Congress Passes 10 Hours Rest, FAA Reauthorization Bill

WE DID IT! Today, the Senate voted bipartisan and overwhelmingly to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The bill is now approved by both chambers of Congress and will go to the President's desk for signing before the October 7, 2018 deadline.

Tens of thousands of Flight Attendants from across the industry including Frontier, Miami Air, Alaska, Spirit, Hawaiian, Envoy, Endeavor, United, American, Southwest – Flight Attendants from 35 airlines in all – have called your members of Congress, signed petitions, sent postcards, rallied at the Capitol, and told your stories to achieve minimum rest equal with the flight deck and a Fatigue Risk Management Plan (FRMP). Before that, many of you took part in fatigue studies that provided the science to back up our demand for more rest. This was a fight for safety, health, and equality.

We achieved overwhelming bipartisan support for our Rest and we especially thank our Congressional champions on 10 hours minimum rest:

House - Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), Rep. Mike Capuano (D-MA), Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Rep. Michael Bost (R-IL), Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI), Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), and Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL).

Senate - Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) originally introduced the language when she was in the House and continued advocacy in the Senate. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) have all since worked hard to ensure the rest language would be included in a final FAA bill. We thank Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) for weighing in when it especially counted to help us get our rest.

Summary of AFA safety priorities included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018:
Cabin Cyber Security Vulnerabilities
10-hours Minimum Rest and a FRMP for Flight Attendants

No Knives on Planes Ever Again

Ban of Voice Calls on Planes

Emotional Support and Service Animal Standards

Air Quality: Technologies to Combat Contaminated Bleed Air

Protect Customer Service Agents from Assaults

Secondary Cockpit Barriers
Safe Transport of Lithium Batteries

Study on Cabin Evacuation Certification (including cabin configuration)

Increase Civil Penalties for Crew Interference from $25,000 to $35,000

Banning Electronic Cigarette Smoking on Planes
Congressional Focus on Addressing Sexual Misconduct on Planes

Establish National Inflight Sexual Misconduct Task Force

Require DOJ to Establish Reporting Process for Sexual Misconduct

TSA Authorization

Continue Crewmember Self-Defense Training

Expanded Human Trafficking Training for Airline Personnel

Prioritize Support for Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP)

Requiring Privacy for Nursing in the Airport

Evaluation and Update of Emergency Medical Kit Contents

Oxygen Mask Design Study

Develop Guidance for Non-Toxic Prevention of Transporting Insects

Exit Row Evaluation and Verification

Improve Consumer Notification of Insecticide Use

Promoting Women in Aviation

NTSB Reauthorization

Authorization of Essential Air Service