Title: Stopping Assault while Flying Enforcement Act of 2017'
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Stopping Assault while Flying Enforcement Act of 2017
This bill requires air carriers and foreign air carriers to provide initial and recurrent training for certain flight personnel who are employees or contractors about responding to sexual assault and sexual harassment of passengers, employees, and contractors onboard aircraft.
The Department of Transportation must establish a National In-Flight Sexual Assault Task Force, whose duties shall include, with respect to sexual assault and sexual harassment onboard aircraft, reviewing the practices and protocols of air carriers and making recommendations about best practices and minimum standards for training and a streamlined process for reporting incidents.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1605 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1605

  To improve the response to sexual assault and sexual harassment on 
board aircraft operated in passenger air transportation, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 20, 2017

Mr. Casey (for himself, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Blumenthal, 
    Ms. Warren, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Mrs. Feinstein) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To improve the response to sexual assault and sexual harassment on 
board aircraft operated in passenger air transportation, 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 ``Stopping Assault while Flying 
Enforcement Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. AIR CARRIER DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``air carrier'' means an air carrier or 
foreign air carrier, as those terms are defined in section 40102 of 
title 49, United States Code.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL TRAINING RELATING TO RESPONDING TO SEXUAL ASSAULT 
              AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT ON BOARD PASSENGER AIRCRAFT.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 44736. Additional training relating to responding to sexual 
              assault and sexual harassment on board passenger aircraft
    ``(a) Training Required.--In addition to other training required 
under this chapter, each air carrier and foreign air carrier shall 
provide initial and annual recurrent training for flight attendants, 
pilots, and other individuals who are employees or contractors of the 
air carrier, with respect to responding to and addressing sexual 
assault and sexual harassment of passengers and employees and 
contractors of the air carrier on board aircraft operated by the air 
carrier in passenger air transportation.
    ``(b) Situational Training.--An air carrier or foreign air carrier 
shall include, in initial and recurrent training provided under this 
section, situational training with respect to the proper method for 
dealing with passengers who are accused of, and passengers who report, 
sexual assault or sexual harassment.
    ``(c) Trauma-Informed Training.--Training provided under this 
section shall include--
            ``(1) training on--
                    ``(A) how to use a trauma-informed approach with 
                individuals who report incidents of sexual assault or 
                sexual harassment in a way that is survivor-centered;
                    ``(B) the effects of trauma on such individuals;
                    ``(C) how to ensure the safety of all passengers; 
                and
                    ``(D) how to properly report such assault or 
                harassment to air carriers; and
            ``(2) providing appropriate information about available 
        options for--
                    ``(A) reporting sexual assault and sexual 
                harassment to air carriers, the Department of 
                Transportation, and the Department of Justice; and
                    ``(B) obtaining care with respect to such assault 
                or harassment.
    ``(d) Minimum Standards.--Training provided under this section 
shall incorporate the minimum standards developed under section 6(d) of 
the Stopping Assault while Flying Enforcement Act of 2017.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 447 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``44736. Additional training relating to responding to sexual assault 
                            and sexual harassment on board passenger 
                            aircraft.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The requirement for an air carrier to provide 
training under section 44736 of title 49, United States Code, as added 
by subsection (a), shall take effect on the date that is 2 years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Regulations.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall, after reviewing the recommendations of the 
National In-Flight Sexual Assault Task Force under section 6(c)(3), 
prescribe regulations to carry out section 44736 of title 49, United 
States Code, as added by subsection (a).

SEC. 4. DATA COLLECTION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish 
a program to collect and maintain data from air carriers on the 
incidence of sexual assault and sexual harassment on board aircraft 
operated in passenger air transportation in a manner that protects the 
privacy and confidentiality of individuals subjected to such assault or 
harassment.
    (b) Data Availability.--The Secretary shall make the data collected 
and maintained under subsection (a) available to the public on the 
primary Internet website of the Department of Transportation in a 
manner that protects the privacy and confidentiality of individuals 
subjected to sexual assault or sexual harassment on board aircraft 
operated in passenger air transportation.

