,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bhjd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #g1 #bjag,mr4  
,lipinski 7for himself and ,mr4 ,jones7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,transportation and ,infrastructure  ,a 
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,transportation to implement changes to 
improve air transportation1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,airline       
,consumer ,protection ,act of #bjag4    
#b4 ,interlining ,not later than #a year
 after the date of enactment of this    
,act1 the ,secretary of ,transportation 
shall issue a final rule requiring an   
air carrier to seek1 in the event of a  
delay exceeding #c hours1 cancellation1 
or misconnection as a result of         
circumstances or an event within an air 
carrier's control1 as determined by the 
,secretary of ,transportation1          
alternative transportation for displaced
 passengers1 including aboard another   

air carrier capable of transporting the 
passenger to his or her originally      
scheduled destination1 and to accept1   
for a reasonable fee1 the passengers of 
another air carrier who have been       
displaced by circumstances or an event  
within that air carriers control1 as    
determined by the ,secretary of         
,transportation1 or if the passenger has
 been involuntarily denied boarding due 
to a lack of available seats4  #c4 ,,gao
 study ,not later than #a year after the
 date of enactment of this ,act1 the    
,comptroller ,general shall submit to   
the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1  
and ,transportation of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure of the ,house of        
,representatives a report containing a  
review of the following3  7#a7 ,the     
commonalities and differences of        
computer network architecture used by   
air carriers operating under part #aba  
of title #ad1 ,code of ,federal         
,regulations4  7#b7 ,analysis of        

operationally critical functions1       
including consideration of              
passenger-facing functions such as      
reservation and notification systems1   
aircraft dispatch functions and how     
information regarding such functions and
 systems is transmitted to outstations1 
maintenance monitoring and planning     
systems1 and crew scheduling systems4   
7#c7 ,the impact of consolidated systems
 and software that handle multiple      
critical functions4  7#d7 ,the most     
common causes of airline computer       
network disruptions4  7#e7 ,industry    
best practices to prevent1 and mitigate 
the impacts of1 network disruptions4    
#d4 ,computer network resiliency  7a7   
,in general ,any schedule change        
resulting from a computer network       
disruption1 security breach1 or other   
inoperability1 may be considered an     
event within an air carrier's control as
 determined by the ,secretary of        
,transportation4  7b7 ,computer network 
resiliency working group ,the ,secretary

 of ,transportation shall work closely  
with the airline industry computer      
network resiliency working group        
established under section #e to improve 
computer networks for air carriers4  7c7
 ,final ,rule ,not later than #a year   
after the enactment of this ,act1 the   
,secretary of ,transportation shall     
publish a final rule that requires an   
air carrier operating under part #aba of
 title #ad1 ,code of ,federal           
,regulations1 to submit to the          
,administrator of the ,federal ,aviation
 ,administration a plan detailing1 at a 
minimum--  7#a7 the maintenance of      
computer network systems used to perform
 functions critical to the normal       
operation of the carrier2  7#b7 the     
carrier's plan for restoring full       
functionality of such systems in the    
event of a service disruption2  7#c7 the
 carrier's backup systems2 and  7#d7 the
 level of service and amenities offered 
to passengers whose flights are delayed 
or cancelled as a result of a computer  

network disruption and how the air      
carrier will comply with the plan       
requirements of section #f4  7d7 ,plan  
details ,not later than #a year after   
the establishment of the airline        
industry computer network resiliency    
working group under section #e1 the     
contingency plan referred to in         
subsection 7c7 shall be submitted to the
 ,administrator of the ,federal         
,aviation ,administration4              
,notwithstanding section #eeb of title  
#e1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly     
known as the ,freedom of ,information   
,act71 such plan may not disclose to the
 public any plan specifics4 ,the air    
carrier shall make available a general  
outline of the plan to the public4  #e4 
,airline industry computer network      
resiliency working group  7a7           
,establishment ,not later than #ij days 
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,secretary of ,transportation 
shall establish the airline industry    
computer network resiliency working     

group 7referred to in this section as   
the working group7 to serve as subject  
matter experts to the ,secretary to     
foster collaboration and facilitate     
improvements in the resilience of       
computer networks used by air carriers  
in carrying out functions critical to   
the maintenance of regularly scheduled  
air transportation service1 and in the  
recovery of operations in the event of  
network disruptions4  7b7 ,objectives   
,objectives of the working group shall  
include efforts-- 7#a7 to promote       
communication and coordination regarding
 computer network architecture across   
the airline industry2  7#b7 to promote  
engagement between industry and         
government stakeholders regarding the   
development of guidelines and best      
practices2  7#c7 to review past         
disruptions and lessons learned2 and    
7#d7 to serve as the liaison between    
industry and government representatives 
on research and development and emerging
 technologies that enhance computer     

