JETSET Costs Act of 2023

To limit the use of Department of Transportation aircraft for travel by the Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary’s executive staff, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Justification and Examination of Transportation Staff's Executive Travel Costs Act of 2023 JETSET Costs Act of 2023 2. Executive travel on Department of Transportation aircraft (a) In general Unless the Secretary determines that the cost of a flight to a destination on aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by the Department of Transportation is at least 5 percent less than the cost of a flight on a commercial airline to the destination, neither the Secretary nor the Secretary's executive staff shall travel to such destination on any aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by the Department of Transportation. (b) Exception Subsection (a) shall not apply in any case in which emergency travel is required and commercial service is unavailable after notifying the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation and the appropriate committees of Congress in writing not later than 7 days after such emergency travel is completed. (c) Cost comparison Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall revise Order 2500.36N to reflect the true cost of flight operations. When calculating per-seat costs of a flight, the Department of Transportation— (1) shall be prohibited from charging different rates to non-Department of Transportation officials; and (2) shall use the actual and full cost of a flight on aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by the Department of Transportation when comparing such flight to any commercial alternative. (d) Reporting Not later than December 31 of calendar year 2023, and each calendar year thereafter, the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress that includes the following with respect to the calendar year: (1) An itemization of each trip and flight in which the Secretary or the Secretary's executive staff traveled on aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by the Department of Transportation. (2) A justification for any trip and flight included in the itemization required by paragraph (1), including, for each such trip and flight, documentation that the trip and flight was at least 5 percent less than the cost of a flight on a commercial airline to the destination involved. (e) Prohibition on personal or political use Neither the Secretary nor the Secretary's executive staff shall travel on aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by the Department of Transportation for any trip that involves personal or political activities. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) Administrator The term Administrator (2) Appropriate committees of Congress The term appropriate committees of Congress (3) Secretary The term Secretary

Summary: Justification and Examination of Transportation Staff's Executive Travel Costs Act of 2023 or the JETSET Costs Act of 2023This bill restricts the use of Department of Transportation (DOT) aircraft by the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary's executive staff.Specifically, the bill prohibits the Secretary and the Secretary's executive staff from traveling on a DOT aircraft unless it is determined that the cost of the flight is at least 5% less than the cost of a flight on a commercial airline. A DOT aircraft is any aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by DOT.This restriction does not apply when emergency travel is required and commercial service is unavailable. The DOT Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Congress must be notified in writing within seven days after such emergency travel is completed.Further, the Federal Aviation Administration must revise Order 2500.36N (Application of Flight Hour Rates) to reflect the true cost of flight operations. When calculating per-seat costs of a flight, DOT (1) may not charge different rates to non-DOT officials, and (2) must use the actual and full cost of a flight on a DOT aircraft when comparing such flight to any commercial alternative.DOT's OIG must submit an annual report to Congress that includes an itemization and justification of each trip and flight in which the Secretary or the Secretary's executive staff traveled on a DOT aircraft.The bill also prohibits the Secretary or the Secretary's executive staff from traveling on a DOT aircraft for any trip that involves personal or political activities.