SEC. 5. REPORTING OF INCIDENTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT ON 
              BOARD AIRCRAFT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish a 
streamlined process, based on the recommendations of the National In-
Flight Sexual Assault Task Force under section 6(c)(3), for reporting 
incidents of sexual assault and sexual harassment on board aircraft 
operated in passenger air transportation in a manner that protects the 
privacy and confidentiality of individuals subjected to such assault or 
harassment.
    (b) Availability of Reporting Process.--The reporting process 
established under subsection (a) shall be made available to the public 
on the primary Internet websites of--
            (1) the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office on 
        Violence Against Women of the Department of Justice; and
            (2) the Department of Transportation.

SEC. 6. NATIONAL IN-FLIGHT SEXUAL ASSAULT TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish 
a task force, to be known as the ``National In-Flight Sexual Assault 
Task Force''.
    (b) Membership.--The task force established under subsection (a) 
shall be composed of representatives of--
            (1) the Department of Transportation;
            (2) the Federal Aviation Administration;
            (3) the Department of Justice, including the Office for 
        Victims of Crimes and the Office on Violence Against Women;
            (4) the Department of Health and Human Services;
            (5) national organizations that specialize in providing 
        services to sexual assault survivors;
            (6) national organizations that specialize in responding to 
        and addressing sexual assault and sexual harassment;
            (7) survivors of sexual assault or sexual harassment on 
        board aircraft;
            (8) national consumer protection organizations;
            (9) national travel organizations;
            (10) labor organizations that represent flight attendants 
        and pilots;
            (11) State and local law enforcement agencies;
            (12) airports;
            (13) air carriers; and
            (14) such other Federal agencies and stakeholder 
        organizations as the Secretary of Transportation considers 
        appropriate.
    (c) Duties.--The task force established under subsection (a) 
shall--
            (1) review the practices and protocols of air carriers 
        relating to--
                    (A) responding to and addressing sexual assault and 
                sexual harassment on board aircraft operated in 
                passenger air transportation;
                    (B) initial and annual recurrent training programs 
                relating to responding to and addressing such assault 
                and harassment;
                    (C) reporting incidents of such assault and 
                harassment to air carriers, the Department of 
                Transportation, and the Department of Justice; and
                    (D) internal reporting of such incidents between 
                crewmembers and corporate security of the air carrier;
            (2) identify strengths and weaknesses in such protocols and 
        practices; and
            (3) not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, make recommendations with respect to--
                    (A) best practices and minimum standards for 
                annual, recurrent, and situational training that is 
                trauma-informed under section 44736 of title 49, United 
                States Code, as added by section 3, including a 
                recommendation with respect to a definition of 
                ``trauma-informed'' for the purposes of that training; 
                and
                    (B) a streamlined process for reporting incidents 
                of sexual assault and sexual harassment on board 
                aircraft operated in passenger air transportation to 
                air carriers, the Department of Transportation, and the 
                Department of Justice, in a manner that protects the 
                privacy and confidentiality of individuals reporting 
                such incidents.
    (d) Development of Minimum Standards.--Not later than 210 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, the 
Secretary of Transportation, and the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration shall, after reviewing the recommendations of 
the task force under subsection (c)(3)--
            (1) establish definitions of ``trauma-informed'' and 
        ``survivor-centered'' for the purposes of the training required 
        under section 44736 of title 49, United States Code, as added 
        by section 3; and
            (2) develop minimum standards for--
                    (A) annual, recurrent, and situational training 
                that is trauma-informed under section 44736 of title 
                49, United States Code, as added by section 3, 
                including with respect to intervention by bystanders; 
                and
                    (B) reporting incidents of sexual assault and 
                sexual harassment on board aircraft operated in 
                passenger air transportation to air carriers, the 
                Department of Transportation, and the Department of 
                Justice.
    (e) Termination.--The Secretary of Transportation may terminate the 
task force established under subsection (a) after the task force has 
made the recommendations required by subsection (c)(3).
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