Flight Attendant Duty Time Act

Summary: Flight Attendant Duty Time Act - Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to direct the Secretary of Transportation to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish limitations on duty time for flight attendants. Requires the Secretary to issue final regulations by a specified deadline. 
Prohibits any air carrier from operating an aircraft using a flight attendant who has been on duty in excess of specified hours or who has had less than a specified number of hours of rest if such regulations have not been promulgated by a certain time. 
Permits modification of the specified hours of duty if the Secretary determines such modification is in the public interest and submits a copy of the modifying regulations to certain congressional committees.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Flight Attendant Duty Time Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ACT.

    (a) In General.--Title VI of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 
U.S.C. App. 1421-1433) is amended by adding at the end thereof the 
following new section:

``SEC. 614. DUTY TIME OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS.

    ``(a) Rulemaking Proceeding.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall initiate a 
rulemaking proceeding for the purpose of establishing limitations on 
duty time for flight attendants, including minimum rest requirements.
    ``(b) Final Regulations.--Except in any case in which the 
prohibitions referred to in subsection (c) take effect, the Secretary 
shall issue, not later than 240 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, final regulations establishing limitations on duty time for 
flight attendants, including minimum rest requirements as follows:
            ``(1) For a domestic flight, a maximum of 14 hours of 
        actual duty time, plus a maximum of 2 additional hours spent 
        deadheading to return to the flight attendant's domicile, and a 
        minimum of at least 10 consecutive hours of rest after each 
        duty period.
            ``(2) For an international flight, a maximum of 16 hours of 
        actual duty time and minimum of at least 12 consecutive hours 
        of rest after each duty period.
            ``(3) For a long-range international nonstop flight, a 
        maximum period of actual duty time no more than 4 hours greater 
        than the scheduled duty time, with a maximum period of actual 
        duty time no greater than 20 hours, and a minimum consecutive 
        rest period equal to at least twice the scheduled flight time.
            ``(4) For all flight attendants, a minimum of eight 24 
        consecutive hour periods of rest at their domicile per calendar 
        month and at least one 24 hour consecutive period of rest 
        within every 7 days.
            ``(5) For all flight attendants, at least a continuous 1 
        hour rest break on any flight scheduled for 8 hours or more of 
        flight time in a designated rest area.
    ``(c) Mandated Prohibitions.--If the Secretary does not initiate a 
rulemaking proceeding under subsection (a) before the 60th day 
following the date of the enactment of this Act or does not issue final 
regulations under subsection (b) before the 240th day following such 
date of enactment, no air carrier may after such date operate an 
aircraft using a flight attendant who has been on duty more hours, or 
who has had fewer hours of rest, than those required by paragraphs (1) 
through (5) of subsection (b).
    ``(d) Modification of Mandated Prohibitions.--The Secretary may 
issue regulations modifying the prohibitions contained in paragraphs 
(1) through (5) of subsection (b) if the Secretary determines that such 
modifications are in the interest of safety and transmits a copy of the 
modifying regulations to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Public Works and 
Transportation of the House of Representatives. The modifying 
regulations may not take effect until the expiration of the 90-day 
period beginning on the date of the transmittal of the modifying 
regulations to such committees.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions 
apply:
            ``(1) Air carrier.--The term `air carrier' means any air 
        carrier which is subject to the provisions of part 121 or part 
        135 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
            ``(2) Debriefing time.--The term `debriefing time' means a 
        time period of at least 30 minutes for domestic flight and of 
        at least 45 minutes for international flight after the block-in 
        time of the last flight or segment of a flight.
            ``(3) Designated rest area.--The term `designated rest 
        area' means a passenger seat of an aircraft assigned for crew 
        rest purposes.
            ``(4) Domestic flight.--The term `domestic flight' means 
        any flight or segment of a flight worked by a flight attendant 
        totally within the 48 contiguous States and the District of 
        Columbia.
            ``(5) Duty time.--The term `duty time' means all time 
        worked for an air carrier at any place and in any capacity and, 
        with respect to flying, shall begin at the required report time 
        and shall end at the conclusion of the debriefing time, or when 
        released by the carrier, whichever is later. Duty time accrues 
        until the crewmember is given a required rest period by the 
        carrier. Time spent deadheading, either on an aircraft or by 
        surface transportation, to or from an assignment by an air 
        carrier, time spent ferrying, and time spent attending meetings 
        and training shall also be considered duty time. Duty time 
        continues--
                    ``(A) throughout a rest period of a shorter 
                duration than that contained in subsection (b)(1), 
                (b)(2), or (b)(3), as the case may be; and
                    ``(B) during in-flight rest periods contained in 
                subsection (b)(5).
            ``(6) International flight.--The term `international 
        flight' means any flight worked by a flight attendant for which 
        a take off or landing is scheduled outside the 48 contiguous 
        States and the District of Columbia.
            ``(7) Long-range international nonstop flight.--The term 
        `long-range international nonstop flight' means a single 
        nonstop international flight scheduled for 8 hours or more of 
        flight time.
            ``(8) Report time.--The term `report time' means a time 
        period of at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure 
        time of the first flight or segment of a flight in a flight 
        attendant's duty period or the time the flight attendant is 
        required to report to work, whichever is earlier.
            ``(9) Rest.--The term `rest' means uninterrupted time free 
        from all duty.
            ``(10) Scheduled flight time.--The term `scheduled flight 
        time' means the elapsed time based on the time shown in 
        schedules given by an air carrier to a travel agent.
            ``(11) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents contained in the 
first section of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 is amended by adding 
at the end of the matter relating to title VI the following:

``Sec. 614. Duty time of flight attendants.
        ``(a) Rulemaking proceeding.
        ``(b) Final regulations.
        ``(c) Mandated prohibitions.
        ``(d) Modification of mandated prohibitions.
        ``(e) Definitions.''.