SACRAMENTO, CA— Assemblyman Mark Leno and the Coalition for an Airplane Passengers' Bill of Rights announced plans to introduce legislation that will protect passengers who have been stranded for hours on airplanes by requiring airlines to provide basic amenities such as drinking water, fresh air, sanitary restrooms and lights.
"Anyone who has flown on an airplane knows that as passengers, our fate is in the hands of the airline," said Assemblyman Mark Leno. "No one should be denied basic necessities when stranded for hours on the tarmac. This measure will require the airlines to treat passengers humanely."
Currently, there are no statutory requirements for minimum airline passenger rights. The absence of legal protections has allowed for unhealthy conditions for passengers in California and across the nation. Leno's bill will be modeled after successful legislation passed last year in New York.
"I will be working with Kate Hanni who formed the Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights, and other motivated activists on this important protection measure," Leno said.
"California has always been a leader when it comes to health and safety issues," said Kate Hanni, Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights. "We are grateful to Assemblyman Leno for taking the lead on this urgently needed legislation."
The legislature reconvenes on Monday.
Last year, Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) sponsored a bill banning two types of toxic chemicals used as fire retardants in foam padding in furniture. These chlorinated and brominated chemicals are linked to cancer, birth defects and reproductive disorders; they migrate from furniture to dust particles, are breathed in by children and pets, and are found in the breast milk of nursing mothers. That bill, however, never reached Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk, falling victim to election-year squabbling.
