[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 469 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 469

  To amend the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to improve air service to 
                           small communities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 1993

 Mr. Oberstar introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Public Works and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to improve air service to 
                           small communities.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PROTECTION OF SMALL COMMUNITY AIRLINE PASSENGERS.

    (a) Access to High Density Airports.--Section 419(b) of the Federal 
Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. App. 1389(b)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(10) Access to high density airports.--
                    ``(A) Nonconsideration of slot availability.--In 
                determining what is basic essential air service and in 
                selecting an air carrier to provide such service, the 
                Secretary shall not give consideration to whether slots 
                at a high density airport are available for providing 
                such service.
                    ``(B) Making slots available.--If basic essential 
                air service is to be provided to and from a high 
                density airport, the Secretary shall ensure that a 
                sufficient number of slots at such airport are 
                available to the air carrier providing or selected to 
                provide such service. If necessary to carry out the 
                objectives of this subsection, the Secretary shall take 
                such action as may be necessary to have such slots 
                transferred or otherwise made available to the air 
                carrier; except that the Secretary shall not be 
                required to make slots available at O'Hare 
                International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, if the 
                number of slots available for basic essential air 
                service to and from such airport is at least 132 
                slots.''.
    (b) Transfers of Slots at High Density Airports.--Section 419(b)(7) 
of such Act (49 U.S.C. App. 1389(b)(7)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Transfer of operational authority at 
        certain'' and inserting ``Transfers of slots at'';
            (2) by striking ``an airport at which the Administrator 
        limits the number of instrument flight rule takeoffs and 
        landings of aircraft'' and inserting ``a high density 
        airport'';
            (3) by striking ``operational authority'' and inserting 
        ``slots'';
            (4) by striking ``has to conduct a landing or takeoff'' and 
        inserting ``have''; and
            (5) by striking ``such authority'' the first place it 
        appears and inserting ``such slots'';
            (6) by striking ``such authority is'' and inserting ``such 
        slots are''; and
            (7) by inserting ``basic essential'' after ``used to 
        provide''.
    (c) Definitions.--Section 419(k) of such Act (49 U.S.C. App. 
1389(k)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
            ``(6) High density airport.--The term `high density 
        airport' means an airport at which the Administrator limits the 
        number of instrument flight rule takeoffs and landings of 
        aircraft.
            ``(7) Slot.--The term `slot' means a reservation for an 
        instrument flight rule takeoff or landing by an air carrier of 
        an aircraft in air transportation.''.

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