II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 678 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure air passengers have access 

to necessary services while on a grounded air carrier and are not unnecessarily held on a grounded air carrier before or after a flight, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 17, 2007 

Mrs. BOXER (for herself and Ms. SNOWE) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation 

A BILL 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure air passengers have access to necessary services while on a 

grounded air carrier and are not unnecessarily held on 

a grounded air carrier before or after a flight, 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 ‘‘Airline Passenger Bill 

5 of Rights Act of 2007’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AIRLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE COMMITMENT. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 417 of title 49, United 

3 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘Subchapter IV—Airline Customer Service 

6 ‘‘SEC. 41781. AIRLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUIREMENTS. 

7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 

8 date of the enactment of the Airline Passenger Bill of 

9 Rights Act of 2007, each air carrier shall institute the fol10 lowing practices: 

11 ‘‘(1) PROVISION OF FOOD AND WATER.—In any 

12 case in which departure of a flight of an air carrier 

13 is delayed, such air carrier shall provide— 

14 ‘‘(A) adequate food and potable water to 

15 passengers on such flight during such delay; 

16 and 

17 ‘‘(B) adequate restroom facilities to pas18 sengers on such flight during such delay. 

19 ‘‘(2) RIGHT TO DEPLANE.— 

20 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

21 subparagraph (B), if more than 3 hours after 

22 passengers have boarded an air carrier and the 

23 air carrier doors are closed, the air carrier has 

24 not departed, the air carrier shall provide pas25 sengers with the option to deplane safely before 

26 the departure of such air carrier. Such option 


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1 shall be provided to passengers not less often 

2 than once during each 3-hour period that the 

3 plane remains on the ground. 

4 ‘‘(B) EXCEPTIONS.—Subparagraph (A) 

5 shall not apply— 

6 ‘‘(i) if the pilot of such flight reason7 ably determines that such flight will depart 

8 not later than 30 minutes after the 3 hour 

9 delay; or 

10 ‘‘(ii) if the pilot of such flight reason11 ably determines that permitting a pas12 senger to deplane would jeopardize pas13 senger safety or security. 

14 ‘‘(b) AIR CARRIER.—In this section the term ‘air car15 rier’ means an air carrier holding a certificate issued 

16 under section 41102 that conducts scheduled passenger 

17 air transportation.’’. 

18 (b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 60 days after the 

19 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Trans20 portation shall promulgate such regulations as the Sec21 retary determines necessary to carry out the amendments 

22 made by this Act. 

23 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The chapter anal24 ysis for chapter 417 of title 49, United States Code, is 

25 amended by adding at the end the following: 


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‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—AIRLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE

‘‘41781. Airline customer service requirements.’’. 

Æ 


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