JETSET Costs Act of 2023

Justification and Examination of Transportation Staff's Executive Travel Costs Act of 2023 or the JETSET Costs Act of 2023

This bill restricts the use of Department of Transportation (DOT) aircraft by the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary's executive staff.

Specifically, the bill prohibits the Secretary and the Secretary's executive staff from traveling on a DOT aircraft unless it is determined that the cost of the flight is at least 5% less than the cost of a flight on a commercial airline. A DOT aircraft is any aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by DOT.

This restriction does not apply when emergency travel is required and commercial service is unavailable. The DOT Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Congress must be notified in writing within seven days after such emergency travel is completed.

Further, the Federal Aviation Administration must revise Order 2500.36N (Application of Flight Hour Rates) to reflect the true cost of flight operations. When calculating per-seat costs of a flight, DOT (1) may not charge different rates to non-DOT officials, and (2) must use the actual and full cost of a flight on a DOT aircraft when comparing such flight to any commercial alternative.

DOT's OIG must submit an annual report to Congress that includes an itemization and justification of each trip and flight in which the Secretary or the Secretary's executive staff traveled on a DOT aircraft.

The bill also prohibits the Secretary or the Secretary's executive staff from traveling on a DOT aircraft for any trip that involves personal or political activities. 

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4962 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4962

To limit the use of Department of Transportation aircraft for travel by 
the Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary's executive staff, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 27, 2023

 Mr. Bergman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To limit the use of Department of Transportation aircraft for travel by 
the Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary's executive staff, 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 ``Justification and Examination of 
Transportation Staff's Executive Travel Costs Act of 2023'' or the 
``JETSET Costs Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. EXECUTIVE TRAVEL ON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT.

    (a) In General.--Unless the Secretary determines that the cost of a 
flight to a destination on aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by 
the Department of Transportation is at least 5 percent less than the 
cost of a flight on a commercial airline to the destination, neither 
the Secretary nor the Secretary's executive staff shall travel to such 
destination on any aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by the 
Department of Transportation.
    (b) Exception.--Subsection (a) shall not apply in any case in which 
emergency travel is required and commercial service is unavailable 
after notifying the Inspector General of the Department of 
Transportation and the appropriate committees of Congress in writing 
not later than 7 days after such emergency travel is completed.
    (c) Cost Comparison.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Administrator shall revise Order 
2500.36N to reflect the true cost of flight operations. When 
calculating per-seat costs of a flight, the Department of 
Transportation--
            (1) shall be prohibited from charging different rates to 
        non-Department of Transportation officials; and
            (2) shall use the actual and full cost of a flight on 
        aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by the Department of 
        Transportation when comparing such flight to any commercial 
        alternative.
    (d) Reporting.--Not later than December 31 of calendar year 2023, 
and each calendar year thereafter, the Inspector General of the 
Department of Transportation shall submit a report to the appropriate 
committees of Congress that includes the following with respect to the 
calendar year:
            (1) An itemization of each trip and flight in which the 
        Secretary or the Secretary's executive staff traveled on 
        aircraft owned, operated, or maintained by the Department of 
        Transportation.
            (2) A justification for any trip and flight included in the 
        itemization required by paragraph (1), including, for each such 
        trip and flight, documentation that the trip and flight was at 
        least 5 percent less than the cost of a flight on a commercial 
        airline to the destination involved.
    (e) Prohibition on Personal or Political Use.--Neither the 
Secretary nor the Secretary's executive staff shall travel on aircraft 
owned, operated, or maintained by the Department of Transportation for 
any trip that involves personal or political activities.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
            (2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on 
        Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
        Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
        Representatives.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
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