AirFAIR Act

Bill: 115-hr-3743
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
Introduced: 2017-09-12
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Aviation and airports

Congressional oversight

Consumer affairs

Department of Transportation

Disaster relief and insurance

Emergency planning and evacuation

Government studies and investigations

Transportation costs
Latest action: action_date: 2017-09-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-09-12
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Airline Freeze of Astronomical Increases in Rates Act or the AirFAIR Act</b></p> <p>This bill makes it an unfair or deceptive practice to impose an excessive price increase for air transportation tickets in circumstances related to a disaster or emergency.</p> The Department of Transportation must issue regulations to establish standards for determining whether an increase in a ticket price is considered excessive.

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3743 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 12, 2017 Ms. Velázquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations to ensure airfare fairness in the wake of a disaster or emergency, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Airline Freeze of Astronomical Increases in Rates Act or the AirFAIR Act . 2. Excessive aviation ticket price increases during disasters (a) In general Section 41712 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (d) Excessive ticket price increases during disasters (1) In general It shall be an unfair or deceptive practice under subsection (a) for any ticket agent, air carrier, foreign air carrier, or other person offering to sell tickets for air transportation to impose an excessive increase in the price of such tickets in circumstances related to a disaster or emergency. (2) Regulations The Secretary shall issue regulations to establish standards for determining whether an increase in a ticket price is excessive for purposes of paragraph (1). At a minimum, the standards shall ensure that an increase of 30 percent or more is treated as being excessive. (3) Definitions In this section, the term disaster or emergency means a disaster or emergency as declared by a State, the District of Columbia, or a territory or possession of the United States. . (b) Unfair ticket pricing practices (1) Study The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall conduct a study on whether any ticket agent, air carrier, foreign air carrier, or other person offering to sell tickets for air transportation has engaged in unfair practices in the sale of such tickets in circumstances related to a disaster or emergency. (2) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the study.