[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4446 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4446

   To require air carriers and foreign air carriers to provide on a 
 publicly available website of the carrier information on requirements 
           for on-board wheelchairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 2023

  Mr. Stanton (for himself and Mr. Van Drew) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require air carriers and foreign air carriers to provide on a 
 publicly available website of the carrier information on requirements 
           for on-board wheelchairs, 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 ``Store On-Board Wheelchairs in Cabin 
Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. ON-BOARD WHEELCHAIRS.

    (a) Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--In the case an aircraft that is required 
        to be equipped with an on-board wheelchair in accordance with 
        section 382.65 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, an air 
        carrier and a foreign air carrier shall provide in a prominent 
        place on a publicly available internet website of the carrier, 
        and in any place where a passenger can make a reservation, 
        information regarding the rights and responsibilities of both 
        passengers on such aircraft and the air carrier or foreign air 
        carrier, including--
                    (A) that an air carrier or foreign air carrier is 
                required to equip aircraft that have more than 60 
                passenger seats and that have an accessible lavatory 
                (whether or not having such a lavatory is required by 
                section 382.63 of such title 14) with an on-board 
                wheelchair unless an exception described in such 
                section 382.65 applies;
                    (B) that a qualified individual with a disability 
                may request an on-board wheelchair on aircraft with 
                more than 60 passenger seats even if the lavatory is 
                not accessible and that the basis of such request must 
                be that the individual can use an inaccessible lavatory 
                but cannot reach it from a seat without using an on-
                board wheelchair;
                    (C) that the air carrier or foreign air carrier may 
                require the qualified individual with a disability to 
                provide the advance notice specified in section 382.27 
                of such title 14 in order for the individual to be 
                provided with the on-board wheelchair; and
                    (D) if the air carrier or foreign air carrier 
                requires the advance notice described in subparagraph 
                (C), information on how a qualified individual with a 
                disability can make such a request.
            (2) Annual training.--An air carrier and a foreign air 
        carriers shall require that all personnel who regularly 
        interact with the traveling public, including contractors, 
        complete annual training regarding assisting qualified 
        individual with a disability, including regarding the 
        availability of accessible lavatories and on-board wheelchairs 
        and such individual's right to request an on-board wheelchair.
            (3) Public awareness campaign.--The Secretary shall conduct 
        a public awareness campaign on the rights of qualified 
        individuals with a disability, including with respect to 
        accessible lavatories and such individual's right to request an 
        on-board wheelchair in accordance with section 382.65 of title 
        14, Code of Federal Regulations.
            (4) Qualified individual with a disability defined.--In 
        this subsection, the term ``qualified individual with a 
        disability'' has the meaning given such term in section 382.3 
        of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.
            (5) Penalties.--The Secretary may assess a civil penalty in 
        accordance with section 46301 of title 49, United States Code, 
        to any air carrier or foreign air carrier who fails to meet the 
        requirements under paragraph (1) or (2).
    (b) Increased Civil Penalties.--
            (1) In general.--Section 46301(a)(7) of title 49, United 
        States Code, is amended--
                    (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``to 
                harm''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) in the heading, by striking ``Bodily 
                        harm or damage to wheelchair or other mobility 
                        aid'' and inserting ``Damage to wheelchair or 
                        other mobility aid, bodily harm, or failure to 
                        equip aircraft with a wheelchair''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``or injury to a passenger 
                        with a disability'' and inserting ``, injury to 
                        a passenger with a disability, or a failure to 
                        equip an aircraft with an on-board wheelchair 
                        pursuant to section 382.65 of title 14, Code of 
                        Federal Regulations (or a successor 
                        regulation)''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) 
        shall apply to flights occurring on or after the effective date 
        of the revision described in subsection (a).
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