Sec. 541. Evacuation standards for transport category airplanes
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/bill/118/hr/3935/pcs/section-541·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall task the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee with reviewing and proposing updates to the evacuation requirements under section 25.803 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, and appendix J to part 25 of such title. In tasking the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee under subsection (a), the Administrator shall, at a minimum, task the Committee to— evaluate whether the representative passenger loads, prescribed in regulation on the date of enactment of this Act, represent a realistic composition of passengers on an aircraft operated under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, including accounting for— children, including infants; passengers who do not speak English; passengers with disabilities; and service animals (as such term is defined in section 35.104 and 36.104 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regulations); and determine if there are technologies or techniques that can be used to more accurately represent categories of passengers who are unable to provide consent during evacuation testing, but should be simulated in such testing; evaluate whether the requirements prescribed in regulation on the date of enactment of this Act adequately consider the varying sizes, weight, and matter or baggage present in an aircraft cabin; and determine whether the evacuation testing performed, associated with section 25.803 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, considers the seat size, seat pitch, seating layout, aisle width, and aisle layout of the aircraft type being tested.
In tasking the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee under subsection (a), the Administrator shall allow such Committee to consult with the National Transportation Safety Board, transport category aircraft manufacturers, air carriers certificated under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, crew members of such air carriers, emergency responders, groups representing passengers and passengers with disabilities, and other relevant experts. Not later than 18 months after receiving such recommendations to update section 25.803 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, and appendix J to part 25 of such title, the Administrator shall issue a final rulemaking based on the recommendations provided by the aviation rulemaking advisory committee tasked under this section, as necessary.
In this section, the term passenger with disabilities means any qualified individual with a disability, as such term is defined in section 382.3 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regulations.