Cash Refunds for Coronavirus Cancellations Act of 2020
This bill requires air carriers and ticket agents to offer full cash refunds for all cancelled tickets during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency period, regardless of whether the air carrier cancelled an entire flight or the passengers cancelled their individual tickets.
The bill permits air carriers and tickets agents to offer alternative forms of compensation, including credit, or vouchers, provided that such offer is valid indefinitely and the offer includes a clear and conspicuous notice of the passenger's right to a cash refund.
Additionally, the bill provides that passengers who received an alternative form of compensation prior to the enactment of this bill, but have not used it, may request a cash refund to replace the alternative compensation.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6965 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6965
To provide for cash refunds for canceled airline flights and tickets
during the COVID-19 emergency.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 22, 2020
Mr. Cohen (for himself, Ms. Underwood, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Rush,
Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Ms. Norton, Mr. Engel, Mr. Cisneros, Mr.
Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Correa, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr.
Courtney, Mr. Neguse, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr.
Tonko, Mr. Welch, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Ryan, and Mr. Danny K.
Davis of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to
the Committee on Financial Services, 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 provide for cash refunds for canceled airline flights and tickets
during the COVID-19 emergency.
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 ``Cash Refunds for Coronavirus
Cancellations Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. CASH REFUNDS FOR CANCELED AIRLINE FLIGHTS AND TICKETS DURING
THE COVID-19 EMERGENCY.
(a) Cash Refunds.--
(1) In general.--A covered carrier or ticket agent who
sells a ticket for a passenger to take a covered flight, and
either such flight is canceled by the covered carrier or such
ticket is canceled by the passenger, shall promptly offer the
passenger a full cash refund for such ticket, including any
ancillary fees paid.
(2) Alternative form of compensation.--
(A) In general.--A covered carrier or ticket agent
may also offer an alternative form of compensation
determined appropriate by the covered carrier or ticket
agent, including credit, voucher, or other mechanism to
compensate a passenger, provided that any such offer
includes clear and conspicuous notice of a passenger's
right to a cash refund under paragraph (1).
(B) No expiration date.--An alternative form of
compensation provided pursuant to subparagraph (A)
shall remain valid and redeemable by the passenger
indefinitely.
(3) Retroactive refunds.--In the case of a passenger who--
(A) received an alternative form of compensation
prior to the date of enactment of this Act for a
covered flight or ticket for a covered flight canceled
by the covered carrier or by the passenger; and
(B) has not used such alternative compensation;
such passenger may request a cash refund to replace the
alternative compensation and the covered carrier or ticket
agent shall promptly comply with such request.
(4) Reimbursement to ticket agent.--A ticket agent who
provides a cash refund to a passenger under this section,
including a retroactive refund under paragraph (3), shall be
entitled to prompt reimbursement from any covered carrier for
the portion of the ticket price paid to that carrier.
(b) Funding.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a covered
carrier or ticket agent may use amounts appropriated or
otherwise made available to the commercial airline industry in
any appropriations enacted on or after March 1, 2020, in
response to COVID-19 to pay for the cash refunds under
subsection (a), including retroactive refunds under paragraph
(3) of such subsection.
(2) Limitation.--A covered carrier may not use amounts
appropriated under section 4112 of the Coronavirus Economic
Stabilization Act of 2020 (title IV of division A of the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (Public Law
116-136)) to pay for the cash refunds under subsection (a),
including retroactive refunds under paragraph (3) of such
subsection.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Air carrier.--The term ``air carrier'' has the meaning
given that term in section 40102 of title 49, United States
Code.
(2) Covered carrier.--The term ``covered carrier'' means--
(A) any passenger air carrier that had an operating
revenue in 2018 that exceeded $1,500,000,000 according
to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics; or
(B) any passenger foreign air carrier operating a
flight to or from the United States.
(3) Covered flight.--The term ``covered flight'' means a
flight of a covered carrier that is scheduled to depart from,
or arrive at, an airport located in the United States during
the COVID-19 emergency period.
(4) COVID-19 emergency period.--The term ``COVID-19
emergency period'' means the period--
(A) beginning on March 1, 2020; and
(B) ending on the date that is 180 days after the
later of the expiration of--
(i) the public health emergency declared 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;
or
(ii) the national emergency declared by the
President under the National Emergencies Act
(50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) with respect to the
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
(5) Foreign air carrier.--The term ``foreign air carrier''
has the meaning given that term in section 40102 of title 49,
United States Code.
(6) Ticket agent.--The term ``ticket agent'' has the
meaning given that term in section 40102 of title 49, United
States Code.
(7) United states.--The term ``United States'' has the
meaning given that term in section 40102 of title 49, United
States Code.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
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