Title: Aviation Humanitarian Crisis Act of 2017
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Aviation Humanitarian Crisis Act of 2017
This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation (DOT) to declare an aviation humanitarian crisis at airports serving areas in which a federally-declared major disaster or emergency exists. For each such humanitarian crisis, DOT shall identify the airports subject to the disaster declaration and the time period during which the declaration applies.
The bill limits the ability of air carriers to impose an excess charge for any seat on a flight or a passenger facility charge during the period of such crisis.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3951 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3951

    To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to declare that an 
 aviation humanitarian crisis exists for airports impacted by a major 
             disaster or emergency, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 4, 2017

  Mr. Payne introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to declare that an 
 aviation humanitarian crisis exists for airports impacted by a major 
             disaster or emergency, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Aviation Humanitarian Crisis Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. AVIATION HUMANITARIAN CRISIS DECLARATIONS.

    (a) Authority To Declare.--If the President declares that a major 
disaster or emergency exists with respect to an area under section 401 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5170), the Secretary of Transportation may declare, with 
respect to airports serving the area, that an aviation humanitarian 
crisis exists.
    (b) Contents of Declaration.--For each aviation humanitarian crisis 
declared to exist, the Secretary shall identify--
            (1) the airports subject to the declaration; and
            (2) the time period during which the declaration applies.
    (c) Results of Declaration.--If the Secretary declares that an 
aviation humanitarian crisis exists with respect to an airport, during 
the time period to which the declaration applies--
            (1) an air carrier that provides a flight in air 
        transportation to or from the airport may not charge for any 
        seat on the flight an amount that exceeds the median amount 
        charged with respect to all seats on all flights of the carrier 
        traveling the same route during the 1-year period ending on the 
        date on which the crisis was declared to exist; and
            (2) an entity that imposes, with respect to the airport, a 
        passenger facility charge authorized by the Secretary under 
        section 40117 of title 49, United States Code, shall suspend 
        imposing the charge.
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