text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Improved Consumer Access to Travel 
  Information Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. NATIONAL COMMISSION TO ENSURE CONSUMER INFORMATION AND CHOICE 
                IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY.
  
      (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
              (1) The continued success of a deregulated airline system 
          requires that consumers have full access to complete 
          information concerning airline fares, routes, and other 
          services.
              (2) The means of distributing information about the 
          products and services of the airline industry are changing; 
          during the past four years, airlines have begun selling a 
          larger percentage of their products and services directly to 
          consumers, and Internet businesses are now offering services 
          that allow consumers to compare prices for these products and 
          services.
              (3) Airline policies with respect to travel agencies, who 
          historically have sold a majority of the airline industry's 
          products and services, threaten the ability of consumers to 
          gather the information necessary to evaluate market prices, 
          routes, and services.
              (4) Further reductions in the number of travel agents and 
          greater marketplace reliance on direct airline sales may result 
          in a marketplace in which consumers lack sufficient information 
          and are thereby forced to pay higher prices.
      (b) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known 
  as the ``National Commission to Ensure Consumer Information and Choice 
  in the Airline Industry'' (hereinafter in this section referred to as 
  the ``Commission'').
      (c) Duties.--
              (1) Study.--The Commission shall undertake a study of--
                      (A) consumer access to information about the 
                  products and services of the airline industry;
                      (B) the effect on the marketplace of the emergence 
                  of new means of distributing such products and 
                  services;
                      (C) the effect on consumers of the declining 
                  financial condition of travel agents in the United 
                  States; and
                      (D) the impediments imposed by the airline industry 
                  on distributors of the industry's products and 
                  services, including travel agents and Internet-based 
                  distributors.
              (2) Policy recommendations.--Based on the results of the 
          study described in paragraph (1), the Commission shall 
          recommend to the President and Congress policies necessary--
                      (A) to ensure full consumer access to complete 
                  information concerning airline fares, routes, and other 
                  services;
                      (B) to ensure that the means of distributing the 
                  products and services of the airline industry, and of 
                  disseminating information about such products and 
                  services, is adequate to ensure that competitive 
                  information is available in the marketplace;
                      (C) to ensure that distributors of the products and 
                  services of the airline industry have adequate relief 
                  from illegal, anticompetitive practices that occur in 
                  the marketplace; and
                      (D) to foster healthy competition in the airline 
                  industry and the entry of new entrants.
      (d) Specific Matters To Be Addressed.--In carrying out the study 
  authorized under subsection (c)(1), the Commission shall specifically 
  address the following:
              (1) Consumer access to information.--With respect to 
          consumer access to information regarding the services and 
          products offered by the airline industry:
                      (A) The state of such access.
                      (B) The effect in the next 5 years of the making of 
                  alliances in the airline industry.
                      (C) Whether and to what degree the trends regarding 
                  such access will produce benefits to consumers.
              (2) Means of distribution.--With respect to the means of 
          distributing the products and services of the airline industry:
                      (A) The state of such means of distribution.
                      (B) The roles played by travel agencies and 
                  Internet-based providers of travel information and 
                  services in distributing such products and services.
                      (C) Whether the policies of the United States 
                  promote the access of consumers to multiple means of 
                  distribution.
              (3) Airline reservation systems.--With respect to airline 
          reservation systems:
                      (A) The rules, regulations, policies, and practices 
                  of the industry governing such systems.
                      (B) How trends in such systems will affect 
                  consumers, including--
                              (i) the effect on consumer access to flight 
                          reservation information; and
                              (ii) the effect on consumers of the use by 
                          the airline industry of penalties and 
                          promotions to convince distributors to use such 
                          systems, and the degree of consumer awareness 
                          of such penalties and promotions.
