Essential Air Service Reform Act

Bill: 118-hr-2466
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9]
Introduced: 2023-04-03
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Latest action: action_date: 2023-04-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-04-03
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Essential Air Service Reform Act</b></p> <p>This bill modifies the Essential Air Service (EAS) program's applicant selection process for air service providers. (The EAS program was established to ensure that small communities that were served by certificated air carriers before the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 would continue to receive scheduled passenger service.)</p> <p>Specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must consider the overall cost of a submitted bid when selecting an EAS applicant to provide basic essential air service to a community.</p> <p>The bill also removes a current requirement that, in selecting an EAS applicant, DOT give substantial weight to the views of elected officials who represent air transportation users.</p> <p>Finally, DOT must notify Congress when it enters into an EAS contract with an air service provider and include an explanation for awarding the contract with the notification. </p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2466 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 3, 2023 Mr. Meuser introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Transportation to consider the cost of providing basic essential air service when selecting applicants for the essential air service program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Essential Air Service Reform Act . 2. Basic essential air service Section 41732(b) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking paragraph (5); and (2) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (5). 3. Availability of compensation Section 41733(c)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (D) by striking , giving substantial weight to the views of the elected officials representing the users ; (2) in subparagraph (E) by striking and at the end; (3) in subparagraph (F) by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ’ and (4) by adding at the end the following: (G) the overall cost of the bid submitted by the applicant to provide basic essential air service to the eligible place. . 4. Notification to Congress Upon entering into an essential air service contract with an air carrier under subchapter II of chapter 417 of title 49, United States Code, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a notification that the Secretary has entered into such contract and an explanation for awarding such contract.