I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7741 
To promote airline passenger safety during the COVID–19 public health 
emergency. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 23, 2020 
Mr. CICILLINE (for himself, Mrs. BEATTY, and Mr. CARSON of Indiana) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To promote airline passenger safety during the COVID– 
19 public health 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 ‘‘Maintaining Important 
Distance During Lengthy Epidemics Act of 2020’’ or the 
‘‘MIDDLE Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. PROMOTING AIRLINE PASSENGER SAFETY DURING 
THE COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), during 
the period beginning on the date that is 14 days after the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:34 Aug 14, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7741.IH
H7741
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
date of the enactment of this Act and ending on the last 
day of the emergency period described in section 
1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1320b–5(g)(1)(B)), an air carrier (as defined in section 
40102 of title 49, United States Code) shall be prohibited 
from doing any of the following: 
(1) Permit adjacent seats to be filled on a pas-
senger aircraft. 
(2) Pass along the cost of any seat switch un-
dertaken by an air carrier in order to comply the 
prohibition under paragraph (1). 
(3) Permit a passenger or crewmember to board 
a passenger aircraft if the passenger or crewmember 
is not wearing a mask. 
(b) EXCEPTIONS.—Not later than 14 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, taking into account the 
provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 
701 et seq.), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 
(42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), section 41705 of title 49, 
United States Code (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Air 
Carrier Access Act’’), and any Federal health guidance 
from the Department of Health and Human Services (in-
cluding guidance related to the COVID–19 public health 
emergency), the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration, in consultation with the Secretary of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:34 Aug 14, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7741.IH
H7741
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
Health and Human Services (acting through the Director 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), shall 
issue guidance that provides for appropriate exceptions to 
the prohibitions under paragraphs (1) and (3) of sub-
section (a). 
(c) NONDISCRIMINATION.—In carrying out the provi-
sions of this section, an air carrier may not discriminate 
against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, 
genetic information, national origin, age, disability, or sex 
(including sexual orientation and gender identity, preg-
nancy, childbirth, and a medical condition related to preg-
nancy or childbirth). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:34 Aug 14, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H7741.IH
H7741
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS