Fly Together Act

Bill: 118-hr-4193
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Wagner, Ann [R-MO-2]
Introduced: 2023-06-15
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Aviation and airports

Department of Transportation

Family services
Latest action: action_date: 2023-06-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-06-15
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Fly Together Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a policy on seating a young child (i.e., under the age of 14) next to an accompanying adult on a flight. Specifically, DOT must direct air carriers that assign seats or allow individuals to select seats in advance of the date of departure to seat a young child next to an accompanying adult, to the greatest extent practicable, if adjacent seat assignments are available. An air carrier must do this without charging a fee or&nbsp;an additional cost beyond the ticket price of the additional seat.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4193 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 15, 2023 Mrs. Wagner (for herself and Ms. Spanberger ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To require the Secretary of Transportation to establish a policy with respect to family seating on air transportation, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fly Together Act . 2. Family seating (a) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish a policy directing air carriers that assign seats, or allow individuals to select seats in advance of the date of departure of a flight, to sit each young child adjacent to an accompanying adult, to the greatest extent practicable, if adjacent seat assignments are available at any time after the ticket is issued for each young child and before the first passenger boards the flight. (b) Prohibition on fees The notice of proposed rulemaking described in subsection (a) shall include a provision that prohibits an air carrier from charging a fee, or imposing an additional cost beyond the ticket price of the additional seat, to seat each young child adjacent to an accompanying adult within the same class of service. (c) Rule of construction Notwithstanding the requirement in subsection (a), nothing in this section may be construed to allow the Secretary to impose a change in the overall seating or boarding policy of an air carrier that has an open or flexible seating policy in place that generally allows adjacent family seating as described under this section. (d) Young child In this section, the term young child means an individual who has not attained 14 years of age.