[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2870 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2870

   To standardize and clarify the dimensions of carry-on baggage and 
                    personal items on air carriers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2009

 Mr. Lipinski introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To standardize and clarify the dimensions of carry-on baggage and 
                    personal items on air carriers.

    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 ``Securing Cabin Baggage Act''.

SEC. 2. CARRY-ON BAGGAGE.

    (a) TSA Regulations.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and except as provided in subsection 
        (c), the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the 
        Assistant Secretary, Transportation Security Administration, 
        shall issue regulations to establish a limit on the size of 
        baggage and personal items allowed to be carried by a passenger 
        on board an aircraft.
            (2) Carry-on baggage restrictions.--Such regulations shall 
        require that each passenger may bring only one carry-on bag and 
        one personal item, the dimensions of each, when loaded, shall 
        not exceed 56 centimeters in length by 45 centimeters in height 
        by 25 centimeters in width (rounded to 22 inches by 18 inches 
        (17.75) by 10 inches (9.85)).
    (b) FAA Regulations.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall modify section 121.589 of title 14, Code of 
Federal Regulations, to require that the carry-on baggage program of 
each air carrier limits each passenger boarding an aircraft to not more 
than one piece of carry-on baggage and one personal item described in 
subsection (a). An air carrier may establish smaller size limits for 
carry-on baggage and a personal item than the limits set forth in this 
section.
    (c) Exclusions for Carry-on Baggage Limitations.--The carry-on 
baggage and personal item limitations established by the TSA and the 
FAA under this section shall not apply to--
            (1) a child safety seat for a child passenger;
            (2) assistive devices for disabled passengers, including 
        wheelchairs, canes, and crutches;
            (3) musical instruments;
            (4) outer garments, including a coat and a hat; and
            (5) cockpit and cabin crew in uniform.
    (d) Notification.--
            (1) TSA.--The TSA shall post on its Web site and in plain 
        view signs notifying passengers of the Federal carry-on baggage 
        and personal item limitations at the check-in desk outside of 
        the passenger security screening checkpoint and at the 
        passenger security screening checkpoint.
            (2) FAA.--The FAA shall provide notice of carry-on baggage 
        and personal item limitations to each ticket purchaser and post 
        such limitations on its Web site, in appropriate passenger 
        education sections.
    (e) Use of Template.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, TSA shall install and utilize a 
        template with a maximum depth and width that will prevent the 
        conveyor belt passage at each security checkpoint of carry-on 
        baggage or a personal item that exceeds the dimensions set 
        forth in subsection (a).
            (2) Check-in requirement.--TSA representatives shall 
        require any passenger whose carry-on baggage or personal item 
        exceeds the maximum length of the dimensions set forth in 
        subsection (a) to check such carry-on baggage or personal item.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) The term ``FAA'' means the Federal Aviation 
        Administration.
            (2) The term ``passenger'' means an individual who boards 
        an aircraft, including any child under the age of 2 who boards 
        an aircraft without regard to whether or not a ticket for air 
        transportation was purchased for the child.
            (3) The term ``TSA'' means the Transportation Security 
        Administration.
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