II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3681 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 11, 2020 Mr. Blumenthal (for Mr. Markey (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal )) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To require a joint task force on the operation of air travel during and after the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Restoring Safety in the Skies Act of 2020 . 2. Joint task force on the operation of air travel (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of Transportation shall form a Joint Task Force on the Operation of Air Travel during and after the COVID–19 pandemic (in this section referred to as the Joint Task Force ). (b) Duties The Joint Task Force shall develop plans, guidelines, and recommended requirements to address the logistical, health, safety, and security issues relating to the continued operation of air travel during the COVID–19 pandemic, as well as the resumption of full operations at airports and increased passenger air travel after the COVID–19 pandemic ends. The Joint Task Force shall develop, at a minimum, plans, guidelines, and recommended requirements for— (1) the immediate period after the end of the COVID–19 pandemic; (2) ongoing periods after the end of the COVID–19 pandemic; (3) reconfiguring and reforming airport and travel operations, including passenger queuing and security screening, as a result of current and anticipated permanent changes to passenger air travel during and after the COVID–19 pandemic, as well as the anticipated seasonal recurrence of the coronavirus; (4) reconfiguring and reforming the airplane boarding and deplaning processes, as well as baggage handling procedures, as a result of current and anticipated permanent changes to passenger air travel during and after the COVID–19 pandemic, as well as the anticipated seasonal recurrence of the coronavirus; (5) mitigating the public health and economic impacts of the COVID–19 pandemic and the anticipated seasonal recurrence of the coronavirus on airports and passenger air travel, including, but not limited to, the provision of personal protective equipment to aviation employees, the need for travelers to wear face masks, and the accommodation of social distancing; (6) addressing the privacy and civil liberty concerns created by passenger health screenings, contact-tracing, or any other process for monitoring the health of individuals engaged in air travel; and (7) operating procedures to manage future anticipated public health crises affecting air travel. (c) Membership The Joint Task Force shall include, at a minimum, representatives of the following: (1) The Department of Transportation. (2) The Department of Homeland Security. (3) The Department of Health and Human Services. (4) The Federal Aviation Administration. (5) The Transportation Security Administration. (6) U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (7) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (8) Airport operators. (9) Airlines. (10) Aircraft manufacturers. (11) Labor organizations representing aviation industry workers, including pilots, flight attendants, maintenance, and safety inspectors. (12) Public health experts. (13) Consumers and passenger rights organizations. (14) Privacy and civil liberty organizations. (15) Manufacturers of passenger screening technologies. (d) Reports (1) Preliminary report with emergency recommendations As soon as practicable after the establishment of the Joint Task Force, the Joint Task Force shall submit a preliminary report to Congress that contains the plans, guidelines, and recommended requirements necessary to ensure safe air travel before the COVID–19 pandemic ends and during the immediate period after the end of such pandemic. The Joint Task Force may submit the preliminary report required under this paragraph in installments and may include interim versions of the Joint Task Force's plans, guidelines, and recommended requirements. (2) Final report Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Joint Task Force shall submit a final report to Congress that contains all of the plans, guidelines, and recommended requirements developed by the Joint Task Force, including any revised or finalized plans, guidelines, or recommended requirements that were included in an interim version in the preliminary report (or an installment of such report) submitted to Congress as required under paragraph (1).