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Committee backs bill to remove routine avgas testing at municipal airports
Summary
The Senate Agriculture committee voted to pass House Bill 1654, which would eliminate routine volatility (avgas) testing by the State Plant Board at municipal airports; Department of Aeronautics director Jerry Chisholm testified the change is not a flight‑safety issue and preserves targeted testing after incidents.
The Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee voted to report House Bill 1654 favorably after testimony from the Department of Aeronautics.
Jerry Chisholm, director of the Department of Aeronautics, told the committee the bill would remove routine avgas volatility testing at municipal airports from the Petroleum Products Division’s testing requirements. "This bill that you have before you this morning, is simply a bill to remove avgas testing at municipal airports across the state from the petroleum products division's testing requirements," Chisholm said. He emphasized, "First of all, let me make sure everyone understands this is not a flight safety issue."
Chisholm described the test as a distillation/volatility test rather than an octane measurement. He said fuel is tested when it leaves refineries and that routine state testing sometimes finds fuel that fails volatility requirements after storage or transport; those findings can trigger stop‑sale orders that cut a small airport’s primary revenue streams (fuel sales and hangar rental). "When fuel sales stop, it's a huge economic problem for them," he said.
Committee members pressed on technical details and enforcement. Senator Mallett asked whether the test is an octane check; Chisholm replied, "It's a volatility test" and that avgas is a low‑lead fuel often left in tanks for long periods. Members also confirmed the State Plant Board would retain the authority to test on request or after an incident: "If there's an aviation accident, one of the first things that the NTSB asks for is a fuel sample," Chisholm said, noting that the plant board would still be able to test in such cases.
There were no public signups to speak for or against the bill. The committee recorded a voice vote on a motion to "do pass"; Senator Wallace said "Do pass," and the chair announced the motion carried. The transcript records that "House bill 16 54 is passed," indicating the bill was reported out of committee.
The committee record does not include a roll call tally; the passage was by voice vote and individual votes were not recorded in the transcript.
