I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8712 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a national aviation 

preparedness plan for communicable disease outbreaks, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 30, 2020 

Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself and Mr. BEYER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a 

national aviation preparedness plan for communicable 

disease outbreaks, 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 ‘‘National Aviation Pre5 paredness Plan Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NATIONAL AVIATION PREPAREDNESS PLAN. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor9 tation, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and 


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1 Human Services, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and 

2 the heads of such other Federal departments or agencies 

3 as the Secretary of Transportation considers appropriate, 

4 shall develop a national aviation preparedness plan for 

5 communicable disease outbreaks. 

6 (b) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—The plan developed under 

7 subsection (a) shall, at a minimum— 

8 (1) provide airports and air carriers with an 

9 adaptable and scalable framework with which to 

10 align the individual plans, including the emergency 

11 response plans, of such airports and air carriers and 

12 provide guidance as to each individual plan; 

13 (2) improve coordination among airports, air 

14 carriers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the 

15 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, other 

16 appropriate Federal entities, and State and local 

17 governments and health agencies with respect to de18 veloping policies that increase the effectiveness of 

19 screening, testing, quarantining, and contact-tracing 

20 with respect to air carrier passengers; 

21 (3) to the extent practicable, improve coordina22 tion among relevant international entities; 

23 (4) ensure that at-risk employees are equipped 

24 with appropriate personal protective equipment to 


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1 reduce the likelihood of exposure to a covered com2 municable disease; 

3 (5) ensure aircraft and enclosed facilities 

4 owned, operated, or used by an air carrier or airport 

5 are cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized, and can have 

6 installed and maintained protective infrastructure 

7 where appropriate, in accordance with CDC guide8 lines for preventing and containing the spread of 

9 covered communicable diseases; 

10 (6) identify and assign Federal agency roles in 

11 the development and deployment of emerging and 

12 existing solutions to reduce covered communicable 

13 diseases in the aviation ecosystem; 

14 (7) clearly delineate the responsibilities of the 

15 sponsors and operators of airports, air carriers, and 

16 Federal agencies in responding to a covered commu17 nicable disease; 

18 (8) incorporate the recommendations made by 

19 the Comptroller General of the United States to the 

20 Secretary of Transportation contained in the report 

21 titled ‘‘Air Travel and Communicable Diseases: 

22 Comprehensive Federal Plan Needed for U.S. Avia23 tion System’s Preparedness’’ issued in December 

24 2015 (GAO–16–127); 


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1 (9) consider the latest peer-reviewed scientific 

2 studies that address communicable disease with re3 spect to air transportation; and 

4 (10) consider funding constraints. 

5 (c) CONSULTATION.—When developing the plan 

6 under subsection (a), the Secretary of Transportation 

7 shall consult with aviation industry and labor stake8 holders, including representatives of— 

9 (1) air carriers; 

10 (2) airport operators, including with respect to 

11 large hub, medium hub, small hub, and nonhub com12 mercial service airports; 

13 (3) labor organizations that represent airline pi14 lots, flight attendants, air carrier airport customer 

15 service representatives, and air carrier maintenance, 

16 repair, and overhaul workers; 

17 (4) the labor organization certified under sec18 tion 7111 of title 5, United States Code, as the ex19 clusive bargaining representative of air traffic con20 trollers of the Federal Aviation Administration; 

21 (5) the labor organization certified under such 

22 section as the exclusive bargaining representative of 

23 airway transportation systems specialists and avia24 tion safety inspectors of the Federal Aviation Ad25 ministration; 


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1 (6) trade associations representing air carriers 

2 and airports; and 

3 (7) such other stakeholders as the Secretary 

4 considers appropriate. 

5 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the plan 

6 is developed under subsection (a), the Secretary shall sub7 mit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc8 ture of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

9 on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 

10 a report that includes such plan. 

11 (e) REVIEW OF PLAN.—Not later than 1 year after 

12 the date on which a report is submitted under subsection 

13 (d), and every year thereafter, the Secretary shall review 

14 the plan included in such report and make changes by rule 

15 as the Secretary considers appropriate. 

16 (f) GAO STUDY.—Not later than 18 months after the 

17 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 

18 shall conduct and submit to the Committee on Transpor19 tation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 

20 and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor21 tation of the Senate a study assessing the national avia22 tion preparedness plan developed under subsection (a), in23 cluding— 

24 (1) whether such plan— 


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1 (A) is responsive to any previous rec2 ommendations relating to aviation preparedness 

3 with respect to an outbreak of a covered com4 municable disease or global health emergency 

5 made by the Comptroller General; and 

6 (B) meets the obligations of the United 

7 States under international conventions and 

8 treaties; and 

9 (2) the extent to which the United States avia10 tion system is prepared to respond to an outbreak 

11 of a covered communicable disease. 

12 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

13 (1) AT-RISK EMPLOYEE.—The term ‘‘at-risk 

14 employee’’ means— 

15 (A) an individual whose job duties require 

16 interaction with air carrier passengers on a reg17 ular and continuing basis and who is an em18 ployee of— 

19 (i) an air carrier; 

20 (ii) an air carrier contractor; 

21 (iii) an airport; or 

22 (iv) the Federal Government; and 

23 (B) an air traffic controller or systems 

24 safety specialist of the Federal Aviation Admin25 istration. 


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1 (2) COVERED COMMUNICABLE DISEASE.—The 

2 term ‘‘covered communicable disease’’ means a com3 municable disease that has the potential to cause an 

4 epidemic or pandemic of infectious disease that 

5 would constitute a public health emergency of inter6 national concern as declared by the Secretary of 

7 Health and Human Services under section 319 of 

8 the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d). 

Æ 


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