U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) voted in favor of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill (H.R. 3935). This bipartisan legislation sets aviation policy and includes two key pieces of pro-worker legislation led by the Congresswoman that supports flight and ground crew workers.
“I’m proud that the FAA House bill included two critical pieces of legislation that I sponsored to bring additional safety standards and worker protections for flight and ground crews. The AIR PUMP Act supports families and will help diversify our pilot and flight attendant workforce by ensuring new moms have a space and protected time to pump breast milk at work,” said Rep. Hoyle. “Also included in the bill was my bipartisan ramp safety training amendment that ensures proper training and safety standards to protect workers. No one should fear for their safety while on the job.”
Rep. Hoyle, along with Oregon U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, introduced the bipartisan AIR PUMP Act earlier this year. The House version was passed today as part of the House FAA reauthorization bill. It is bipartisan legislation that extends protections to flight crew workers, including pilots and flight attendants, who need to pump breast milk while at work. Currently, flight crews are the only workers without this vital protection. The legislation requires the FAA to issue guidance to air carriers on providing protections for flight crews during non-critical phases of a flight, without incurring significant costs for air carriers.
Rep. Hoyle also introduced a bipartisan Airport Ramp Safety Training Amendment that passed today as part of the FAA reauthorization bill. This amendment requires the FAA to develop and publish ramp safety training materials for airline ground crew workers. This will ensure proper training and safety standards are developed to protect workers and prevent accidents involving aircraft engine ingestion and jet blast hazards.
The FAA Reauthorization passed the House in a bipartisan 351-69 vote. It now moves to the U.S. Senate, which is currently considering their own FAA Reauthorization bill.
Congresswoman Val Hoyle represents Oregon’s newly drawn fourth congressional district, which includes Benton, Coos, Curry, Lane, and Lincoln Counties, as well as part of Douglas County. Representative Hoyle serves on the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. Visit https://hoyle.house.gov/ or follow @RepValHoyle for more information.
