# Plain Language Summary: Prioritizing Accountability and Accessibility for Aviation Consumers Act of 2023

This bill requires the U.S. Department of Transportation to publish an annual public report tracking complaints from passengers with disabilities about their airline experiences. Starting one year after the bill becomes law, the department must gather data on disability-related complaints and share it with Congress and the public every year. This creates transparency around how often passengers with disabilities face problems when flying and what happens to their complaints.

The report will cover a wide range of issues that passengers with disabilities commonly experience, including how airline staff treat them, damage to wheelchairs or other accessibility equipment, problems accessing services on the plane, difficulties communicating with airline employees, and issues traveling with service animals. The report will also track how quickly the government reviews these complaints, how long it takes to resolve them, and whether airlines are actually punished when they violate disability rights laws. Additionally, it will show how many complaints get referred to other agencies like the Justice Department or the Transportation Security Administration for further investigation.

For passengers with disabilities, this bill matters because it shines a light on problems they face when flying. Right now, complaints may be filed but there's no public accounting of how many there are or what gets done about them. By requiring annual reports, the bill creates a paper trail that can help identify patterns—like if certain airlines repeatedly mistreat disabled passengers or if complaints aren't being resolved quickly enough. This public information could pressure airlines to improve their practices and help disability advocates push for stronger enforcement of existing laws that are supposed to protect air travelers with disabilities.

Prioritizing Accountability and Accessibility for Aviation Consumers Act of 2023

Cohen, Steve

Prioritizing Accountability and Accessibility for Aviation Consumers Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to annually report on aviation consumer complaints related to passengers with a disability. Each report must include (1) the number and nature of complaints filed with DOT related to passengers with a disability during the previous five years, (2) an overview of DOT's complaint review process and how quickly complaints are addressed, and (3) the number of complaints DOT referred to other departments and agencies for enforcement action. These reports must be publicly available.