S. 545 · 118th Congress
Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2023
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 118th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
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BaldwinSponsor11 cosponsors · 10 D, 1 I
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Blumenthal
BC
D
Casey
TD
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Duckworth
MH
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Hassan
EM
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Markey
BS
I
Sanders
RW
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Wyden
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Feinstein
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Welch
KG
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Gillibrand
MH
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Heinrich5 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill expands protections for airline passengers with disabilities and requires air carriers to meet certain minimum accessibility standards.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Feb 28, 2023
Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2023
This bill expands protections for airline passengers with disabilities and requires air carriers to meet certain minimum accessibility standards.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) must prescribe regulations setting minimum accessibility standards for new and existing aircraft, airport facilities, websites, and kiosks. The accessibility standards must address topics including
- boarding and deplaning equipment, including ensuring individuals can board and deplane an aircraft from their personal assistive devices (e.g., wheelchairs);
- seating accommodations;
- lavatories;
- visually accessible announcements; and
- proper stowage of assistive devices in the cargo hold to prevent damage.
Existing aircraft have five years from the effective date of the regulations to comply with the standards. DOT must assess civil penalties against an air carrier for violations of these provisions and refer patterns of discrimination to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
DOT must also ensure that passengers with disabilities may (1) file a complaint with the agency in response to disability-related discrimination, and (2) receive assistance through a toll-free hotline or other electronic method.
Further, the bill authorizes DOJ and aggrieved passengers to bring civil actions for discrimination against an air carrier.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2023
Latest action (Feb 28, 2023): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Feb 28, 2023
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.