ACPAC MODERNIZATION ACT

ACPAC MODERNIZATION ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2657-H2658] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ACPAC MODERNIZATION ACT Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5663) to modify the termination of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 5663 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 ``ACPAC Modernization Act''. SEC. 2. AVIATION CONSUMER PROTECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Section 411 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 42301 prec. note) is amended-- (1) in subsection (b)-- (A) in paragraph (3) by striking ``; and'' and inserting a semicolon; (B) in paragraph (4) by striking the period and inserting ``; and''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(5) ticket agents.''; and (2) in subsection (i) by striking ``ticket agents,''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Taylor) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Figures) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio. General Leave Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 5663. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Ohio? There was no objection. Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, travel advisers and ticket agents serve as a critical consumer-facing component of our Nation's air transportation system. Collectively, they sell more than 780,000 airline tickets each day and were responsible for over the $99 billion in airline ticket sales last year. Because they work directly with travelers, they understand firsthand what works well for consumers and what does not. Their perspective deserves to be included when shaping consumer protection regulations. This bill builds on the bipartisan work of this committee during the last Congress. In the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, we reauthorized the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, or ACPAC. A similar provision to the ACPAC Modernization Act was included in the House-passed FAA reauthorization but was ultimately removed during conference negotiations. This legislation simply ensures that a representative of ticket agents has a seat on the advisory committee. Madam Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5663, the ACPAC Modernization Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by my friend from Nevada Representative Titus. Congress has delivered several key victories to the flying public to help them have a better flying experience. This included requirements for passengers to receive automatic refunds; requiring airlines to develop policies to reimburse passengers for travel, meals, and hotel accommodations when experiencing a flight disruption; and requiring airlines to allow young children to sit next to their parents. The Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, or ACPAC, established by Congress during the 2012 FAA reauthorization, has helped implement these reforms, as it advises the Transportation Secretary on aviation consumer protection issues. However, the advisory committee is currently missing a critical voice, the voice of ticket agents. In 2024, ticket agents sold over 781,000 airline tickets a day, totaling nearly $100 billion in annual sales. Their expertise in the aviation consumer experience and industry is vital to the ACPAC's work. However, even as a substantial portion of the flying public relies on their services, ticket agents are currently not represented on the committee. This means they will be implementing many of the rules that fall directly on them, since they are the point of sale, but have no input on how these rules will be implemented. Their voices simply are not currently heard. This could potentially leave consumers who purchase tickets from online ticket agents worse off. That is why I support H.R. 5663, as amended. This commonsense bill would rectify this oversight by adding a representative of ticket agents to the ACPAC, allowing them to advise on the very rules they will be responsible for implementing. This would put ticket agents at the same level on the commission as air carriers, travel management companies, nonprofits with expertise in disability and accessibility issues, and other important industry advisers to the DOT. This bill builds upon section 508 of the 2024 FAA reauthorization, which extended the authorization of ACPAC through September 30, 2028. Madam Speaker, I support this bill now to fulfill the potential of ACPAC and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus). Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama for yielding me the time and for his eloquent defense of this legislation, H.R. 5663, the ACPAC Modernization Act. The Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, or ACPAC, provides recommendations to the Department of Transportation for improving consumer protection in aviation. My bill would simply, as you have heard, expand the committee's membership to include a representative for ticket agents. There are 2,700 travel advisers in Nevada, and in 2024 alone, they generated over $1 billion in sales. These same travel advisers are an integral part of our travel and tourism economy. For example, in 2024, Las Vegas welcomed 41.7 million visits, yielding over $86 billion in economic impact. In my district alone, the travel industry also supports $1.6 billion in State and local taxes and is the top industry for employment. Supporting our tourism economy is one of my top priorities in Congress, and that effort is more important than ever now that the Trump slump has hit our travel destinations. This bill will give travel agents a seat at the table as a voting member of ACPAC alongside air carriers, airport operators, and other stakeholders. Ticket agents build their business on their unmatched expertise dealing with what the public needs and wants when traveling. Accordingly, they will provide valuable insights into ACPAC's work. [[Page H2658]] When we prioritize consumer protection and the passenger experience in aviation, everyone wins and everyone enjoys the trip even more. Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, Congress has delivered victories for the flying public before, and it is time we do so again by modernizing the ACPAC. Ticket agents are in many cases the face and the voice of airlines. They have to deal with so much as it relates to implementing the rules, to delivering bad news, to hearing the attitudes, to hearing the feedback of customers. That is why I support H.R. 5663, as amended, to give them the voice that they deserve in this process, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 5663 reflects a simple but important principle. Those who work directly with consumers should have a voice in the policies that affect them. Travel advisers and ticket agents interact with travelers every day, helping families, small businesses, and communities navigate an increasingly complex aviation marketplace. Their practical, real-world experience is invaluable. By adding a representative of ticket agents to the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee we strengthen the advisory process without expanding bureaucracy or imposing new mandates. This is a measured, bipartisan step that builds on the work we began in the last Congress and ensures the committee benefits from a more complete range of industry and consumer perspectives. Madam Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Bice). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Taylor) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5663, as amended. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________

Referenced legislation: HR5663, HR5663