II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 787 

To require the Comptroller General of the United States to study and report 

on the operational preparedness of air carriers for preparing for changing 

weather and other events related to changing conditions and natural 

hazards. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 14, 2023 

Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. WELCH, and Mrs. FISCHER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To require the Comptroller General of the United States 

to study and report on the operational preparedness of 

air carriers for preparing for changing weather and other 

events related to changing conditions and natural hazards. 

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 Operational 

5 Resiliency Act of 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GAO STUDY AND REPORT ON THE OPERATIONAL 

2 PREPAREDNESS OF AIR CARRIERS FOR PRE3 PARING FOR CHANGING WEATHER AND 

4 OTHER EVENTS RELATED TO CHANGING 

5 CONDITIONS AND NATURAL HAZARDS. 

6 (a) STUDY.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General 

8 shall study and assess the operational preparedness 

9 of air carriers for preparing for changing weather 

10 and other events related to changing conditions and 

11 natural hazards, including flooding, extreme heat, 

12 changes in precipitation, storms, including winter 

13 storms, coastal storms, tropical storms, and hurri14 canes, and fire conditions. 

15 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—As part of the study re16 quired by paragraph (1), the Comptroller General 

17 shall assess the following: 

18 (A) The extent to which air carriers are 

19 preparing for weather events and natural disas20 ters, as well as changing conditions and natural 

21 hazards, that may impact air carriers’ oper22 ational investments, staffing levels and safety 

23 policies, mitigation strategies, and other resil24 iency planning. 

25 (B) How the Federal Aviation Administra26 tion oversees air carriers’ operational resilience 


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1 to storms and natural disasters, as well as 

2 changing conditions. 

3 (C) Steps the Federal Government and air 

4 carriers can take to improve their operational 

5 resilience to storms and natural disasters, as 

6 well as changing conditions. 

7 (b) BRIEFING AND REPORT.— 

8 (1) BRIEFING.—Not later than 1 year after the 

9 date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller 

10 General shall brief the appropriate committees of 

11 Congress on the study required by subsection (a), to12 gether with recommendations for such legislation 

13 and administrative action as the Comptroller Gen14 eral determines appropriate. 

15 (2) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after 

16 the briefing required by paragraph (1) is provided, 

17 the Comptroller General shall submit a report to the 

18 appropriate committees of Congress on the study re19 quired by subsection (a), together with recommenda20 tions for such legislation and administrative action 

21 as the Comptroller General determines appropriate. 

22 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 (1) AIR CARRIER.—The term ‘‘air carrier’’ has 

24 the meaning given that term in section 40102 of 

25 title 49, United States Code. 


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1 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON2 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con3 gress’’ means the Committee on Transportation and 

4 Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 

5 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans6 portation of the Senate. 

7 (3) COMPTROLLER GENERAL.—The term 

8 ‘‘Comptroller General’’ means the Comptroller Gen9 eral of the United States. 

Æ 


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