{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://nolan.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/dem-lawmaker-introduces-airline-passenger-bill-of-rights-legislation", "The Hill: Dem lawmaker introduces airline passenger 'bill of rights' legislation", "2017-11-20", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MN", "Rick Nolan", "N000127", "nolan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Read online.\n\u00a0\nA House Democrat is introducing new legislation to strengthen airline consumer protections, which comes in response to a United Airlines passenger getting violently dragged off a flight earlier this year.\nRep.\u00a0Rick Nolan\u00a0(D-Minn.) unveiled a bill on Thursday, ahead of the busy Thanksgiving travel period next week, that would require airlines to provide passengers with a one-page \u201cbill of rights.\u201d The European Union already requires a similar document to be posted online in order to better inform airline consumers of their rights.\n\u201cAs we saw with the horrific United Airlines incident where a passenger was forcibly removed after he was seated on an aircraft, there is an urgent need for airlines to be transparent and inform consumers of their rights,\u201d Nolan said in a statement.\nUnder Nolan\u2019s measure, the one-pager would describe the airline\u2019s policies for involuntary bumping, lost or damaged baggage, compensation for flight cancellations or delays and what happens when a traveler is disabled or injured.\nSimilar language was included in the House\u2019s long-term reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but the package has stalled in Congress.\nThe airline industry\u2019s customer service practices came under fire this spring when videos went viral on social media showing a United passenger being forcibly removed from his seat and dragged down the aisle by his wrists. The airline said it needed to make room for airline personnel on the full flight, but the man refused to give up his seat.\nAirlines are legally allowed to overbook flights and bump passengers against their will, through issues are typically figured out prior to boarding. They also set their own policies on who gets bumped from a full flight.\nHowever, most customers are unaware that they are signing a \u201ccontract of carriage\u201d whenever they purchase an airline ticket, and sometimes the document can be thousands of pages long.\nNolan\u2019s bill aims to improve transparency around airline policies by requiring a simple, one-page explanation of consumer rights.\n\u201cWith the holiday travel season approaching, this legislation is a crucial step forward in ensuring consumers\u2019 safety and convenience \u2014 not just in an extreme scenario like the United Airlines incident \u2014 but also in dealing with everyday problems of baggage fees, flight cancellations, and lost baggage,\u201d Nolan said.\nThe Department of Transportation already launched a website earlier this year highlighting the rights of passengers, but the agency revamped the page this week ahead of the Thanksgiving travel period.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://nolan.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/dem-lawmaker-introduces-airline-passenger-bill-of-rights-legislation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9579630568623543, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}