[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1933 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1933

   To enhance flight options for consumers flying to and from Ronald 
                  Reagan Washington National Airport.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 13, 2023

Mr. Warnock (for himself and Ms. Lummis) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To enhance flight options for consumers flying to and from Ronald 
                  Reagan Washington National Airport.

    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 ``Direct Capital Access Act'' or the 
``DCA Act''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL WITHIN AND BEYOND PERIMETER SLOT EXEMPTIONS AT 
              RONALD REAGAN WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT.

    (a) Increase in Number of Slot Exemptions.--Section 41718 of title 
49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection:
    ``(i) Additional Slot Exemptions.--
            ``(1) Increase in slot exemptions.--Not later than 90 days 
        after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary 
        shall grant, by order, 56 exemptions from--
                    ``(A) the application of sections 49104(a)(5), 
                49109, and 41714 to air carriers to operate limited 
                frequencies and aircraft on routes between Ronald 
                Reagan Washington National Airport and airports located 
                within or beyond the perimeter described in section 
                49109; and
                    ``(B) the requirements of subparts K, S, and T of 
                part 93, Code of Federal Regulations.
            ``(2) Incremental dca slot allocations.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Of the slot exemptions made 
                available under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make 
                40 available to incumbent air carriers qualifying for 
                status as a non-limited incumbent carrier and 16 
                available to incumbent carriers qualifying for status 
                as a limited incumbent carrier at Ronald Reagan 
                Washington National Airport as of the date of enactment 
                of this subsection.
                    ``(B) Air carrier requirements.--An air carrier 
                granted a slot exemption made available under paragraph 
                (1)--
                            ``(i) may operate up to a maximum of 8 of 
                        the newly authorized slot exemptions;
                            ``(ii) shall have sole discretion 
                        concerning the use of an exemption made 
                        available under paragraph (1), including the 
                        initial or any subsequent within or beyond 
                        perimeter destinations to be served; and
                            ``(iii) shall file a notice of intent with 
                        the Secretary and subsequent notices of intent, 
                        when appropriate, to inform the Secretary of 
                        any change in circumstances concerning the use 
                        of any exemption made available under paragraph 
                        (1).
            ``(3) Notices of intent.--Notices of intent under paragraph 
        (2)(B)(iii) shall specify the within or beyond perimeter 
        destinations to be served.
            ``(4) Conditions.--Flight operations carried out by an air 
        carrier using an exemption granted under this subsection shall 
        be subject to the following conditions:
                    ``(A) An air carrier granted an exemption under 
                this subsection is prohibited from transferring the 
                rights to its slot exemptions pursuant to section 
                41714(j).
                    ``(B) The exemptions granted under subsection (2)--
                            ``(i) may not be for operations between the 
                        hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.; and
                            ``(ii) may not increase the number of 
                        operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National 
                        Airport in any 1-hour period during the hours 
                        between 7:00 a.m. and 9:59 p.m. by more than 8 
                        operations.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 41718 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) in clause (i), by inserting ``or 
                        (i)(2)'' after ``(g)(2)''; and
                            (ii) in clause (ii), by striking ``and 
                        (g)'' and inserting ``(g), and (i)''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``or (i)(2)'' 
                after ``(g)(3)''; and
            (2) in subsection (h)(1), by inserting ``or (i)'' after 
        ``subsection (g)''.
    (c) Preservation of Existing Within-Perimeter Air Service.--In 
recognition of the importance of preserving air service, as it exists 
on the date of enactment of this section, between Ronald Reagan 
Washington National Airport and within-perimeter airports and 
communities, this section and the amendments made by this section shall 
not be construed as authorizing any limited incumbent or non-limited 
incumbent air carrier holding slots or slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan 
Washington National Airport as of the date of enactment of this 
subsection to use an existing within-perimeter slot to serve an airport 
beyond the perimeter described in section 49109 of title 49, United 
States Code.
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