What This Bill Does
This bill requires small, medium, and large hub airports to ensure that workers who provide services at those airports earn a minimum wage and receive fringe benefits (benefits like health coverage). The bill applies to airports that receive federal money or make money from federally approved fees. The law aims to create stable working conditions for airport service workers and improve airport safety and security.
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Who It Affects
- Airport owners and operators at small, medium, and large hub airports
- Workers who perform services at these airports, including baggage handlers, security workers, food service workers, cleaners, and airline catering workers
- The Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Labor
- Companies that contract to provide services at airports
- Federal agencies that distribute airport funding
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Key Provisions
- Airport operators must provide written assurance that all covered service workers earn wages of at least 15 dollars per hour or the higher wage required by federal Service Contract Act standards, federal policy, or state or local law (Sec. 3(b))
- Airport operators must provide covered service workers with fringe benefits that meet or exceed the greater of federal Service Contract Act standards or applicable state or local benefit requirements (Sec. 3(b))
- The Secretary of Labor must issue wage and benefit determinations for airport service worker categories within 90 days and update them annually (Sec. 3(b))
- Airport operators must certify annually to the Secretary of Transportation that all covered service workers receive compliant wages and benefits, and must obtain certifications from employers at the airport (Sec. 3(b))
- Federal airport funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act can only be given to airports complying with these wage and benefit standards (Sec. 4)
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What Changes
If this becomes law, airports receiving federal money must ensure covered service workers earn at least 15 dollars per hour (or the higher prevailing wage requirement) and receive adequate fringe benefits. Airports must verify this through annual certifications. Federal funding for airport projects becomes conditional on meeting these labor standards. The bill does not override or weaken state or local laws that require even higher wages or better benefits.
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Important Definitions
**Covered service worker:** An individual who works on airport property performing air transportation services (loading cargo, assisting passengers, security, ticketing, ground handling, cleaning, employee transportation, or ramp work), concessions services (food, retail, cleaning, security, or lounge services), airline catering, or hotel services at an airport. This includes workers regardless of whether they work directly for the airport or through a contractor. It excludes employees of state or local governments and people exempt under federal fair labor laws.
**Fringe benefits:** Benefits beyond base wages, commonly including health insurance and other employee protections, as determined under federal Service Contract Act standards or state and local law.
**Service Contract Act:** Federal law (chapter 67 of title 41, United States Code) that sets minimum wage and benefit standards for certain federal service contracts.
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1499
To require small, medium, and large hub airports to certify that airport
service workers are paid the prevailing wage and provided fringe benefits,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 9, 2023
Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. BOW-
MAN, Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. DEAN of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. GARAMENDI, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. JOHNSON of
Georgia, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. EVANS, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. PAS-
CRELL, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. POCAN, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. SHERRILL, Mr.
TONKO, Mr. TORRES of New York, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mrs. WATSON
COLEMAN, Ms. TITUS, Mr. NADLER, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. CASAR, Ms.
KAPTUR, Mr. NORCROSS, Ms. CRAIG, and Mr. GOMEZ) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure
A BILL
To require small, medium, and large hub airports to certify
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 Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Good Jobs for Good
4
Airports Act’’.
5
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•HR 1499 IH
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.
1
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
2
(1) Safe and effective airport operations are es-
3
sential to national commerce and the general wel-
4
fare.
5
(2) A well-trained, stable workforce at our Na-
6
tion’s airports is critical to ensuring public safety
7
and security, as well as the health and safety of the
8
public and protection from infectious diseases.
9
(3) The Federal Government has invested bil-
10
lions of dollars in creating and maintaining our Na-
11
tion’s aviation infrastructure, reflecting the national
12
interest in maintaining airports across the country.
13
(4) Airport services are most effective when the
14
workforce providing those services is able to earn a
15
living wage and able to secure adequate health ben-
16
efit coverage. In fact, meeting the growing chal-
17
lenges of operating airports securely and efficiently
18
requires the recruitment and retention of excellent
19
staff in all of the classifications of employees who
20
work in airport services and operations.
21
(5) Effective management of airports and effec-
22
tive airport security requires that workforce turnover
23
be reduced and that the workforce be highly trained
24
and highly motivated.
25
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•HR 1499 IH
(6) In connection with setting workplace stand-
1
ards for those engaged in airport services, there is
2
a need to establish an orderly system that reconciles
3
competing interests without undue disruption.
4
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
5
(1) to provide a mechanism for ensuring min-
6
imum workplace standards for individuals who work
7
in airports whose operators are grantees of Federal
8
assistance or derive revenue from fees authorized by
9
the Federal Government; and
10
(2) to serve the best interests of the people of
11
the United States by stabilizing the workplace condi-
12
tions of the labor pool that supports our Nation’s
13
airport operations.
