Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin Act
Bill: S.5235 | Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy (D-IL)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin Act
This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a final rule establishing evacuation standards for transport category airplanes that accounts for certain factors, including the ability of passengers of different ages (e.g., infants, children, and senior citizens) to safely and efficiently evacuate an airplane.

To require the Federal Aviation Administration to establish evacuation 
              standards for transport category airplanes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EVACUATION STANDARDS FOR TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES.

    (a) Rulemaking.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall issue a final rule establishing evacuation 
standards for transport category airplanes, as described in part 25 of 
title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.
    (b) Considerations.--
            (1) In general.--In issuing the final rule under subsection 
        (a), the Administrator shall consider factors that include--
                    (A) the ability of passengers of different ages 
                (including infants, children, and senior citizens) to 
                safely and efficiently evacuate a transport category 
                airplane;
                    (B) the ability of passengers of different heights 
                and weights to safely and efficiently evacuate a 
                transport category airplane;
                    (C) the ability of passengers with disabilities to 
                safely and efficiently evacuate a transport category 
                airplane;
                    (D) the ability of passengers who cannot speak, 
                have difficulty speaking, use synthetic speech, or are 
                non-vocal or non-verbal to safely and efficiently 
                evacuate a transport category airplane;
                    (E) the ability of passengers who do not speak 
                English to safely and efficiently evacuate a transport 
                category airplane;
                    (F) the impact of the presence of carry-on luggage 
                or personal items (such as a purse, briefcase, laptop, 
                or backpack) on the ability of passengers to safely and 
                efficiently evacuate a transport category airplane;
                    (G) the impact of seat size and seat pitch on the 
                ability of passengers to safely and efficiently 
                evacuate a transport category airplane;
                    (H) the impact of seats and other obstacles in the 
                pathway to the exit opening from the nearest aisle on 
                the ability of passengers to safely and efficiently 
                evacuate a transport category airplane;
                    (I) with respect to aircraft with parallel 
                longitudinal aisles, the impact of seat pods or other 
                seating configurations that block access between such 
                aisles within a cabin on the ability of passengers to 
                safely and efficiently evacuate a transport category 
                airplane;
                    (J) the impact of passenger load (the number of 
                passengers relative to the number of seats on board) on 
                the ability of passengers to safely and efficiently 
                evacuate a transport category airplane;
                    (K) the impact of service animals and the ability 
                to safely and efficiently evacuate such animals from a 
                transport category airplane; and
                    (L) any other factor determined appropriate by the 
                Administrator.
            (2) Passengers with disabilities defined.--For purposes of 
        this subsection, the term ``passengers with disabilities''--
                    (A) means any qualified individual with a 
                disability, as defined in section 382.3 of title 14, 
                Code of Federal Regulations; and
                    (B) includes any passengers--
                            (i) with a physical impairment, such as 
                        passengers who are blind, deaf, or require a 
                        wheelchair, walker, cane, brace, prosthetic, or 
                        other mobility device;
                            (ii) whose physical impairment requires the 
                        use of a medical device to assist with 
                        mobility, such as a portable oxygen 
                        concentrator; or
                            (iii) with a developmental or mental 
                        impairment.
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