I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6965 
To provide for cash refunds for canceled airline flights and tickets during 
the COVID–19 emergency. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2020 
Mr. COHEN (for himself, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. 
RUSH, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Ms. NORTON, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. CISNEROS, 
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CORREA, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, 
Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. THOMPSON of Cali-
fornia, Mr. TONKO, Mr. WELCH, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. RYAN, and 
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in 
addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for cash refunds for canceled airline flights and 
tickets during the COVID–19 emergency. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cash Refunds for 
Coronavirus Cancellations Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. CASH REFUNDS FOR CANCELED AIRLINE FLIGHTS 
AND TICKETS DURING THE COVID–19 EMER-
GENCY. 
(a) CASH REFUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A covered carrier or ticket 
agent who sells a ticket for a passenger to take a 
covered flight, and either such flight is canceled by 
the covered carrier or such ticket is canceled by the 
passenger, shall promptly offer the passenger a full 
cash refund for such ticket, including any ancillary 
fees paid. 
(2) ALTERNATIVE FORM OF COMPENSATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—A covered carrier or 
ticket agent may also offer an alternative form 
of compensation determined appropriate by the 
covered carrier or ticket agent, including credit, 
voucher, or other mechanism to compensate a 
passenger, provided that any such offer includes 
clear and conspicuous notice of a passenger’s 
right to a cash refund under paragraph (1). 
(B) NO
EXPIRATION
DATE.—An alter-
native form of compensation provided pursuant 
to subparagraph (A) shall remain valid and re-
deemable by the passenger indefinitely. 
(3) RETROACTIVE REFUNDS.—In the case of a 
passenger who— 
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(A) received an alternative form of com-
pensation prior to the date of enactment of this 
Act for a covered flight or ticket for a covered 
flight canceled by the covered carrier or by the 
passenger; and 
(B) has not used such alternative com-
pensation; 
such passenger may request a cash refund to replace 
the alternative compensation and the covered carrier 
or ticket agent shall promptly comply with such re-
quest. 
(4) REIMBURSEMENT
TO
TICKET
AGENT.—A 
ticket agent who provides a cash refund to a pas-
senger under this section, including a retroactive re-
fund under paragraph (3), shall be entitled to 
prompt reimbursement from any covered carrier for 
the portion of the ticket price paid to that carrier. 
(b) FUNDING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), a 
covered carrier or ticket agent may use amounts ap-
propriated or otherwise made available to the com-
mercial airline industry in any appropriations en-
acted on or after March 1, 2020, in response to 
COVID–19 to pay for the cash refunds under sub-
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section (a), including retroactive refunds under para-
graph (3) of such subsection. 
(2) LIMITATION.—A covered carrier may not 
use amounts appropriated under section 4112 of the 
Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act of 2020 
(title IV of division A of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, 
and Economic Security Act (Public Law 116–136)) 
to pay for the cash refunds under subsection (a), in-
cluding retroactive refunds under paragraph (3) of 
such subsection. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) AIR CARRIER.—The term ‘‘air carrier’’ has 
the meaning given that term in section 40102 of 
title 49, United States Code. 
(2) COVERED
CARRIER.—The term ‘‘covered 
carrier’’ means— 
(A) any passenger air carrier that had an 
operating revenue in 2018 that exceeded 
$1,500,000,000 according to the Bureau of 
Transportation Statistics; or 
(B) any passenger foreign air carrier oper-
ating a flight to or from the United States. 
(3) COVERED
FLIGHT.—The term ‘‘covered 
flight’’ means a flight of a covered carrier that is 
scheduled to depart from, or arrive at, an airport lo-
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