[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 155 (Monday, August 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 45819]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17431]



[[Page 45819]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2018-0204]


Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee; Notice of Public 
Meeting

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (``OST''), Department of Transportation 
(``DOT'').

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Air Carrier Access Act 
Advisory Committee (``ACAA Advisory Committee'').

DATES: The ACAA Advisory Committee will hold virtual meetings on 
September 2, 8 and 9, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern 
Daylight Time.
    Requests to attend the meeting must be received by August 30, 2021.
    Requests for accommodations because of a disability must be 
received by August 30, 2021. If you wish to speak during the meeting, 
you must submit a written copy of your remarks to DOT by August 30, 
2021.
    Requests to submit written materials to be reviewed during the 
meeting must be received no later than August 30, 2021.

ADDRESSES: The virtual meetings will be open to the public and held via 
the Zoom Webinar Platform. Virtual attendance information will be 
provided upon registration. A detailed agenda will be available on the 
ACAA Advisory Committee website at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/ACAACommittee at least one week before the meeting, along 
with copies of the meeting minutes after the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register and attend this virtual 
meeting, please contact the Department by email at [email protected]. Attendance is open to the public subject to any 
technical and/or capacity limitations. For further information, please 
contact Vinh Nguyen, Senior Attorney, by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The ACAA Advisory Committee was created under the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (``FACA''), in accordance with Section 439 of the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2018 (``FAA Act''), to identify and assess 
barriers to accessible air travel, determine the extent to which DOT's 
programs and activities are addressing the barriers, recommend 
improvements, and advise the Secretary on implementing the Air Carrier 
Access Act. The charter of the ACAA Advisory Committee sets forth 
policies for the operation of the advisory committee. The charter is 
available at https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/charter-air-carrier-access-act-advisory-committee.
    The first meeting of the ACAA Advisory Committee was held on March 
10 and 11, 2020, in Washington, DC. The purpose of the first meeting 
was to gather information on the barriers encountered by passengers 
with disabilities in the following areas: Ticketing; pre-flight seat 
assignments; access to bulkhead seating; stowage of assistive devices; 
and guide and wheelchair assistance at airports and on aircraft. In 
each of these areas, the ACAA Advisory Committee heard from speakers 
who provided an overview of: The applicable rules, requirements, and 
complaint data; challenges faced by air travelers with disabilities; 
and airlines' policies and procedures. In addition, the Department 
presented a working draft of the ``Airline Passenger with Disabilities 
Bill of Rights'' to the ACAA Advisory Committee for discussion.
    At that first meeting, the ACAA Advisory Committee also discussed 
the benefits of establishing subcommittees to help the Committee with 
its work. Soon thereafter the Department established three 
subcommittees to address: (1) Ticketing practices and seating 
accommodations; (2) stowage of assistive devices; and (3) assistance at 
airports and on aircraft and related training of carrier personnel and 
contractors. The Subcommittees submitted reports with recommendations 
to the ACAA Advisory Committee members for their consideration. The 
reports are available for public review on the ACAA Advisory 
Committee's docket, DOT-OST-2018-0204.

II. Summary of the Agenda

    During the September 2, 8 and 9, 2021 meeting, the ACAA Advisory 
Committee will deliberate on the Subcommittees' recommendations and 
continue its discussion of the draft Airline Passenger with 
Disabilities Bill of Rights. A more detailed agenda will be made 
available at least one week before the meeting at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/ACAACommittee.

III. Public Participation

    The meeting will be open to the public and attendance may be 
limited due to virtual meeting constraints. To register, please send an 
email to the Department as set forth in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section. The Department is committed to providing equal access 
to this meeting for all participants. If you need alternative formats 
or services because of a disability, such as sign language interpreter 
or other ancillary aids, please contact the person listed in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above no later than August 30, 
2021.
    Members of the public may also present written comments at any 
time. The docket number referenced above (DOT-OST-2018-0204) has been 
established for committee documents, including any written comments 
that may be filed. At the discretion of the Chair or DFO, after 
completion of the planned agenda, individual members of the public may 
provide comments through the chat feature of the webinar platform or 
orally, time permitting. Any oral comments presented must be limited to 
the objectives of the committee and will be limited to five (5) minutes 
per person. Individual members of the public who wish to present oral 
comments must notify the Department of Transportation contact noted 
above via email that they wish to attend and present oral comments no 
later than August 30, 2021.
    Speakers are requested to submit a written copy of their prepared 
remarks for inclusion in the meeting records and for circulation to 
ACAA Advisory Committee members by August 30, 2021. All prepared 
remarks submitted on time will be accepted and considered as part of 
the meeting's record.

IV. Viewing Documents

    You may view documents mentioned in this notice at https://www.regulations.gov. After entering the docket number (DOT-OST-2018-
0204), click the link to ``Open Docket Folder'' and choose the document 
to review.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 10th day of August 2021.
John E. Putnam,
Acting General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2021-17431 Filed 8-13-21; 8:45 am]
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