[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4836 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4836

 To provide an exemption to noncontiguous States for certain essential 
                       air service requirements.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 18, 2018

   Ms. Gabbard (for herself, Mr. Young of Alaska, and Ms. Hanabusa) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide an exemption to noncontiguous States for certain essential 
                       air service requirements.

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

SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) as noncontiguous States, Alaska and Hawaii are burdened 
        with unique transportation challenges without viable 
        alternatives;
            (2) communities in Alaska and Hawaii are reliant on air 
        transportation, making it an essential lifeline for conducting 
        business, receiving healthcare, and obtaining an education;
            (3) the people of Alaska and Hawaii historically have been 
        exempt from essential air service eligibility requirements 
        under subchapter II of chapter 417 of title 49, United States 
        Code, due to the necessity of air transportation; and
            (4) proposed changes to the essential air service program 
        must consider this historical exemption for Alaska and Hawaii 
        and recognize their reliance on air transportation.

SEC. 2. EAS EXEMPTION FOR NONCONTIGUOUS STATES.

    The matter under the heading ``Department of Transportation--Office 
of the Secretary--Payments to Air Carriers'' in title I of the 
Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2017 (division K of Public Law 115-31) is amended 
by inserting ``, excluding a community located in a noncontiguous 
State,'' after ``small hub airport''.
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