[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7177 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7177
To require a joint task force on air travel during and after the COVID-
19 Public Health Emergency, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 11, 2020
Mr. Lynch introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the
Committees on Homeland Security, and Energy and Commerce, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a joint task force on air travel during and after the COVID-
19 Public Health Emergency, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Ensuring Health Safety in the Skies
Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. JOINT TASK FORCE ON AIR TRAVEL.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall
establish a Joint Task Force on Air Travel During and After the COVID-
19 Public Health Emergency (in this section referred to as the ``Joint
Task Force'').
(b) Duties.--
(1) In general.--The Joint Task Force shall develop
recommended requirements, plans, and guidelines to address the
health, safety, security, and logistical issues relating to the
continuation of air travel during the COVID-19 Public Health
Emergency, and with respect to the resumption of full
operations at airports and increased passenger air travel after
the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends. The Joint Task Force
shall develop, at a minimum, recommended requirements, plans,
and guidelines, as appropriate, with respect to each of the
applicable periods described in paragraph (2) for--
(A) reforming airport, air carrier, security, and
other passenger air travel-related operations,
including passenger queuing, passenger security
screening, boarding, deplaning, and baggage handling
procedures, as a result of--
(i) current and anticipated changes to
passenger air travel during the COVID-19 Public
Health Emergency and after that emergency ends;
and
(ii) anticipated changes to passenger air
travel as a result of the projected seasonal
recurrence of the coronavirus;
(B) mitigating the public health and economic
impacts of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and the
projected seasonal recurrence of the coronavirus on
airports and passenger air travel, including through
the use of personal protective equipment for passengers
and employees, the implementation of strategies to
promote overall passenger and employee safety, and the
accommodation of social distancing, as necessary;
(C) addressing the privacy and civil liberty
concerns created by passenger health screenings,
contact-tracing, or any other process for monitoring
the health of individuals engaged in health travel; and
(D) operating procedures to manage future public
health crises affecting air travel.
(2) Applicable periods.--For purposes of paragraph (1), the
applicable periods are the following:
(A) The period beginning with the date of the first
meeting of the Joint Task Force and ending with the
date on which the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
ends.
(B) The 1-year period beginning on the day after
the period described in subparagraph (A) ends.
(c) Requirements.--
(1) In general.--In developing the recommended
requirements, plans, and guidelines under subsection (b), and
prior to including them in the final report required under
subsection (f)(2), the Joint Task Force shall--
(A) consider the consensus recommendations of the
Advisory Committee established under subsection (e);
(B) conduct cost-benefit evaluations;
(C) consider funding constraints; and
(D) use risk-based decision making.
(2) International consultation.--The Joint Task Force shall
consult, as practicable, with relevant international entities
and operators, including the International Civil Aviation
Organization, towards the goal of maximizing the harmonization
of recommended requirements, plans, and guidelines for air
travel during and after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
(d) Membership.--
(1) Chair.--The Secretary of Transportation (or the
Secretary's designee) shall serve as the Chair of the Joint
Task Force.
(2) Vice chair.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
(or the Secretary's designee) shall serve as Vice Chair of the
Joint Task Force.
(3) Other members.--In addition to the Chair and Vice
Chair, the members of the Joint Task Force shall include
representatives of the following:
(A) The Department of Transportation.
(B) The Department of Homeland Security.
(C) The Department of Health and Human Services.
(D) The Federal Aviation Administration.
(E) The Transportation Security Administration.
(F) United States Customs and Border Protection.
(G) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(H) The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration.
(I) The National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health.
(J) The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration.
(K) The Department of State.
(L) The Environmental Protection Agency.
(e) Advisory Committee.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 15 days after the date
on which the Joint Task Force is established under subsection
(a), the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the
Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and
Human Services, shall establish a Joint Federal Advisory
Committee to advise the Joint Task Force (in this section
referred to as the ``Advisory Committee'').
(2) Membership.--The members of the Advisory Committee
shall include representatives of the following:
(A) Airport operators designated by the Secretary
of Transportation in consultation with the Secretary of
Homeland Security.
(B) Air carriers designated by the Secretary of
Transportation in consultation with the Secretary of
Homeland Security.
(C) Aircraft and aviation manufacturers designated
by the Secretary of Transportation.
(D) Labor organizations representing aviation
industry workers, including pilots, flight attendants,
maintenance, mechanics, air traffic controllers, and
safety inspectors, designated by the Secretary of
Transportation.
(E) Public health experts designated by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(F) Consumers and air passenger rights
organizations designated by the Secretary of
Transportation in consultation with Secretary of
Homeland Security.
(G) Privacy and civil liberty organizations
designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
(H) Manufacturers and integrators of air passenger
screening and identity verification technologies
designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
(I) Trade associations representing air carriers,
including, major air carriers, low cost carriers,
regional air carriers, cargo air carriers, and foreign
air carriers, designated by the Secretary of
Transportation in consultation with the Secretary of
Homeland Security.
(J) Trade associations representing airport
operators designated by the Secretary of Transportation
in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland
Security.
(3) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the membership of the
Advisory Committee shall not affect its responsibilities, but
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment
and in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5
U.S.C. App.).
(4) Duties.--
(A) In general.--The Advisory Committee shall
develop and submit policy recommendations to the Joint
Task Force regarding the recommended requirements,
plans, and guidelines to be developed by the Joint Task
Force under subsection (b).
(B) Publication.--Not later than 14 days after the
date on which the Advisory Committee submits policy
recommendations to the Joint Task Force in accordance
with subparagraph (A), the Secretary of Transportation
shall publish the policy recommendations on a publicly
accessible website.
(5) Prohibition on compensation.--The members of the
Advisory Committee shall not receive any compensation from the
Federal Government by reason of their service on the Advisory
Committee.
(f) Briefings and Reports.--
(1) Preliminary briefings.--As soon as practicable, but not
later than 6 months after the establishment of the Joint Task
Force, the Joint Task Force shall begin providing preliminary
briefings for Congress on the status of the development of the
recommended requirements, plans, and guidelines under
subsection (b). The preliminary briefings shall include interim
versions, if any, of the Joint Task Force's recommendations.
(2) Final report.--
(A) Deadline.--As soon as practicable, but not
later than 18 months after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Joint Task Force shall submit to Congress
a final report.
(B) Content.--The final report under subparagraph
(A) shall include the following:
(i) All of the recommended requirements,
plans, and guidelines developed by the Joint
Task Force.
(ii) A description of any actions taken by
the Federal Government as a result of such
recommendations.
(g) Termination.--The Joint Task Force and Advisory Committee shall
terminate 30 days after the date on which the Joint Task Force submits
the final report required under subsection (f)(2).
(h) Definition.--In this section, the term ``COVID-19 Public Health
Emergency'' means the public health emergency first declared on January
31, 2020, by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section
319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) with respect to
COVID-19 and includes any renewal of such declaration pursuant to such
section 319.
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