Travelers' Rights Act of 1996

Summary: Travelers' Rights Act of 1996 - Amends Federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations to require domestic air carriers to provide air travelers with certain air carrier safety and security information upon request.  Requires the Secretary to report annually to the Congress on air carrier safety. 
Directs the National Transportation Safety Board to establish:  (1) an informational program for victims and survivors of aircraft accidents (victims' rights program); (2) a program to ensure coordination of the disclosure of information and assistance provided to aircraft accident victims; and (3) a toll-free telephone line for the provision of aircraft accident information.  Sets forth civil penalties for violations of this Act. 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; PURPOSES.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Travelers' Rights 
Act of 1996''.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to ensure--
            (1) the access to information by travelers in air commerce 
        concerning the safety and security of air travel; and
            (2) the coordination of air carrier and governmental 
        assistance to victims and survivors of victims of accidents in 
        air commerce.

SEC. 2. CONSUMER ACCESS TO INFORMATION.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 44724. Air traveler safety program
    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) Written information.--Not later than 90 days after 
        the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary of 
        Transportation (hereafter in this section referred to as the 
        `Secretary') shall issue regulations, for a period determined 
        by the Secretary, that require each air carrier that provides 
        interstate air transportation or foreign air transportation to 
        provide written information upon request, to passengers that 
        purchase passage for interstate or foreign air transportation 
        concerning:
                    ``(A) safety inspection reviews conducted by the 
                Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration on 
                the aircraft of that air carrier;
                    ``(B) the safety ranking of that air carrier, as 
                determined by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
                Administration, in accordance with applicable law; and
                    ``(C) the compliance of the members of the crew of 
                the aircraft with any applicable certification 
                requirements under this subtitle.
            ``(2) Guidelines.--The regulations issued by the Secretary 
        under this subsection shall provide guidelines for air carriers 
        relating to the provision of the information referred to in 
        paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Request for information.--An air carrier shall be 
        required to provide to a passenger, on request, any information 
        concerning the safety of aircraft and the competency of persons 
        issued a certificate under this subtitle for the operation of 
        the aircraft that the Secretary, to the extent allowable by 
        law, determines to be appropriate.
    ``(b) Submission of Performance Review.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than December 31 of the 
        calendar year in which this section is enacted, and annually 
        thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress 
        that reviews the safety of air carriers that provide interstate 
        or foreign air transportation, including--
                    ``(A) the number of accidents and a description of 
                such accidents of air carriers attributable to each air 
                carrier that provides interstate or foreign air 
                transportation; and
                    ``(B) for the preceding year, the names of makers 
                of aircraft that have been involved in an accident.
            ``(2) Availability of information.--The Secretary shall 
        make the report under paragraph (1) available to--
                    ``(A) travel agencies and consultants for 
                distribution to persons served by those agencies and 
                consultants; and
                    ``(B) any other person or entity upon request.
    ``(e) Victims' Rights Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The National Transportation Safety Board 
        shall establish and administer a program for victims and 
        survivors of aircraft accidents in air commerce. Under that 
        program, the National Transportation Safety Board shall ensure 
        that such victims and survivors receive, to the extent 
        allowable by law, immediate and unrestricted access to 
        information that is made available from--
                    ``(A) the air carrier involved in an accident in 
                air commerce;
                    ``(B) the Federal Government; and
                    ``(C) State governments and political subdivisions 
                thereof.
            ``(2) National security information.--Nothing in paragraph 
        (1) may be construed to authorize the release of information 
        that the President determines to be classified in the national 
        security interest of the United States.
    ``(f) Coordination of Victim Assistance.--
            ``(1) In general.--The National Transportation Safety 
        Board, in cooperation with officials of appropriate Federal 
        agencies and the American Red Cross, shall establish a program 
        to ensure the coordination of the disclosure of information 
        under subsection (e) and assistance provided to victims of an 
        accident in air commerce.
            ``(2) Establishment of toll-free telephone line.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The National Transportation 
                Safety Board, in cooperation with officials of the 
                appropriate Federal agencies and the American Red 
                Cross, shall establish a toll-free telephone line to 
                facilitate the provision of information under paragraph 
                (3).
                    ``(B) Action by the national transportation safety 
                board.--The National Transportation Safety Board shall 
                take such action as may be necessary to ensure--
                            ``(i) the publication of the telephone 
                        number of the telephone line established under 
                        subparagraph (A) in newspapers of general 
                        circulation; and
                            ``(ii) the provision of such number on 
                        national television news programs.
            ``(3) Information provided by telephone line.--The 
        telephone line established under paragraph (2) shall provide 
        the following information concerning an accident in air 
        commerce:
                    ``(A) The identifier name and number of the 
                aircraft involved in the accident.
                    ``(B) The names of known victims of the accident.
                    ``(C) The status of the investigation.
                    ``(D) A list of appropriate Federal agencies and 
                contacts.
                    ``(E) The facilities at which victims of the 
                accident may be identified.
    ``(g) Civil Penalties.--
            ``(1) In general.--Any air carrier that fails to provide 
        information in accordance with this section shall be liable for 
        a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $100,000 per 
        violation.
            ``(2) Travel agencies and other persons not covered.--
        Paragraph (1) shall not apply to a travel agency or other 
        person that does not provide interstate or foreign air 
        transportation.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this 
section.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The chapter analysis for chapter 447 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``44724. Air traveler safety program.''.