II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1918 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prescribe regulations imposing a fee on air carriers that charge passengers for a first checked 

bag or a first carry-on bag, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 29, 2011 

Ms. LANDRIEU introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prescribe 

regulations imposing a fee on air carriers that charge 

passengers for a first checked bag or a first carry-on 

bag, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Fair Airline Industry 

5 Revenue Act of 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 1918 IS

1 (1) Security service costs have increased for the 

2 Transportation Security Administration since many 

3 air carriers began to impose a fee for the first bag 

4 checked by a passenger. 

5 (2) As a result of the additional fee imposed by 

6 air carriers, more passengers are opting to carry 

7 baggage on aircraft, resulting in a need for more 

8 staff and more time for screening at airport security 

9 checkpoints. 

10 (3) The Transportation Security Administration 

11 estimates that, as a result of the increase in carry12 on baggage being screened at airport security check13 points, the Administration is spending an additional 

14 $260,000,000 on screening, which is detracting from 

15 resources available for other security programs. 

16 SEC. 3. REGULATIONS IMPOSING A FEE ON AIR CARRIERS 

17 CHARGING FOR A FIRST CHECKED OR 

18 CARRY-ON BAG. 

19 (a) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 

20 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec21 retary of Homeland Security shall prescribe regulations to 

22 impose a fee on an air carrier that imposes a fee for the 

23 first bag checked or the first bag carried on the aircraft 

24 by a passenger who purchases a ticket for air transporVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:21 Nov 30, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1918.IS S1918

pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 1918 IS

1 tation on the air carrier in which at least one flight origi2 nates at an airport in the United States. 

3 (b) AMOUNT OF FEES.—The fee imposed pursuant 

4 to subsection (a) may not exceed— 

5 (1) $2.00 per passenger charged for the first 

6 bag checked or carried on the aircraft by the pas7 senger; or 

8 (2) $260,000,000 in the aggregate on all air 

9 carriers in a year. 

10 (c) FEES CREDITED AS OFFSETTING COLLEC11 TIONS.—Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United 

12 States Code, fees collected pursuant to subsection (a) shall 

13 be credited as offsetting collections to the Secretary of 

14 Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Ad15 ministration for aviation security. 

16 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

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

18 means an air carrier, an intrastate air carrier, or a 

19 foreign air carrier (as those terms are defined in sec20 tion 40102 of 49, United States Code). 

21 (2) AIR TRANSPORTATION.—The term ‘‘air 

22 transportation’’ means air transportation, intrastate 

23 air transportation, and foreign air transportation (as 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 1918 IS

1 those terms are defined in section 40102 of 49, 

2 United States Code). 

Æ 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS