I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2870 

To standardize and clarify the dimensions of carry-on baggage and personal 

items on air carriers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 15, 2009 

Mr. LIPINSKI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To standardize and clarify the dimensions of carry-on 

baggage and personal items on air carriers. 

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 ‘‘Securing Cabin Bag5 gage Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. CARRY-ON BAGGAGE. 

7 (a) TSA REGULATIONS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 

9 the date of enactment of this Act, and except as proVerDate Nov 24 2008 04:15 Jun 16, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2870.IH H2870

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1 vided in subsection (c), the Secretary of Homeland 

2 Security, acting through the Assistant Secretary, 

3 Transportation Security Administration, shall issue 

4 regulations to establish a limit on the size of bag5 gage and personal items allowed to be carried by a 

6 passenger on board an aircraft. 

7 (2) CARRY-ON BAGGAGE RESTRICTIONS.—Such 

8 regulations shall require that each passenger may 

9 bring only one carry-on bag and one personal item, 

10 the dimensions of each, when loaded, shall not ex11 ceed 56 centimeters in length by 45 centimeters in 

12 height by 25 centimeters in width (rounded to 22 

13 inches by 18 inches (17.75) by 10 inches (9.85)). 

14 (b) FAA REGULATIONS.—Not later than 60 days 

15 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 

16 of the Federal Aviation Administration shall modify sec17 tion 121.589 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to 

18 require that the carry-on baggage program of each air car19 rier limits each passenger boarding an aircraft to not more 

20 than one piece of carry-on baggage and one personal item 

21 described in subsection (a). An air carrier may establish 

22 smaller size limits for carry-on baggage and a personal 

23 item than the limits set forth in this section. 

24 (c) EXCLUSIONS FOR CARRY-ON BAGGAGE LIMITA25 TIONS.—The carry-on baggage and personal item limitaVerDate Nov 24 2008 04:15 Jun 16, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2870.IH H2870

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1 tions established by the TSA and the FAA under this sec2 tion shall not apply to— 

3 (1) a child safety seat for a child passenger; 

4 (2) assistive devices for disabled passengers, in5 cluding wheelchairs, canes, and crutches; 

6 (3) musical instruments; 

7 (4) outer garments, including a coat and a hat; 

8 and 

9 (5) cockpit and cabin crew in uniform. 

10 (d) NOTIFICATION.— 

11 (1) TSA.—The TSA shall post on its Web site 

12 and in plain view signs notifying passengers of the 

13 Federal carry-on baggage and personal item limita14 tions at the check-in desk outside of the passenger 

15 security screening checkpoint and at the passenger 

16 security screening checkpoint. 

17 (2) FAA.—The FAA shall provide notice of 

18 carry-on baggage and personal item limitations to 

19 each ticket purchaser and post such limitations on 

20 its Web site, in appropriate passenger education sec21 tions. 

22 (e) USE OF TEMPLATE.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 

24 after the date of the enactment of this Act, TSA 

25 shall install and utilize a template with a maximum 


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1 depth and width that will prevent the conveyor belt 

2 passage at each security checkpoint of carry-on bag3 gage or a personal item that exceeds the dimensions 

4 set forth in subsection (a). 

5 (2) CHECK-IN REQUIREMENT.—TSA represent6 atives shall require any passenger whose carry-on 

7 baggage or personal item exceeds the maximum 

8 length of the dimensions set forth in subsection (a) 

9 to check such carry-on baggage or personal item. 

10 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi11 nitions apply: 

12 (1) The term ‘‘FAA’’ means the Federal Avia13 tion Administration. 

14 (2) The term ‘‘passenger’’ means an individual 

15 who boards an aircraft, including any child under 

16 the age of 2 who boards an aircraft without regard 

17 to whether or not a ticket for air transportation was 

18 purchased for the child. 

19 (3) The term ‘‘TSA’’ means the Transportation 

20 Security Administration. 

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