[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1244 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1244

To extend the authorization of appropriations for additional funds for 
                   the essential air service program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 25, 2017

Mr. Schumer (for Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Schatz, and 
Ms. Murkowski)) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To extend the authorization of appropriations for additional funds for 
                   the essential air service program.

    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 ``Keeping Our Commitment to Essential 
Air Service Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The intent of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 
        (Public Law 95-504; 92 Stat. 1705) was to benefit consumers by 
        expanding competition and allowing United States air carriers 
        greater ability to decide which destinations to serve and set 
        pricing on airfares.
            (2) Congress recognized that the intended benefits of 
        deregulation may not reach all small communities, so the 
        Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 also authorized the essential 
        air service program so that small communities would not lose 
        air service or consumer choice if air carriers chose to serve 
        the larger and more profitable markets.
            (3) According to the Department of Transportation, more 
        than 170 communities in 35 States were served by the essential 
        air service program in fiscal year 2016.
            (4) Without the essential air service program, air service 
        would be cost prohibitive in many smaller communities, 
        especially in Alaska and Hawaii where air travel is often the 
        only mode of transportation.
            (5) The essential air service program provides small 
        communities greater consumer choice and a lifeline to essential 
        goods and services such as medical care, increases economic 
        opportunity, and attracts visitors and new businesses.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL 
              FUNDS FOR ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE PROGRAM.

    Section 41742(a)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``and 2017'' and inserting ``through 2022''.
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