[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 678 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 678

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure air passengers have 
 access to necessary services while on a grounded air carrier and are 
  not unnecessarily held on a grounded air carrier before or after a 
                    flight, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 17, 2007

 Mrs. Boxer (for herself and Ms. Snowe) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure air passengers have 
 access to necessary services while on a grounded air carrier and are 
  not unnecessarily held on a grounded air carrier before or after a 
                    flight, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Airline Passenger Bill of Rights Act 
of 2007''.

SEC. 2. AIRLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE COMMITMENT.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 417 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

               ``Subchapter IV--Airline Customer Service

``SEC. 41781. AIRLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUIREMENTS.

    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
enactment of the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights Act of 2007, each air 
carrier shall institute the following practices:
            ``(1) Provision of food and water.--In any case in which 
        departure of a flight of an air carrier is delayed, such air 
        carrier shall provide--
                    ``(A) adequate food and potable water to passengers 
                on such flight during such delay; and
                    ``(B) adequate restroom facilities to passengers on 
                such flight during such delay.
            ``(2) Right to deplane.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), if more than 3 hours after passengers 
                have boarded an air carrier and the air carrier doors 
                are closed, the air carrier has not departed, the air 
                carrier shall provide passengers with the option to 
                deplane safely before the departure of such air 
                carrier. Such option shall be provided to passengers 
                not less often than once during each 3-hour period that 
                the plane remains on the ground.
                    ``(B) Exceptions.--Subparagraph (A) shall not 
                apply--
                            ``(i) if the pilot of such flight 
                        reasonably determines that such flight will 
                        depart not later than 30 minutes after the 3 
                        hour delay; or
                            ``(ii) if the pilot of such flight 
                        reasonably determines that permitting a 
                        passenger to deplane would jeopardize passenger 
                        safety or security.
    ``(b) Air Carrier.--In this section the term `air carrier' means an 
air carrier holding a certificate issued under section 41102 that 
conducts scheduled passenger air transportation.''.
    (b) Regulations.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall promulgate 
such regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out the 
amendments made by this Act.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--The chapter analysis for chapter 417 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

               ``subchapter iv--airline customer service

``41781. Airline customer service requirements.''.
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