I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3897 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish minimum dimensions 
for seats on passenger aircraft, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 7, 2023 
Mr. COHEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish minimum 
dimensions for seats on passenger aircraft, and for other 
purposes. 
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 ‘‘Safe Seats for All 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PASSENGER SEAT SIZING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 423 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘§ 42305. Passenger seat sizing 
‘‘(a) 
MINIMUM
DIMENSIONS
OF
PASSENGER 
SEATS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enact-
ment of this section, the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration shall issue regulations to estab-
lish minimum dimensions for seats on passenger aircraft 
(including dimensions for the size, width, length, and pitch 
of seats), to ensure the safety and health of passengers, 
including with respect to emergency evacuations, the abil-
ity of passengers to execute the brace position, and pas-
sengers with deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. 
‘‘(b) INTERIM PROHIBITION ON SEAT REDUCTION.— 
During the period beginning on the date of enactment of 
this section and ending on the effective date of the regula-
tions issued under subsection (a), an air carrier or foreign 
air carrier (as such terms are defined in section 40102) 
may not reduce the size, width, length, or pitch of the 
seats on any passenger aircraft of such carrier (including 
with respect to the dimensions of seat shoulder width, 
elbow width, the edge of the seat base to back of the seat 
in front, the edge of the seat base to the headrest of seat 
in front, foot clearance, and foot clearance envelope). 
‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to prohibit an air carrier or foreign 
air carrier from altering the seating configuration of an 
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aircraft if such configuration does not reduce the number 
of passenger seats in the economy class of service.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 423 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘42305. Passenger seat sizing.’’. 
(c) REPEAL OF 2018 MINIMUM DIMENSION PROVI-
SION.—Section 577 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 
2018 (49 U.S.C. 42301 note), and the item relating to 
such section in the table of contents under section 1(b) 
of such Act, are repealed. 
Æ 
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