network resiliency4  7c7 ,membership    
,membership on the working group shall  
include representatives who have        
responsibility for computer networks and
 their maintenance1 including--  7#a7 at
 a minimum1 ,government representatives 
of the ,federal ,aviation               
,administration and the ,department of  
,homeland ,security2 and  7#b7 voluntary
 participation of representatives from  
the airline industry and their          
contractors and suppliers4  7d7         
,meetings ,the working group shall meet 
not less than twice each year and may   
convene for additional meetings as      
needed4 ,the group shall meet for a     
period of not less than #b years4  7e7  
,report ,the working group shall submit 
a report to the ,secretary of           
,transportation that establishes        
voluntary guidelines for the resiliency 
of airline computer networks that handle
 operationally critical functions1 best 
practices1 and the conditions under     
which the working group may need to     

periodically meet or reconvene4  #f4    
,improved accommodation of displaced    
passengers  ,not later than #a year     
after the enactment of this ,act1 the   
,secretary of ,transportation shall     
modify part #bei of title #ad1 ,code of 
,federal ,regulations to include the    
following3  7#a7 ,adoption of ,plan     
,each covered carrier shall adopt a     
contingency plan for lengthy terminal   
delays for its scheduled flights at each
 large hub airport1 medium hub airport1 
small hub airport and non-hub airport in
 the ,united ,states at which it        
operates or markets such air            
transportation service and shall adhere 
to its plan's terms4  7#b7 ,contents of 
,plan ,each contingency plan for any    
delay1 cancellation1 or misconnection1  
affecting a passenger who has been      
involuntarily denied boarding as a      
result of circumstances or an event     
within an air carrier's control1 as     
determined by the ,administration of the
 ,federal ,aviation ,administration     

7except in the case in which the flight 
crew determines that a passenger poses a
 danger to the safety of the flight71   
shall include1 at a minimum1 the        
following3  7,a7 ,essential needs ,an   
air carrier shall ensure that essential 
needs1 including food1 water1 restroom  
facilities1 and assistance in the case  
of a medical emergency are met4 ,if the 
only available seating on the carrier's 
next flight to the passenger's          
destination is a higher class of service
 than purchased1 the carrier shall      
transport the passenger on the flight at
 no additional cost4  7,b7 ,meal voucher
 ,in the case of a delay exceeding #d   
hours1 the air carrier shall provide a  
meal voucher or1 if at the request of   
the passenger1 cash equivalent to the   
value of a meal voucher4 ,an air carrier
 shall not be liable to reimburse the   
passenger for expenses related to meals 
if the passenger did not accepted such  
compensation when offered4  7,c7        
,lodging1 transportation1 and other     

vouchers  7i7 ,in general ,in the case  
of a delay1 cancellation1 or            
misconnection as a result of            
circumstances or an event within an air 
carrier's control1 as determined by the 
,secretary of ,transportation1 of which 
any portion exceeding #b hours occurs   
between the period of time between #aj  
p4m4 and #c a4m41 local time1 of the    
following day1 and with no guarantee of 
reaccommodation aboard another flight to
 the passenger's destination within the 
following #b hours after the initial    
#b-;hour delay1 an air carrier shall    
provide the passenger with lodging1     
transportation to and from the airport  
to the place of lodging1 and meal       
expenses4 ,at the request of the        
passenger1 the carrier shall            
alternatively compensate such passenger 
with the cash equivalent to the value of
 the lodging1 meals1 and transportation1
 or a voucher of equivalent value for   
future travel on the carrier4  7ii7     
,lodging unavailable ,if lodging is     

unavailable1 an carrier shall compensate
 a passenger with the cash equivalent to
 the value of the lodging1 meals1 and   
transportation1 or1 at the request of   
the passenger1 a voucher of equivalent  
value for future travel on the carrier4 
7iii7 ,proximity to residence ,the      
provisions of clauses 7i7 and 7ii7 shall
 not apply to a passenger whose         
permanent residence is #fj miles or less
 from the airport where such delay1     
cancellation1 or misconnection occurred4
  7iv7 ,failure to accept initial       
compensation ,an air carrier shall not  
be liable to reimburse the passenger for
 expenses related to meals if the       
passenger did not accept such           
compensation when offered4  #g4         
,aircraft flights without functioning   
lavatories  7a7 ,limitation on certain  
aircraft flights ,chapter #dag of title 
#di1 ,united ,states ,code is amended by
 adding the following3  #dagbe4         
,limitation on aircraft flights without 
functioning lavatories ,not later than  

#ij days after the enactment of this    
,act1 the ,secretary of ,transportation 
shall issue regulations to ensure that a
 passenger who has purchased a ticket in
 scheduled passenger interstate or      
intrastate air transportation or in an  
aircraft in nonscheduled passenger      
interstate or intrastate air            
transportation1 shall not pay any       
associated fee to select an alternative 
flight if it is determined before       
departure that the lavatory is not      
functioning4  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment
 ,the analysis for such chapter is      
amended by adding at the end of the     
following3  #dagbe4 ,limitation on      
aircraft flights without functioning    
lavatories  4