IIB 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4156 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 29, 2014 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

and Transportation 

AN ACT 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Transparent Airfares 

3 Act of 2014’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ADVERTISEMENTS AND SOLICITATIONS FOR PAS5 SENGER AIR TRANSPORTATION. 

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

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

8 end the following: 

9 ‘‘(d) FULL FARE ADVERTISING.— 

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

11 deceptive practice under subsection (a) for a covered 

12 entity to state in an advertisement or solicitation for 

13 passenger air transportation the base airfare for the 

14 air transportation if the covered entity clearly and 

15 separately discloses— 

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

17 fees associated with the air transportation; and 

18 ‘‘(B) the total cost of the air transpor19 tation. 

20 ‘‘(2) FORM OF DISCLOSURE.— 

21 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of para22 graph (1), the information described in para23 graphs (1)(A) and (1)(B) shall be disclosed in 

24 the advertisement or solicitation in a manner 

25 that clearly presents the information to the con26 sumer. 


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1 ‘‘(B) INTERNET ADVERTISEMENTS AND

2 SOLICITATIONS.—For purposes of paragraph 

3 (1), with respect to an advertisement or solicita4 tion for passenger air transportation that ap5 pears on an Internet Web site, the information 

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

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

8 terms may be defined by the Secretary, that 

9 displays the information in a manner that is 

10 easily accessible and viewable by the consumer. 

11 ‘‘(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the fol12 lowing definitions apply: 

13 ‘‘(A) BASE AIRFARE.—The term ‘base air14 fare’ means the cost of passenger air transpor15 tation, excluding government-imposed taxes and 

16 fees. 

17 ‘‘(B) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘cov18 ered entity’ means an air carrier, including an 

19 indirect air carrier, foreign carrier, ticket agent, 

20 or other person offering to sell tickets for pas21 senger air transportation or a tour or tour com22 ponent that must be purchased with air trans23 portation.’’. 

24 (b) LIMITATION ON STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.— 

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


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

2 air transportation to disclose the total cost of the air 

3 transportation, including government-imposed taxes and 

4 fees, prior to purchase of the air transportation. 

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

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

7 final regulations to carry out the amendment made by sub8 section (a). 

9 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This Act, and the amend10 ments made by this Act, shall take effect on the earlier 

11 of— 

12 (1) the effective date of regulations issued 

13 under subsection (c); and 

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

15 enactment of this Act. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 28, 2014. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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