HouseH.R. 9678119th Congress
Good Jobs for Good Airports Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9678 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9678
To amend title 49, United States Code, require employers of airport
service workers at small, medium, and large hub airports to ensure that
airport service workers are paid the prevailing wage and provided
fringe benefits, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 14, 2026
Mr. Garcia of Illinois (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Education and
the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 49, United States Code, require employers of airport
service workers at small, medium, and large hub airports to ensure that
airport service workers are paid the prevailing wage and provided
fringe benefits, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Good Jobs for Good Airports Act''.
SEC. 2. GOOD JOBS FOR GOOD AIRPORTS.
(a) Findings; Purposes.--
(1) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(A) Safe and effective airport operations are
essential to national commerce and the general welfare.
(B) A well-trained, stable workforce at our
Nation's airports is critical to ensuring public safety
and security, as well as the health and safety of the
public and protection from infectious diseases.
(C) The Federal Government has invested billions of
dollars in creating and maintaining our Nation's
aviation infrastructure, reflecting the national
interest in maintaining airports across the country.
(D) Airport services are most effective when the
workforce providing those services is able to earn a
living wage and able to secure adequate health benefit
coverage. In fact, meeting the growing challenges of
operating airports securely and efficiently requires
the recruitment and retention of excellent staff in all
of the classifications of employees who work in airport
services and operations.
(E) Effective management of airports and effective
airport security requires that workforce turnover be
reduced and that the workforce be highly trained and
highly motivated.
(F) In connection with setting wage and benefits
standards for those engaged in airport services, there
is a need to establish an orderly system that
reconciles competing interests without undue
disruption.
(2) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(A) to provide a mechanism for ensuring minimum
wage and benefits standards for individuals who work in
airports; and
(B) to serve the best interests of the people of
the United States by stabilizing the workplace
conditions of the labor pool that supports our Nation's
airport operations.
(b) Amendments to Title 49 of United States Code to Ensure Minimum
Wage and Benefits for Covered Service Workers.--
(1) Covered service worker definition.--Section 40102(a) of
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(48) `covered service worker'--
``(A) means an individual who furnishes services
for, or on the property or premises of, a small hub
airport, medium hub airport, or large hub airport,
performing--
``(i) functions that are related to the air
transportation of persons, property, or mail,
including--
``(I) the loading or unloading of
property on aircraft or a building or
facility on the airport property;
``(II) assistance to passengers,
including assistance under part 382 of
title 14, Code of Federal Regulations;
``(III) security;
``(IV) airport ticketing or check-
in functions;
``(V) ground-handling of aircraft
or related equipment (but not including
mechanical services, machinery
maintenance, car service maintenance,
services at maintenance-related stores,
fueling, de-icing, or other mechanic-
related functions);
``(VI) aircraft cleaning and
sanitization functions or waste
removal;
``(VII) cleaning within an airport
terminal or other building or facility
on the airport property;
``(VIII) transportation of
employees or individuals within the
airport property; or
``(IX) ramp agent functions;
``(ii) concessions services on the property
of an airport, including--
``(I) food service, including food
and beverage service, wait service,
busing, cooks, or cashiers;
``(II) retail service, including
retail related to news or gifts or
duty-free retail services;
``(III) cleaning for concession
services;
``(IV) security for concession
services; or
``(V) airport lounge services,
including food, retail, cleaning, or
security services for or at an airport
lounge;
``(iii) airline catering services (such as
the preparation or assembly of food, beverages,
provisions, or related supplies on the airport
property or premises or offsite for delivery,
and the delivery of such items, directly to
aircraft or to a location on or near airport
property for subsequent delivery to aircraft at
the airport); or
``(iv) food or beverage service,
housekeeping, or hotel service at a hotel
located on airport property;
``(B) includes an individual without regard to any
contractual relationship alleged to exist between the
individual and a contractor or subcontractor;
``(C) shall not include an employee to whom the
exemption under section 13(a)(1) of the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 213(a)(1)) applies;
and
``(D) shall not include an employee of--
``(i) a State, municipality, or other
political subdivision of a State or an
authority created by an agreement between 2 or
more States; or
``(ii) the Transportation Security
Administration or a qualified private screening
company performing security screening of
passengers pursuant to a contract entered into
with the Transportation Security
Administration.
``(49) `covered employer' means any person engaged in
commerce, or in any industry or activity affecting commerce,
who employs 1 or more covered service worker.''.
(2) Air commerce and safety.--
(A) In general.--Chapter 401 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 40133. Labor standards for certain airport service jobs
``(a) Requirement.--Any covered employer providing services at or
for a small, medium, or large hub airport shall ensure that all covered
service workers, including those subject to a collective bargaining
agreement, employed by the covered employer are paid a wage and fringe
benefits that are--
``(1) with respect to such wage, not less than the higher
of--
``(A) the minimum hourly wage for the appropriate
locality and classification as determined in accordance
with chapter 67 of title 41, United States Code
(commonly known as the `Service Contract Act'), by the
Secretary of Labor under subsection (c)(1)(A), adjusted
annually to reflect any changes made by such Secretary
in such determinations; or
``(B) the minimum hourly wage required under an
applicable State or local minimum wage law (including a
regulation) or policy, including the policy of a
political subdivision of a State or an authority
created by a compact between 2 or more States or 1 or
more States and the District of Columbia, that applies
to covered service workers; and
``(2) with respect to such fringe benefits, not less than
the greater of--
``(A) the minimum fringe benefits for the
appropriate locality and classification as determined
in accordance with chapter 67 of title 41, United
States Code (commonly known as the `Service Contract
Act'), by the Secretary of Labor under subsection
(c)(1)(A), adjusted annually to reflect any changes
made by such Secretary in such determinations; or
``(B) the minimum fringe benefits required under an
applicable State or local law (including a regulation)
or policy, including the policy of a political
subdivision of a State or an authority created by a
compact between 2 or more States or 1 or more States
and the District of Columbia, that applies to covered
service workers.