14
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 49 OF THE UNITED STATES
15
CODE TO ENSURE MINIMUM WAGE AND BEN-
16
EFITS FOR COVERED SERVICE WORKERS.
17
(a) COVERED SERVICE WORKER DEFINITION.—Sec-
18
tion 47102 of title 49, United States Code, is amended
19
by adding at the end the following:
20
‘‘(29) ‘covered service worker’—
21
‘‘(A) means an individual who furnishes
22
services on the property or premises of a small
23
hub airport, medium hub airport, or large hub
24
airport, performing—
25
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•HR 1499 IH
‘‘(i) functions that are related to the
1
air transportation of persons, property, or
2
mail, including—
3
‘‘(I) the loading or unloading of
4
property on aircraft or a building or
5
facility on the airport property;
6
‘‘(II) assistance to passengers,
7
including assistance under part 382 of
8
title 14, Code of Federal Regulations;
9
‘‘(III) security;
10
‘‘(IV) airport ticketing or check-
11
in functions;
12
‘‘(V) ground-handling of aircraft
13
or related equipment (but not includ-
14
ing mechanical services, machinery
15
maintenance, car service maintenance,
16
services at maintenance-related stores,
17
fueling, de-icing, or other mechanic-
18
related functions);
19
‘‘(VI) aircraft cleaning and sani-
20
tization functions or waste removal;
21
‘‘(VII) cleaning within an airport
22
terminal or other building or facility
23
on the airport property;
24
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•HR 1499 IH
‘‘(VIII) transportation of employ-
1
ees or individuals within the airport
2
property; or
3
‘‘(IX) ramp agent functions;
4
‘‘(ii) concessions services on the prop-
5
erty of an airport, including—
6
‘‘(I) food service, including food
7
and beverage service, wait service,
8
busing, cooks, or cashiers;
9
‘‘(II) retail service, including re-
10
tail related to news or gifts or duty-
11
free retail services;
12
‘‘(III) cleaning for concession
13
services;
14
‘‘(IV) security for concession
15
services; or
16
‘‘(V) airport lounge services, in-
17
cluding food, retail, cleaning, or secu-
18
rity services for or at an airport
19
lounge;
20
‘‘(iii) airline catering services (such as
21
the preparation or assembly of food, bev-
22
erages, provisions, or related supplies for
23
delivery, and the delivery of such items, di-
24
rectly to aircraft or to a location on or
25
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•HR 1499 IH
near airport property for subsequent deliv-
1
ery to aircraft at the airport); or
2
‘‘(iv) food or beverage service, house-
3
keeping, or hotel service at a hotel located
4
on airport property;
5
‘‘(B) includes an individual without regard
6
to any contractual relationship alleged to exist
7
between the individual and a contractor or sub-
8
contractor;
9
‘‘(C) shall not include an individual to
10
whom the exemption under section 13(a)(1) of
11
the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29
12
U.S.C. 213(a)(1)) applies; and
13
‘‘(D) shall not include an employee of a
14
State, municipality, or other political subdivi-
15
sion of a State or an authority created by an
16
agreement between 2 or more States.’’.
17
(b) AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT.—Section 47107 of title
18
49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end
19
the following:
20
‘‘(x) LABOR STANDARDS
FOR CERTAIN AIRPORT
21
SERVICE JOBS.—
22
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of Trans-
23
portation may approve a project grant application
24
under this subchapter for an airport development
25
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•HR 1499 IH
project at a small, medium, or large hub airport only
1
if the Secretary receives written assurances, satisfac-
2
tory to the Secretary, that the airport owner or op-
3
erator will ensure that all covered service workers,
4
including those subject to a collective bargaining
5
agreement, employed by any employer at such air-
6
port shall be paid a wage and fringe benefits that
7
are—
8
‘‘(A) with respect to such wage, not less
9
than the higher of—
10
‘‘(i) 15 dollars per hour;
11
‘‘(ii) the minimum hourly wage for the
12
appropriate locality and classification as
13
determined in accordance with chapter 67
14
of title 41, United States Code (commonly
15
known as the ‘Service Contract Act’), by
16
the Secretary of Labor under paragraph
17
(2)(A)(i), adjusted annually to reflect any
18
changes made by such Secretary in such
19
determinations;
20
‘‘(iii) the minimum hourly wage re-
21
quired under any Federal regulation, pol-
22
icy, or directive issued by the President
23
pursuant to subtitle I of title 40, United
24
States Code, for workers employed in the
25
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•HR 1499 IH
performance of any Federal contract for
1
the procurement of services; or
2
‘‘(iv) the minimum hourly wage re-
3
quired under an applicable State or local
4
minimum wage law (including a regula-
5
tion) or policy, including the policy of a po-
6
litical subdivision of a State or an author-
7
ity created by a compact between 2 or
8
more States or 1 or more States and the
9
District of Columbia, that applies to cov-
10
ered service workers; and
11
‘‘(B) with respect to such fringe benefits,
12
not less than the greater of—
13
‘‘(i) the minimum fringe benefits for
14
the appropriate locality and classification
15
as determined in accordance with chapter
16
67 of title 41, United States Code (com-
17
monly known as the ‘Service Contract
18
Act’), by the Secretary of Labor under
19
paragraph (2)(A)(i), adjusted annually to
20
reflect any changes made by such Sec-
21
retary in such determinations; or
22
‘‘(ii) the minimum fringe benefits re-
23
quired under an applicable State or local
24
law (including a regulation) or policy, in-
25
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•HR 1499 IH
cluding the policy of a political subdivision
1
of a State or an authority created by a
2
compact between 2 or more States or 1 or
3
more States and the District of Columbia,
4
that applies to covered service workers.
