I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1303 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to improve air carrier passenger 
services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 1, 2007 
Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. 
SHULER, Mr. SKELTON, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, 
Mr. FARR, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mr. HARE, Mr. MORAN of 
Virginia, Mr. FATTAH, and Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to improve air carrier 
passenger services. 
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 ‘‘Airline Passenger Bill 
of Rights Act of 2007’’. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:56 Mar 04, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1303.IH
H1303
jcorcoran on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
SEC. 2. AIR CARRIER PASSENGER SERVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 417 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—AIR CARRIER PASSENGER 
SERVICES 
‘‘§ 41781. Definitions 
‘‘In this subchapter, the following definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) AIR
TRANSPORTATION.—The term ‘air 
transportation’ includes intrastate air transpor-
tation. 
‘‘(2) COVERED AIR CARRIER.—The term ‘cov-
ered air carrier’ means an air carrier holding a cer-
tificate issued under section 41102 that conducts 
scheduled passenger air transportation. 
‘‘§ 41782. Standards for air carrier passenger services 
‘‘(a) PASSENGER COMPLAINTS.—A covered air car-
rier shall establish and implement procedures for handling 
complaints from passengers of the air carrier. 
‘‘(b) DIVERSIONS, DELAYS, AND CANCELLATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) NOTIFICATION OF PASSENGERS.—A cov-
ered air carrier shall provide customers at an airport 
and on board an aircraft, in a timely, reasonable, 
and truthful manner, the best information available 
to the air carrier regarding a delay, cancellation, or 
diversion affecting the customers’ flight, including— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:56 Mar 04, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1303.IH
H1303
jcorcoran on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
‘‘(A) the cause of the delay, cancellation, 
or diversion; and 
‘‘(B) for a delayed flight, the air carrier’s 
best estimate of departure time. 
‘‘(2) METHODS FOR NOTIFICATION.—In com-
plying with this subsection, a covered air carrier 
shall use airport overhead announcements, on air-
craft announcements, and postings on airport tele-
vision monitors. 
‘‘(c) DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL DELAYS.— 
‘‘(1) RIGHT OF PASSENGERS TO EXIT AN AIR-
CRAFT.—Subject to paragraph (2), a covered air 
carrier operating an aircraft in a flight in air trans-
portation shall establish and implement procedures 
to allow passengers to exit the aircraft in the case 
of a departure or arrival delay which would other-
wise require passengers to remain on the aircraft on 
the ground prior to departure or arrival for a period 
exceeding 3 hours. 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Paragraph (1) shall 
not apply— 
‘‘(i) if the pilot of such flight reason-
able determines that such flight will depart 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:56 Mar 04, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1303.IH
H1303
jcorcoran on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
or arrive not later than 30 minutes after 
the 3-hour delay; or 
‘‘(ii) if the pilot of such flight reason-
able determines that permitting a pas-
senger to deplane would jeopardize pas-
senger safety or security. 
‘‘(B) EXTENSION OF 30-MINUTE PERIOD.— 
A pilot may extend the 30-minute period re-
ferred to in subparagraph (A)(i) by not more 
than an additional 30 minutes in the case of an 
unanticipated extension of the delay. 
‘‘(3) ESSENTIAL SERVICES.—A covered air car-
rier operating an aircraft in air transportation shall 
provide for the essential needs of passengers at all 
times during which the aircraft is on the ground in 
the event of a departure or arrival delay, including 
the needs of passengers for food, water meeting the 
standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act or the 
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as appro-
priate, sanitary facilities, medical access, adequate 
ventilation, and comfortable cabin temperatures. 
‘‘(d) CHRONICALLY DELAYED FLIGHTS.— 
‘‘(1) PUBLICATION OF LIST OF FLIGHTS.—A 
covered air carrier shall publish and update monthly 
on the Internet website of the air carrier a list of 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:56 Mar 04, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1303.IH
H1303
jcorcoran on PROD1PC66 with BILLS