``(b) Certification Requirement for Covered Employers.--
``(1) In general.--A covered employer shall certify, under
penalty of perjury, in a manner determined by the Secretary of
Transportation, on a monthly basis that all covered service
workers, including those subject to a collective bargaining
agreement, employed by the covered employer are provided wage
and fringe benefits that comply with the requirements described
in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a).
``(2) Failure to submit certification.--The failure to
submit a certification under paragraph (1) shall constitute a
violation of this section.
``(3) False certification.--The submission of a false
certification under paragraph (1) shall constitute a violation
of this section.
``(c) Classifications and Wage Determinations.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Labor shall--
``(A) not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this section and in accordance with
paragraph (2), issue a wage determination with minimum
hourly wage and fringe benefits in accordance with the
methodology used by the Secretary of Labor under
chapter 67 of title 41, United States Code (commonly
known as the `Service Contract Act'), appropriate for
each class of covered service worker for purposes of
paragraphs (1)(A) and (2)(A) of subsection (a); and
``(B) not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this section and annually thereafter,
provide to the Secretary of Transportation the
applicable minimum hourly wage and fringe benefits
required for purposes of subsection (a) with respect to
each such class of covered service worker.
``(2) New occupational categories.--In issuing the wage
determinations under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary of Labor--
``(A) shall ensure that each class of covered
service worker is classified appropriately in a
category of occupation of a type covered under chapter
67 of title 41, United States Code; and
``(B) to the extent needed to carry out
subparagraph (A), may establish 1 or more new
categories of occupation of a type covered under
chapter 67 of title 41, United States Code, to ensure
that all classes of covered service workers have an
appropriate determination of minimum hourly wage and
fringe benefits.
``(d) Rulemaking Authority.--The Secretary of Labor and the
Secretary of Transportation may prescribe regulations to implement this
section, provided that such regulations prescribed by the Secretary of
Transportation shall be consistent with such regulations prescribed by
the Secretary of Labor.
``(e) Enforcement.--
``(1) Wage and benefit enforcement.--The Secretary of Labor
shall have the authority to enforce the wage and fringe benefit
requirements for covered service workers described in
paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), including the
authority to issue orders, conduct investigations, examine the
records of covered employers, hold hearings, make decisions
based on findings of fact, and take other appropriate action
pursuant to the authority of the Secretary of Labor under the
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.).
``(2) Certification enforcement.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary of Transportation
shall have the authority to enforce the certification
requirement described in subsection (b), including the
authority to issue orders, conduct investigations,
examine the records of covered employers, hold
hearings, make decisions based on findings of fact, and
take other appropriate action pursuant to the Secretary
of Transportation's authority.
``(B) Considerations.--In determining whether a
covered employer submitted a false certification under
subsection (b), the Secretary of Transportation shall
consider as evidence any findings of fact made by the
Secretary of Labor regarding a covered employer's
failure to comply with the wage and fringe benefit
requirements described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subsection (a).
``(f) Non-preemption of State or Local Laws.--Nothing in this
section shall preempt any State or local law (including a regulation)
or policy that requires a higher minimum wage or otherwise requires
greater benefits or protections for covered service workers than the
requirements of this section.
``(g) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act, and annually
thereafter, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives a report on the efforts of the Secretary to implement
such Act, as well as an assessment of the efforts of covered employers
to come into compliance with the requirements of such Act.
``(h) Publication of Data.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
publish complaint data relating to covered service workers in a manner
comparable to other aviation consumer complaint data.''.
(B) Clerical amendment.--The analysis for chapter
401 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 40132 the
following:
``40133. Labor standards for certain airport service jobs.''.
(3) Penalties.--Section 46301 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended--
(A) in subsection (a) by adding at the end the
following new paragraph:
``(9) Penalties relating to labor standards for certain
airport service jobs.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the
maximum civil penalty for a violation of section 40133 shall be
an amount not to exceed 3 times the amount of a civil penalty
as described in paragraph (1).''; and
(B) in subsection (c)(1)(A) by striking ``or
section 44909 of this title'' and inserting ``section
44909, or section 40133 of this title.''.
(4) Investigations and proceedings.--
(A) In general.--Chapter 461 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 46112. Enforcement of labor standards for certain airport
service jobs by interested persons
``An interested person may bring a civil action in a district court
of the United States against a person to enforce section 40133. The
action may be brought in the judicial district in which the defendant
does business or the violation occurred.''.
(B) Clerical amendment.--The analysis for chapter
461 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 46111 the
following:
``46112. Enforcement of labor standards for certain airport service
jobs by interested persons.''.
(c) Minimum Wage and Fringe Benefits for Covered Service Workers
Under Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.--Section 6 of the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(h) Covered Service Workers Performing Services for Small,
Medium, and Large Hub Airports.--
``(1) In general.--In lieu of the rate prescribed by
subsection (a)(1), an employer shall pay each employee employed
as a covered service worker (as defined in section 40102(a) of
title 49, United States Code), providing services at or for a
small hub airport, medium hub airport, or large hub airport (as
those terms are defined in such section), who in any workweek
is engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for
commerce, or is employed in an enterprise engaged in commerce
or in the production of goods for commerce, a minimum wage and
fringe benefits as provided under section 40133(a) of title 49,
United States Code.
``(2) Administration and enforcement of fringe benefits.--
For purposes of administration and enforcement of any unpaid
fringe benefits required under paragraph (1), the fair market
value amount of any such fringe benefits shall be deemed unpaid
minimum wages under this Act.''.
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