Title: Commercial Flight Courtesy Act of 2017
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Commercial Flight Courtesy Act of 2017
This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue regulations prohibiting an individual on an aircraft from engaging in voice communications using a mobile device during a flight in scheduled passenger interstate or intrastate air transportation. DOT must exempt from the prohibition: (1) members of the flight crew on duty on an aircraft, and (2) federal law enforcement officers acting in an official capacity.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1450 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1450

 To prohibit cell phone voice communications during passenger flights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 28, 2017

  Mr. Alexander (for himself and Mr. Markey) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prohibit cell phone voice communications during passenger flights.

    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 ``Commercial Flight Courtesy Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CELL PHONE VOICE COMMUNICATIONS DURING PASSENGER 
              FLIGHTS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 417 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 41725. Prohibition on certain cell phone voice communications
    ``(a) Prohibition.--The Secretary of Transportation shall issue 
regulations--
            ``(1) to prohibit an individual on an aircraft from 
        engaging in voice communications using a mobile communications 
        device during a flight of that aircraft in scheduled passenger 
        interstate air transportation or intrastate air transportation; 
        and
            ``(2) that exempt from the prohibition described in 
        paragraph (1)--
                    ``(A) any member of the flight crew on duty on an 
                aircraft; and
                    ``(B) any Federal law enforcement officer acting in 
                an official capacity.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Flight.--The term `flight' means, with respect to an 
        aircraft, the period beginning when the aircraft takes off and 
        ending when the aircraft lands.
            ``(2) Mobile communications device.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `mobile communications 
                device' means any portable wireless telecommunications 
                equipment utilized for the transmission or reception of 
                voice data.
                    ``(B) Limitation.--The term `mobile communications 
                device' does not include a phone installed on an 
                aircraft.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 417 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 41724 the following new item:

``41725. Prohibition on certain cell phone voice communications.''.
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