text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Airline Consumer Protection Act of 
  2017''.
  
  SEC. 2. INTERLINING.
  
      Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
  Secretary of Transportation shall issue a final rule requiring an air 
  carrier to seek, in the event of a delay exceeding 3 hours, 
  cancellation, or misconnection as a result of circumstances or an event 
  within an air carrier's control, as determined by the Secretary of 
  Transportation, alternative transportation for displaced passengers, 
  including aboard another air carrier capable of transporting the 
  passenger to his or her originally scheduled destination, and to 
  accept, for a reasonable fee, the passengers of another air carrier who 
  have been displaced by circumstances or an event within that air 
  carriers control, as determined by the Secretary of Transportation, or 
  if the passenger has been involuntarily denied boarding due to a lack 
  of available seats.
  
  SEC. 3. GAO STUDY.
  
      Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
  Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
  and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation 
  and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report containing 
  a review of the following:
              (1) The commonalities and differences of computer network 
          architecture used by air carriers operating under part 121 of 
          title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.
              (2) Analysis of operationally critical functions, including 
          consideration of passenger-facing functions such as reservation 
          and notification systems, aircraft dispatch functions and how 
          information regarding such functions and systems is transmitted 
          to outstations, maintenance monitoring and planning systems, 
          and crew scheduling systems.
              (3) The impact of consolidated systems and software that 
          handle multiple critical functions.
              (4) The most common causes of airline computer network 
          disruptions.
              (5) Industry best practices to prevent, and mitigate the 
          impacts of, network disruptions.
  
  SEC. 4. COMPUTER NETWORK RESILIENCY.
  
      (a) In General.--Any schedule change resulting from a computer 
  network disruption, security breach, or other inoperability, may be 
  considered an event within an air carrier's control as determined by 
  the Secretary of Transportation.
      (b) Computer Network Resiliency Working Group.--The Secretary of 
  Transportation shall work closely with the airline industry computer 
  network resiliency working group established under section 5 to improve 
  computer networks for air carriers.
      (c) Final Rule.--Not later than 1 year after the enactment of this 
  Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall publish a final rule that 
  requires an air carrier operating under part 121 of title 14, Code of 
  Federal Regulations, to submit to the Administrator of the Federal 
  Aviation Administration a plan detailing, at a minimum--
              (1) the maintenance of computer network systems used to 
          perform functions critical to the normal operation of the 
          carrier;
              (2) the carrier's plan for restoring full functionality of 
          such systems in the event of a service disruption;
              (3) the carrier's backup systems; and
              (4) 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 6.
      (d) Plan Details.--Not later than 1 year after the establishment of 
  the airline industry computer network resiliency working group under 
  section 5, the contingency plan referred to in subsection (c) shall be 
  submitted to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. 
  Notwithstanding section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly 
  known as the Freedom of Information Act), such plan may not disclose to 
  the public any plan specifics. The air carrier shall make available a 
  general outline of the plan to the public.
  
  SEC. 5. AIRLINE INDUSTRY COMPUTER NETWORK RESILIENCY WORKING GROUP.
  
      (a) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
  enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish 
  the airline industry computer network resiliency working group 
  (referred to in this section as ``the working group'') 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 service, and in the recovery of 
  operations in the event of network disruptions.
      (b) Objectives.--Objectives of the working group shall include 
  efforts--
              (1) to promote communication and coordination regarding 
          computer network architecture across the airline industry;
              (2) to promote engagement between industry and government 
          stakeholders regarding the development of guidelines and best 
          practices;
              (3) to review past disruptions and lessons learned; and
              (4) to serve as the liaison between industry and government 
          representatives on research and development and emerging 
          technologies that enhance computer network resiliency.
      (c) Membership.--Membership on the working group shall include 
  representatives who have responsibility for computer networks and their 
  maintenance, including--
              (1) at a minimum, Government representatives of the Federal 
          Aviation Administration and the Department of Homeland 
          Security; and
              (2) voluntary participation of representatives from the 
          airline industry and their contractors and suppliers.
      (d) Meetings.--The working group shall meet not less than twice 
  each year and may convene for additional meetings as needed. The group 
  shall meet for a period of not less than 2 years.
      (e) 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 functions, best practices, and the conditions under which the 
  working group may need to periodically meet or reconvene.
  
  SEC. 6. IMPROVED ACCOMMODATION OF DISPLACED PASSENGERS.
  
