[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 120 (Friday, September 11, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S10242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 117--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT 
THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION SHOULD EXERCISE REASONABLE JUDGMENT IN 
PROMULGATING REGULATIONS RELATING TO AIRLINE FLIGHTS AND SHOULD RESCIND 
    THE DIRECTIVE TO ESTABLISH PEANUT-FREE ZONES ON AIRLINE FLIGHTS

  Mr. COVERDELL (for himself and Mr. Shelby) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation:

                            S. Con. Res. 117

       Whereas policies of the Federal Government should recognize 
     that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has 
     determined that \1/10\ of 1 percent of the population of the 
     United States is allergic to peanuts;
       Whereas the Secretary of Transportation has issued a 
     directive to establish peanut-free zones on domestic airline 
     flights;
       Whereas establishing peanut-free zones is an excessive 
     regulation to that important problem;
       Whereas that directive unfairly singles out 1 product while 
     ignoring all other allergens;
       Whereas that directive subrogates the rights of the 99.9 
     percent of the traveling public who are not allergic to 
     peanuts;
       Whereas the Secretary of Transportation states in that 
     directive that the only danger to allergenic passengers is 
     accidental ingestion of peanuts;
       Whereas establishing a precedent for peanut-free zones in 
     airplanes might needlessly establish allergen-free zones for 
     all public transportation, including buses, trains, subways, 
     and cable cars; and
       Whereas the Secretary of Transportation should rescind the 
     directive that requires major United States air carriers to 
     reserve up to 3 rows on airplanes for people who are allergic 
     to peanuts: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the 
     Secretary of Transportation should rescind the directive 
     pertaining to peanut-free zones on airline flights.

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