§ 41728. Airline passengers with disabilities bill of rights

5,696 words·~26 min read·/usc/title-49/section-41728

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(a)Airline Passengers With Disabilities Bill of Rights.— The Secretary of Transportation shall develop a document, to be known as the “Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights”, using plain language to describe the basic protections and responsibilities of covered air carriers,1 their employees and contractors, and people with disabilities under section 41705.

(b)Content.— In developing the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights under subsection (a), the Secretary shall include, at a minimum, plain language descriptions of protections and responsibilities provided in law related to the following:

(1)The right of passengers with disabilities to be treated with dignity and respect.

(2)The right of passengers with disabilities to receive timely assistance, if requested, from properly trained covered air carrier and contractor personnel.

(3)The right of passengers with disabilities to travel with wheelchairs, mobility aids, and other assistive devices, including necessary medications and medical supplies, including stowage of such wheelchairs, aids, and devices.

(4)The right of passengers with disabilities to receive seating accommodations, if requested, to accommodate a disability.

(5)The right of passengers with disabilities to receive announcements in an accessible format.

(6)The right of passengers with disabilities to speak with a complaint resolution officer or to file a complaint with a covered air carrier or the Department of Transportation.

(c)Rule of Construction.— The development of the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights under subsections

(a)and

(b)shall not be construed as expanding or restricting the rights available to passengers with disabilities on the day before the date of enactment of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 pursuant to any statute or regulation.

(d)Consultations.— In developing the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights under subsection (a), the Secretary of Transportation shall consult with stakeholders, including disability organizations and covered air carriers and their contractors.

(e)Display.— Each covered air carrier shall include the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights—

(1)on a publicly available internet website of the covered air carrier; and

(2)in any pre-flight notifications or communications provided to passengers who alert the covered air carrier in advance of the need for accommodations relating to a disability.

(f)Training.— Covered air carriers and contractors of covered air carriers shall submit to the Secretary of Transportation plans that ensure that employees of covered air carriers and their contractors receive training on the protections and responsibilities described in the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights. The Secretary shall review such plans to ensure the plans address the matters described in subsection (b).

(Added and amended Pub. L. 118–63, title V, § 510(b), May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1194.)

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