text: SECTION 1. PETITIONS CLAIMING UNREASONABLY HIGH AIR FARES OR INADEQUATE 
                AIR CARRIER COMPETITION AT AIRPORTS.
  
      Section 41712 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
              (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``On the 
          initiative''; and
              (2) by adding at the end the following:
      ``(b) Petitions Claiming Unreasonably High Air Fares or Inadequate 
  Air Carrier Competition at Airports.--
              ``(1) In general.--If the Secretary receives a petition 
          submitted by the sponsor of a commercial service airport (or by 
          the attorney general of a State on behalf of 1 or more persons, 
          including governmental entities, with respect to an airport) 
          claiming that fares for scheduled air transportation at the 
          airport are unreasonably high, or that competition between air 
          carriers at the airport is inadequate, the Secretary shall 
          investigate and hold a public hearing on the petition before 
          the expiration of the 90-day period beginning on the date of 
          receipt of the petition.
              ``(2) Location of hearing.--A public hearing under 
          paragraph (1) shall be held in the community served by the 
          airport if requested in the petition and if practicable.
              ``(3) Information to be provided by air carriers.--An air 
          carrier providing air transportation at the airport shall 
          provide to the Secretary pursuant to section 41708 such 
          information concerning fares for air transportation and air 
          service at the airport as the Secretary considers necessary to 
          making findings in response to the petition.
              ``(4) Opportunity to testify.--A sponsor of an airport or 
          an attorney general of a State submitting a petition under 
          paragraph (1), and each air carrier providing air 
          transportation at the airport, shall be provided an opportunity 
          to testify at the public hearing conducted with respect to the 
          petition. The Secretary may also take testimony from other 
          interested persons and shall consider all written petitions 
          received in response to each petition.
              ``(5) Findings.--Not later than 60 days after the date on 
          which a public hearing is convened with respect to a petition 
          submitted under this subsection, the Secretary shall issue 
          written findings in response to the issues raised in the 
          petition, including, at a minimum, findings as to--
                      ``(A) subject to paragraph (8), whether fares for 
                  air transportation at the airport are substantially 
                  higher than at comparable airports in the Nation;
                      ``(B) whether air carrier costs to provide air 
                  transportation at the airport appear substantially 
                  higher than at comparable airports;
                      ``(C) whether barriers to entry are discouraging or 
                  preventing other air carriers from initiating 
                  competitive air transportation at the airport;
                      ``(D) whether marketing practices described in 
                  subsection (c) or other air carrier practices are 
                  contributing to such barriers to entry or are otherwise 
                  resulting in higher air carrier costs or higher fares 
                  for air transportation; and
                      ``(E) as appropriate, whether any programs under 
                  the Secretary's authority could be helpful to airports 
                  in marketing their facilities to air carriers, reducing 
                  fares for air transportation, or minimizing barriers to 
                  entry by other air carriers seeking to provide air 
                  transportation at the airport.
              ``(6) Subsequent petitions.--If the Secretary receives a 
          petition under this section with respect to an airport for 
          which the Secretary has previously conducted an investigation 
          and public hearing under this subsection, the Secretary may 
          decide not to conduct a subsequent investigation and public 
          hearing in response to the new petition. In deciding whether to 
          conduct the investigation and public hearing, the Secretary 
          shall consider whether changed circumstances may have limited 
          the continuing validity of the Secretary's previous findings 
          with respect to the airport.
              ``(7) Reports to congress.--Not later than 180 days after 
          the date of enactment of this subsection, and at the end of 
          each 180-day period thereafter, the Secretary shall transmit to 
          Congress a report on the results of the investigations, if any, 
          completed under this subsection during that period.
              ``(8) Limitation on statutory construction.--Nothing in 
          this subsection may be construed to authorize the Secretary to 
          set or invalidate any fare for air transportation.
      ``(c) Marketing Practices That Adversely Affect Air Carrier 
  Competition.--
              ``(1) Review.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
          enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall review the 
          marketing practices of air carriers that may inhibit the 
          availability of quality, affordable air transportation services 
          to commercial service airports, including--
                      ``(A) marketing arrangements between air carriers 
                  and travel agents;
                      ``(B) code-sharing partnerships;
                      ``(C) frequent flyer incentive programs and 
                  restrictions on purchases of frequent flyer mileage by 
                  other air carriers;
                      ``(D) computer reservation system displays;
                      ``(E) gate arrangements at airports;
                      ``(F) exclusive dealing arrangements; and
                      ``(G) any other marketing practices that may have 
                  similar impacts.
              ``(2) Regulations.--If the Secretary finds, after 
          conducting the review required by paragraph (1), that 1 or more 
          marketing practices of air carriers inhibit the availability of 
          quality, affordable air transportation services at commercial 
          service airports, the Secretary, after providing notice and an 
          opportunity for public comment, shall issue regulations to 
          address the marketing practices.''.
target: Amends Federal aviation law to require the Secretary of Transportation to investigate and hold a public hearing with respect to each petition by the sponsor of a commercial service airport (or by the attorney general of a State on behalf of one or more persons, including governmental entities, with respect to an airport) claiming that fares for air transportation at an airport are unreasonably high, or that competition between air carriers at the airport is inadequate. Directs the Secretary to: (1) issue written findings in response to the issues raised in the petition; and (2) report to Congress the results of the investigations, if any. 
  Directs the Secretary to review the marketing practices of air carriers that may inhibit the availability of quality, affordable air transportation services to commercial service airports.  Requires the Secretary, if it is determined that one or more marketing practices of air carriers inhibit such services, to issue regulations addressing such practices.
feat_title: To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Transportation to investigate and hold public hearings in response to petitions claiming unreasonably high air fares or inadequate air carrier competition at airports.