              (4) Legal impediments to distributors seeking relief for 
          anticompetitive actions.--The policies of the United States 
          with respect to the legal impediments to distributors seeking 
          relief for anticompetitive actions, including--
                      (A) Federal preemption of civil actions against 
                  airlines; and
                      (B) the role of the Department of Transportation in 
                  enforcing rules against anticompetitive practices.
      (e) Membership.--
              (1) Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 
          voting members and 11 nonvoting members as follows:
                      (A) 5 voting members and 1 nonvoting member 
                  appointed by the President.
                      (B) 3 voting members and 3 nonvoting members 
                  appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
                  Representatives.
                      (C) 2 voting members and 2 nonvoting members 
                  appointed by the minority leader of the House of 
                  Representatives.
                      (D) 3 voting members and 3 nonvoting members 
                  appointed by the majority leader of the Senate.
                      (E) 2 voting members and 2 nonvoting members 
                  appointed by the minority leader of the Senate
              (2) Qualifications.--Voting members appointed pursuant to 
          paragraph (1) shall be appointed from among individuals who are 
          experts in economics, service product distribution, or 
          transportation, or any related discipline, and who can 
          represent consumers, passengers, shippers, travel agents, 
          airlines, or general aviation.
              (3) Terms.--Members shall be appointed for the life of the 
          Commission.
              (4) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled 
          in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
              (5) Travel expenses.--Members shall serve without pay but 
          shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
          subsistence, in accordance with subchapter I of chapter 57 of 
          title 5, United States Code.
              (6) Chairman.--The President, in consultation with the 
          Speaker of the House of Representatives and the majority leader 
          of the Senate, shall designate the Chairman of the Commission 
          from among its voting members.
      (f) Commission Panels.--The Chairman shall establish such panels 
  consisting of voting members of the Commission as the Chairman 
  determines appropriate to carry out the functions of the Commission.
      (g) Staff.--The Commission may appoint and fix the pay of such 
  personnel as it considers appropriate.
      (h) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Commission, the 
  head of any department or agency of the United States may detail, on a 
  reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency 
  to the Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties under this 
  section.
      (i) Other Staff and Support.--Upon the request of the Commission, 
  or a panel of the Commission, the Secretary of Transportation shall 
  provide the Commission or panel with professional and administrative 
  staff and other support, on a reimbursable basis, to assist the 
  Commission or panel in carrying out its responsibilities.
      (j) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
  from any department or agency of the United States information (other 
  than information required by any statute of the United States to be 
  kept confidential by such department or agency) necessary for the 
  Commission to carry out its duties under this section. Upon request of 
  the Commission, the head of that department or agency shall furnish 
  such nonconfidential information to the Commission.
      (k) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date on which 
  initial appointments of members to the Commission are completed, the 
  Commission shall transmit to the President and Congress a report on the 
  activities of the Commission, including recommendations made by the 
  Commission under subsection (c)(2).
      (l) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the 30th day 
  following the date of transmittal of the report under subsection (k). 
  All records and papers of the Commission shall thereupon be delivered 
  by the Administrator of General Services for deposit in the National 
  Archives.
      (m) Applicability of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The 
  Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
  Commission.
target: Improved Consumer Access to Travel Information Act - Establishes the National Commission to Ensure Consumer Information and Choice in the Airline Industry.  Sets forth the Commission's duties, including to: (1) study consumer access to airline industry information on products and services, the effect on consumers of the declining financial condition of travel agents in the United States, and the impediments imposed by the airline industry on distributors of the industry's products and services, including travel agents and Internet-based distributors; and (2) recommend, based on the study results, to the President and Congress policies necessary to ensure full consumer access to complete information concerning airline fares, routes, and other services, that the means of distributing the products and services of the airline industry (including information on such items) is adequate to ensure that competitive information is available in the marketplace, and that distributors of such products and services have adequate relief from illegal, anticompetitive practices that occur in the marketplace.  Requires the Commission to report to the President and Congress on the Commission's activities, including any recommendations made by it.
feat_title: Improved Consumer Access to Travel Information Act