[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3824 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3824

 To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration addresses fatigue 
                      issues of flight attendants.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 25, 2012

  Ms. Hirono introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration addresses fatigue 
                      issues of flight attendants.

    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 First Responder Workplace 
Fairness Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Flight attendants serve as first responders responsible 
        for the safety and well-being of passengers on an aircraft.
            (2) The responsibilities of flight attendants as first 
        responders have grown since the terrorist attacks of September 
        11, 2001.
            (3) Since 2009, the Department of Labor has classified 
        flight attendants as ``Essential Transportation Workers'' along 
        with pilots and air traffic controllers.
            (4) Impaired performance induced by fatigue may compromise 
        safety in commercial aviation.
            (5) The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a Notice 
        of Proposed Rule Making to address pilot fatigue in recognition 
        of safety concerns induced by fatigue.
            (6) The Federal Aviation Administration is working to 
        address fatigue issues for air traffic controllers through a 
        Fatigue Risk Management System Work Group.
            (7) Fatigue among flight attendants is a pervasive concern 
        that needs to be addressed further by the Federal Aviation 
        Administration.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITTEE.

    (a) Aviation Rulemaking Committee.--Not later than 60 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration shall establish a flight attendant duty time 
limitations and rest requirements Aviation Rulemaking Committee to 
address flight attendant duty time limitations and rest requirements.
    (b) Composition of Aviation Rulemaking Committee.--The Aviation 
Rulemaking Committee established by this section shall be comprised of 
aviation safety subject matter experts, aviation labor representatives, 
and aviation industry stakeholders.
    (c) Purpose of Aviation Rulemaking Committee.--Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Aviation Rulemaking 
Committee shall--
            (1) consider existing research, including the findings in 
        the reports of Civil Aerospace Medical Institute studies on 
        flight attendant fatigue; and
            (2) develop and submit recommendations for the 
        Administrator to be included in a final rule to minimize flight 
        attendant fatigue.
    (d) Rulemaking.--The Administrator shall issue regulations to 
minimize flight attendant fatigue based on the published 
recommendations of the Aviation Rulemaking Committee.

SEC. 4. DEADLINES.

    After the receipt of the recommendations of the Aviation Rulemaking 
Committee convened under section 3, the Administrator shall issue--
            (1) not later than 1 year after such receipt, a notice of 
        proposed rulemaking; and
            (2) not later than 18 months after the receipt, a final 
        rule.
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