JETS Act

To limit the use of taxpayer dollars on non-commercial flights for cabinet officials, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Justifiable and Efficient Transportation Substitutes Act JETS Act 2. Limitation on use of funds on non-commercial flights for cabinet officials (a) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, no Federal funds appropriated or otherwise made available in any fiscal year may be used for purposes of paying the travel expenses of any cabinet official on a non-commercial, private, chartered flight, or on any plane owned, operated, chartered, rented, or leased by the Government until the date that the guidelines described in section 3 have been published. (b) Definition of cabinet official In this Act, the term cabinet official 3. Guidance on travel by cabinet officials (a) Guidance Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall cause to be published in the Federal Register guidelines under which travel otherwise prohibited under section 2 by a cabinet official is permissible. (b) Requirements The guidelines required under subsection (a) shall comply with the following: (1) Scheduling requirements may not be used as a basis for determining that the otherwise prohibited travel is necessary, except— (A) for travel to or from a region covered by a declaration of an emergency or major disaster pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 (B) for reasons of national security. (2) The unavailability of commercially available flights, with an accompanying written finding issued on a case-by-case basis by the President or the Chief of Staff to the President, may be a permissible basis for determining the otherwise prohibited travel is necessary. Any written finding issued under the preceding sentence shall be published on the General Service Administration’s public website within 30 days of issuance, except with respect to any travel the purposes of which is classified. (3) The guidelines may not provide for any comprehensive waiver for any cabinet official. 4. Disclosure of travel by cabinet officials (a) Disclosure (1) In general Except as provided in paragraph (2), beginning on the date the guidelines are published under section 3, any travel otherwise prohibited by section 2(a) by a cabinet official shall be disclosed to the Administrator of General Services on a quarterly basis. (2) Classified travel With respect to any travel the purposes of which is classified, the travel shall be disclosed within 60 days to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives, the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate, the subcommittee on defense of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and the subcommittee on defense of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to supersede, alter, or otherwise affect the application of section 101–37.408 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation. (b) Publication The Administrator shall publish detailed information, including among other pertinent information the justification for the mode of travel and the identities of all passengers, regarding any flight disclosed under subsection (a)(1) on the General Service Administration’s public website not later than 30 days after the date the Administrator receives such information.

Summary: Justifiable and Efficient Transportation Substitutes Act or the JETS Act This bill prohibits the use of federal funds for the travel expenses of any cabinet official on: (1) a non-commercial, private, chartered flight; or (2) any plane owned, operated, rented or leased by the government. The prohibition must continue until the President prescribes guidelines to be published in the Federal Register describing prohibited and permissible travel by a cabinet official. With regard to permissible travel under the guidelines:  scheduling requirements may not be cited except in the case of travel to or from a region covered by a declaration of an emergency or a major disaster, or for reasons of national security; the unavailability of commercially-available flights may be cited if it is accompanied by a written finding by the President or the Chief of Staff to the President issued on a case-by-case basis; and no comprehensive waiver may be allowed for a cabinet official. After the date of publication of the guidelines, any travel by a cabinet official otherwise prohibited must be disclosed to the General Services Administration (GSA). GSA must publish information on the disclosed travel on its public website.