HR 5579119th CongressIn Committee

ETA Act of 2025

Introduced: Sep 26, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] (D-New Jersey)

Infrastructure

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The ETA Act of 2025 would codify two existing Department of Transportation (DOT) final rules into law and require the DOT to finalize additional regulations establishing passenger compensation for delayed flights. Specifically, it would treat the DOT rules on refunds/consumer protections and on transparency of ancillary fees as binding statutory requirements. In addition, the act would compel the DOT to issue regulations mandating that air carriers compensate passengers who arrive at their destination after significant delays: at least $200 but no more than $500, with the exact amount depending on how long the delay lasts. The domestic delay threshold is 3 hours after the originally scheduled arrival, and the international delay threshold is 6 hours. In short, the bill aims to guarantee monetary compensation for long delays and to lock in earlier DOT consumer-protection and pricing transparency rules as law, increasing regulatory clarity and potential protections for air travelers.

Key Points

1Codifies two DOT final rules into law:
2- “Refunds and Other Consumer Protections” (published April 26, 2024)
3- “Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees” (published April 30, 2024)
4Requires the DOT to issue regulations ensuring compensation to passengers for long domestic delays (3+ hours) and international delays (6+ hours).
5Compensation must be at least $200 and at most $500, with the exact amount determined by the length of the delay.
6The act specifies what rules will have the force of law, but leaves the specific delay-length tiers and payment amounts to the forthcoming DOT regulations.
7Title and scope suggest a broader emphasis on traveler protections and transparency in airline pricing practices.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected:- Airline passengers experiencing long delays, both domestic and international, who would be entitled to defined compensation.Secondary group/area affected:- Air carriers and airlines (and their compliance systems) responsible for implementing the compensation requirements and for adhering to the codified rules.Additional impacts:- Regulatory compliance costs for airlines, potential changes to flight delay management and consumer communications.- Potential effects on enforcement and remedies overseen by the DOT, and improvements in consumer protections related to refunds and ancillary fee disclosures.The bill references specific DOT rules and levers but leaves the precise structure of the compensation (e.g., tiered delays, calculation methods) to be set in implementing regulations.The status is introduced in the 119th Congress; sponsor listed as Mr. Gottheimer, with referral to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 8, 2025