I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3824 

To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration addresses fatigue issues 

of flight attendants. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 25, 2012 

Ms. HIRONO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration 

addresses fatigue issues of flight attendants. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Airline First Re5 sponder Workplace Fairness Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Flight attendants serve as first responders 

9 responsible for the safety and well-being of pas10 sengers on an aircraft. 

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1 (2) The responsibilities of flight attendants as 

2 first responders have grown since the terrorist at3 tacks of September 11, 2001. 

4 (3) Since 2009, the Department of Labor has 

5 classified flight attendants as ‘‘Essential Transpor6 tation Workers’’ along with pilots and air traffic 

7 controllers. 

8 (4) Impaired performance induced by fatigue 

9 may compromise safety in commercial aviation. 

10 (5) The Federal Aviation Administration has 

11 issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making to address 

12 pilot fatigue in recognition of safety concerns in13 duced by fatigue. 

14 (6) The Federal Aviation Administration is 

15 working to address fatigue issues for air traffic con16 trollers through a Fatigue Risk Management System 

17 Work Group. 

18 (7) Fatigue among flight attendants is a perva19 sive concern that needs to be addressed further by 

20 the Federal Aviation Administration. 

21 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF AVIATION RULEMAKING COM22 MITTEE. 

23 (a) AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITTEE.—Not later 

24 than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

25 Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration 

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1 shall establish a flight attendant duty time limitations and 

2 rest requirements Aviation Rulemaking Committee to ad3 dress flight attendant duty time limitations and rest re4 quirements. 

5 (b) COMPOSITION OF AVIATION RULEMAKING COM6 MITTEE.—The Aviation Rulemaking Committee estab7 lished by this section shall be comprised of aviation safety 

8 subject matter experts, aviation labor representatives, and 

9 aviation industry stakeholders. 

10 (c) PURPOSE OF AVIATION RULEMAKING COM11 MITTEE.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enact12 ment of this Act, the Aviation Rulemaking Committee 

13 shall— 

14 (1) consider existing research, including the 

15 findings in the reports of Civil Aerospace Medical 

16 Institute studies on flight attendant fatigue; and 

17 (2) develop and submit recommendations for 

18 the Administrator to be included in a final rule to 

19 minimize flight attendant fatigue. 

20 (d) RULEMAKING.—The Administrator shall issue 

21 regulations to minimize flight attendant fatigue based on 

22 the published recommendations of the Aviation Rule23 making Committee. 

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1 SEC. 4. DEADLINES. 

2 After the receipt of the recommendations of the Avia3 tion Rulemaking Committee convened under section 3, the 

4 Administrator shall issue— 

5 (1) not later than 1 year after such receipt, a 

6 notice of proposed rulemaking; and 

7 (2) not later than 18 months after the receipt, 

8 a final rule. 

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