardings, as officially recorded by the United States, in at least one of the most recent five calendar years for which official numbers are available; and

(iii) Does not receive any funds apportioned by the United States for nonprimary airports.