Bill would require companies to adopt anti-harassment rules

Federal lawmakers have proposed legislation to require airlines and other transportation operations to adopt policies to crack down on harassment and abuse.

The bill by Rep. Peter Defazio, D-ore., calls on airlines, bus companies, railroads and commuter lines to adopt anti-harassment policies within 90 days of the bill’s passage. Defazio’s staff is not sure when the bill might be brought up for a vote.

Under the bill, airlines and other transportation companies could permanently ban any passengers who commit sexual assault or harassment. It was cosponsored by 26 other Democratic lawmakers and supported by several employee unions.

The co-sponsors do not include Republicans, who control the House of Representatives.

The legislation also calls for airlines and others to create a system that lets employees report assaults and harassment. The bill amends the current law to say that sexual assaults and harassment are considered interference with the crew of a flight or transit trip. The civil penalty for interfering with a flight crew would be increased under the bill law to $35,000 from $25,000.

“On our international flights, we have special problems reporting incidents to authorities abroad, where the laws and enforcement of those laws can be very complex,” said Abby Alconcher, an employee-assistance program specialist for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. “These new guidelines and federal requirements are much needed and will help make the skies safer.”

The legislation comes about a week after another flight attendants union released a survey of more than 3,500 flight attendants from 29 U.S. airlines. It found that 35 percent of flight attendants say they have experienced verbal harassment, with 18 percent saying they had been physically abused by passengers over the last year.