I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4156 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to allow advertisements and solicitations for passenger air transportation to state the base airfare of the 

transportation, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 6, 2014 

Mr. SHUSTER (for himself, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. GRAVES of Georgia, Mr. 

RAHALL, Mr. LOBIONDO, and Mr. LARSEN of Washington) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 

and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to allow advertisements and solicitations for passenger air transportation 

to state the base airfare of the transportation, 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 ‘‘Transparent Airfares 

5 Act of 2014’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ADVERTISEMENTS AND SOLICITATIONS FOR PAS2 SENGER AIR TRANSPORTATION. 

3 (a) FULL FARE ADVERTISING.—Section 41712 of 

4 title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

5 end the following: 

6 ‘‘(d) FULL FARE ADVERTISING.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—It shall not be an unfair or 

8 deceptive practice under subsection (a) for a covered 

9 entity to state in an advertisement or solicitation for 

10 passenger air transportation the base airfare for the 

11 air transportation if the covered entity clearly and 

12 separately discloses— 

13 ‘‘(A) the government-imposed taxes and 

14 fees associated with the air transportation; and 

15 ‘‘(B) the total cost of the air transpor16 tation. 

17 ‘‘(2) FORM OF DISCLOSURE.— 

18 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of para19 graph (1), the information described in para20 graphs (1)(A) and (1)(B) shall be disclosed in 

21 the advertisement or solicitation in a manner 

22 that clearly presents the information to the con23 sumer. 

24 ‘‘(B) INTERNET ADVERTISEMENTS AND

25 SOLICITATIONS.—For purposes of paragraph 

26 (1), with respect to an advertisement or solicitaVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:26 Mar 08, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4156.IH H4156

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1 tion for passenger air transportation that ap2 pears on an Internet Web site, the information 

3 described in paragraphs (1)(A) and (1)(B) may 

4 be disclosed through a link or pop-up, as such 

5 terms may be defined by the Secretary, that 

6 displays the information in a manner that is 

7 easily accessible and viewable by the consumer. 

8 ‘‘(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the fol9 lowing definitions apply: 

10 ‘‘(A) BASE AIRFARE.—The term ‘base air11 fare’ means the cost of passenger air transpor12 tation, excluding government-imposed taxes and 

13 fees. 

14 ‘‘(B) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘cov15 ered entity’ means an air carrier, including an 

16 indirect air carrier, foreign carrier, ticket agent, 

17 or other person offering to sell tickets for pas18 senger air transportation or a tour or tour com19 ponent that must be purchased with air trans20 portation.’’. 

21 (b) LIMITATION ON STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.— 

22 Nothing in the amendment made by subsection (a) may 

23 be construed to affect any obligation of a person that sells 

24 air transportation to disclose the total cost of the air 


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1 transportation, including government-imposed taxes and 

2 fees, prior to purchase of the air transportation. 

3 (c) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 120 days after 

4 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue 

5 final regulations to carry out the amendment made by sub6 section (a). 

7 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This Act, and the amend8 ments made by this Act, shall take effect on the earlier 

9 of— 

10 (1) the effective date of regulations issued 

11 under subsection (c); and 

12 (2) the date that is 180 days after the date of 

13 enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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