      Not later than 1 year after the enactment of this Act, the 
  Secretary of Transportation shall modify part 259 of title 14, Code of 
  Federal Regulations to include the following:
              (1) Adoption of plan.--Each covered carrier shall adopt a 
          contingency plan for lengthy terminal delays for its scheduled 
          flights at each large hub airport, medium hub airport, 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 terms.
              (2) Contents of plan.--Each contingency plan for any delay, 
          cancellation, or misconnection, affecting a passenger who has 
          been involuntarily denied boarding as a result of circumstances 
          or an event within an air carrier's control, as determined by 
          the Administration of the Federal Aviation Administration 
          (except in the case in which the flight crew determines that a 
          passenger poses a danger to the safety of the flight), shall 
          include, at a minimum, the following:
                      (A) Essential needs.--An air carrier shall ensure 
                  that essential needs, including food, water, restroom 
                  facilities, and assistance in the case of a medical 
                  emergency are met. If the only available seating on the 
                  carrier's next flight to the passenger's destination is 
                  a higher class of service than purchased, the carrier 
                  shall transport the passenger on the flight at no 
                  additional cost.
                      (B) Meal voucher.--In the case of a delay exceeding 
                  4 hours, the air carrier shall provide a meal voucher 
                  or, if at the request of the passenger, cash equivalent 
                  to the value of a meal voucher. 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 offered.
                      (C) Lodging, transportation, and other vouchers.--
                              (i) In general.--In the case of a delay, 
                          cancellation, or misconnection as a result of 
                          circumstances or an event within an air 
                          carrier's control, as determined by the 
                          Secretary of Transportation, of which any 
                          portion exceeding 2 hours occurs between the 
                          period of time between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., 
                          local time, of the following day, and with no 
                          guarantee of reaccommodation aboard another 
                          flight to the passenger's destination within 
                          the following 2 hours after the initial 2-hour 
                          delay, an air carrier shall provide the 
                          passenger with lodging, transportation to and 
                          from the airport to the place of lodging, and 
                          meal expenses. At the request of the passenger, 
                          the carrier shall alternatively compensate such 
                          passenger with the cash equivalent to the value 
                          of the lodging, meals, and transportation, or a 
                          voucher of equivalent value for future travel 
                          on the carrier.
                              (ii) Lodging unavailable.--If lodging is 
                          unavailable, an carrier shall compensate a 
                          passenger with the cash equivalent to the value 
                          of the lodging, meals, and transportation, or, 
                          at the request of the passenger, a voucher of 
                          equivalent value for future travel on the 
                          carrier.
                              (iii) Proximity to residence.--The 
                          provisions of clauses (i) and (ii) shall not 
                          apply to a passenger whose permanent residence 
                          is 60 miles or less from the airport where such 
                          delay, cancellation, or misconnection occurred.
                              (iv) 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 offered.
  
  SEC. 7. AIRCRAFT FLIGHTS WITHOUT FUNCTIONING LAVATORIES.
  
      (a) Limitation on Certain Aircraft Flights.--Chapter 417 of title 
  49, United States Code is amended by adding the following:
  ``Sec. 41725. Limitation on aircraft flights without functioning 
                lavatories
      ``Not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act, 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 transportation, shall not pay 
  any associated fee to select an alternative flight if it is determined 
  before departure that the lavatory is not functioning.''.
      (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for such chapter is amended 
  by adding at the end of the following:
  
  ``41725. Limitation on aircraft flights without functioning 
                              lavatories''.
target: Airline Consumer Protection Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a final rule to require an air carrier to:  seek, for a delay exceeding three hours, a cancellation, or a misconnection as a result of circumstances within the air carrier's control, alternative transportation for a displaced passenger; and accept, for a reasonable fee, a displaced passenger from another air carrier or a passenger involuntarily denied boarding due to a lack of available seats.  The Government Accountability Office shall submit a report that reviews airline computer network functions.    Any air carrier schedule change resulting from a computer network disruption, security breach, or other inoperability may be considered an event within a carrier's control. DOT shall:   publish a final rule to require an air carrier to submit to the Federal Aviation Administration a plan for restoring full functionality of its computer network systems in the event of a service disruption;  establish an airline industry computer network resiliency working group;  modify federal regulations to require each air carrier to adopt a contingency plan for any delay, cancellation, or misconnection affecting a passenger; and issue regulations to ensure that a ticketed passenger shall not pay a fee to select an alternative flight if the aircraft's lavatory is not functioning. 
feat_title: Airline Consumer Protection Act of 2017