5
‘‘(2) CLASSIFICATIONS AND WAGE DETERMINA-
6
TIONS.—
7
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of
8
Labor shall—
9
‘‘(i) not later than 90 days after the
10
date of enactment of this subsection and in
11
accordance with subparagraph (B), issue a
12
wage determination with minimum hourly
13
wage and fringe benefits under chapter 67
14
of title 41, United States Code (commonly
15
known as the ‘Service Contract Act’), ap-
16
propriate for each class of covered service
17
worker for purposes of subparagraphs
18
(A)(ii) and (B)(i) of paragraph (1); and
19
‘‘(ii) not later than 90 days after the
20
date of enactment of this subsection and
21
annually thereafter, provide to the Sec-
22
retary of Transportation the applicable
23
minimum hourly wage and fringe benefits
24
required for purposes of such paragraph
25
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•HR 1499 IH
with respect to each such class of covered
1
service worker.
2
‘‘(B) NEW OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORIES.—
3
In issuing the wage determinations under sub-
4
paragraph (A)(i), the Secretary of Labor—
5
‘‘(i) shall ensure that each class of
6
covered service worker is classified appro-
7
priately in a category of occupation covered
8
under chapter 67 of title 41, United States
9
Code; and
10
‘‘(ii) to the extent needed to carry out
11
clause (i), may establish 1 or more new
12
categories of occupation covered under
13
chapter 67 of title 41, United States Code,
14
to ensure that all classes of covered service
15
workers have an appropriate determination
16
of minimum hourly wage and fringe bene-
17
fits.
18
‘‘(3) AIRPORT SPONSOR CERTIFICATION.—
19
‘‘(A) REQUIREMENT.—
20
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—An airport spon-
21
sor subject to the requirement under para-
22
graph (1) shall certify to the Secretary, on
23
an annual basis, that each covered service
24
worker, including those subject to a collec-
25
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•HR 1499 IH
tive bargaining agreement, is paid a wage
1
and fringe benefits that comply with the
2
requirements described in subparagraphs
3
(A) and (B) of such paragraph.
4
‘‘(ii) EVIDENCE OF CERTIFICATION.—
5
Where certification is required under
6
clause (i), an airport sponsor shall obtain
7
from each entity that employs a covered
8
service worker a certification that each
9
such covered service worker at such airport
10
is paid a wage and fringe benefits that
11
comply with the requirements described in
12
subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph
13
(1).
14
‘‘(B) COMPLIANCE REPORT.—In order to
15
ensure compliance, an airport sponsor subject
16
to the requirement under paragraph (1) shall
17
require any entity that employs a covered serv-
18
ice worker at such airport to submit a report to
19
the airport sponsor, on an annual basis, certi-
20
fying compliance with the requirements de-
21
scribed in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of para-
22
graph (1).
23
‘‘(C) COMPLIANCE AUTHORITY.—
24
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•HR 1499 IH
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of
1
Transportation shall have the authority to
2
ensure compliance with this subsection.
3
‘‘(ii) GOOD
FAITH
COMPLIANCE
BY
4
AIRPORT
SPONSOR.—The
Secretary
of
5
Transportation may, at the Secretary’s dis-
6
cretion, determine that an airport sponsor
7
shall not be considered to be in violation of
8
this subsection upon a showing of good
9
faith compliance with the requirements of
10
subparagraphs (A) and (B).
11
‘‘(4) NON-PREEMPTION
OF
STATE
OR
LOCAL
12
LAWS.—Nothing in this subsection shall preempt
13
any State or local law (including a regulation) or
14
policy that requires a higher minimum wage or oth-
15
erwise requires greater benefits or protections for
16
covered service workers than the requirements of
17
this subsection.’’.
18
(c)
PASSENGER
FACILITY
CHARGES.—Section
19
40117(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
20
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
21
end;
22
(2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para-
23
graph (5); and
24
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•HR 1499 IH
(3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
1
lowing:
2
‘‘(4) the eligible agency has certified that it is
3
in compliance with the requirements under section
4
47107(x), if such re
[Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]