I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3974 
To limit the use of taxpayer dollars on non-commercial flights for cabinet 
officials, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 5, 2017 
Mr. AGUILAR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To limit the use of taxpayer dollars on non-commercial 
flights for cabinet officials, 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 ‘‘Justifiable and Effi-
cient Transportation Substitutes Act’’ or the ‘‘JETS Act’’. 
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS ON NON-COMMER-
CIAL FLIGHTS FOR CABINET OFFICIALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, beginning on the date of enactment of this 
Act, no Federal funds appropriated or otherwise made 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:52 Oct 07, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3974.IH
H3974
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
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 Gov-
ernment until the date that the guidelines described in sec-
tion 3 have been published. 
(b) DEFINITION
OF CABINET OFFICIAL.—In this 
Act, the term ‘‘cabinet official’’ means any individual occu-
pying a position listed in section 5312 of title 5, United 
States Code, but does not include the Secretary of State, 
the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, 
the Attorney General, or the Director of National Intel-
ligence. 
SEC. 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 cab-
inet 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 prohib-
ited travel is necessary, except— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:52 Oct 07, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3974.IH
H3974
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(A) for travel to or from a region covered 
by a declaration of an emergency or major dis-
aster pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Dis-
aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); or 
(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 pre-
ceding 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. 
SEC. 4. DISCLOSURE OF TRAVEL BY CABINET OFFICIALS. 
(a) DISCLOSURE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), beginning on the date the guidelines are 
published under section 3, any travel otherwise pro-
hibited by section 2(a) by a cabinet official shall be 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:52 Oct 07, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3974.IH
H3974
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
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 Intel-
ligence 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 in-
formation 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 Adminis-
tration’s public website not later than 30 days after the 
date the Administrator receives such information. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:52 Oct 07, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H3974.IH
H3974
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS