Today Congresswoman Dina Titus applauded a new rule announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation to better accommodate airline passengers with disabilities. Included in the rule are provisions from Rep. Titus’s Air Carrier Access Amendments Act as well as training requirements she championed in the FAA Reauthorization bill which was signed into law earlier this year.

“Las Vegas’s economy is built on hospitality which means everyone should have a safe, accessible, and enjoyable experience that starts the moment they arrive at the airport,” said Rep. Titus. “Today’s announcement is major progress for expanding the rights of passengers with disabilities and I am proud that it follows language I championed to set aircraft accessibility standards and training requirements for workers who handle and stow assistive devices.

The new DOT rule requires that airlines meet more rigorous standards for accommodating passengers with disabilities, especially for passengers who use wheelchairs. The rule sets new standards for assistance; mandates hands-on training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle passengers’ wheelchairs; and specifies actions that airlines must take to protect passengers when a wheelchair is damaged or delayed during transport.

In 2023, Rep. Titus and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act which proposed that the Secretary of Transportation formulate standards to address effective boarding and deplaning, visually accessible announcements, in-flight entertainment, seating accommodations, lavatories, and stowage options for assistive devices. In addition, the legislation sought to ensure all gates, counters, ticketing areas, and customer services desks are accessible to individuals with disabilities.