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S. 947Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

TICKETS Act

Sponsored by Margaret Wood HassanSen. Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH)
Introduced April 26, 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 2:51 PM UTC

The TICKETS Act would make it harder for airlines to bump passengers against their will. It says a passenger who has cleared security and is ready to board cannot be denied a seat unless they pose a safety, security, or health risk. The bill also requires the Transportation Secretary to remove limits on compensation for bumped passengers and to consider rules on how many seats airlines may oversell.

Key Provisions

  • Airlines may not deny boarding to a passenger who has cleared the gate unless the passenger is a safety, security, or health risk, as determined by the Secretary of Transportation.
  • The Department of Transportation must, within 180 days, eliminate the dollar caps on compensation that airlines must pay to passengers who are involuntarily denied boarding.
  • The Secretary must study whether a limit on the number of seats that can be oversold is needed and, if so, may set a percentage‑based limit.
  • Airlines must check in any employee traveling on a flight at least 60 minutes before departure.
  • Airlines (or ticket sellers) must clearly state their overselling and employee‑seat policies on the passenger’s itinerary/receipt and display those policies publicly at each gate.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

April 26, 2017

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

April 26, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

April 26, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued April 26, 2017

II

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 947

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 26, 2017

Ms. Hassan (for herself, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Markey, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Franken, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Casey, and Mr. Menendez) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

A BILL

To protect passengers on flights in air transportation from being denied boarding involuntarily, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Transparency Improvements and Compensation to Keep Every Ticketholder Safe Act of 2017 or the TICKETS Act.

2.

Protection of passengers from being denied boarding involuntarily

(a)

Right To fly of boarded passengers

An air carrier may not, on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, deny boarding a flight operated by the air carrier to a passenger without the consent of the passenger once the passenger is approved by the gate attendant to clear the boarding area and board the flight unless the passenger presents a safety, security, or health risk, as determined by the Secretary of Transportation.

(b)

Elimination of limitation on compensation for being denied boarding

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall revise the regulations under part 250 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to eliminate the dollar amount limitations under paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsections (a) and (b) of section 250.5 of such title on the amount of compensation that may be provided to a passenger who is denied boarding involuntarily.

(c)

Limitation on number of seats that may be oversold

In revising under subsection (b) the regulations under part 250 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, the Secretary shall—

(1)

determine whether a limitation on the number of seats that may be oversold for a flight is necessary; and

(2)

if the Secretary determines that such a limitation is necessary, consider whether to impose such a limitation based on a percentage of the seats available on an aircraft.

(d)

Regulations relating to accommodation of air carrier employees

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations requiring an air carrier seeking accommodation on a flight for an employee of the air carrier or another air carrier to check that employee in for the flight not later than 60 minutes before the flight is scheduled to depart.

(e)

Notice of policies of air carriers on oversold flights

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations requiring—

(1)

an air carrier, or other entity selling tickets for flights in passenger air transportation, to specify, on a passenger's flight itinerary and receipt, the policies of the air carrier operating the flight with respect to oversold flights and with respect to requiring passengers to give up seats to employees of the air carrier; and

(2)

an air carrier to post those policies publicly at each gate of the air carrier at an airport.

(f)

Air carrier defined

In this section, the term air carrier means an air carrier or foreign air carrier, as those terms are defined in section 40102 of title 49, United States Code.