Faso, Maloney Proposal Included in House-Passed FAA Reauthorization Bill
Washington D.C. – Congressman John Faso (R-NY) and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) today highlighted their legislation that would upgrade emergency medical supplies to include child-sized doses aboard passenger aircraft.
“This is common-sense legislation everyone can support,” said Rep. Faso. “Airlines should equip their fleets with life-saving medical supplies that meet the specific needs of children. I’m pleased to see strong third-party support for this positive change. An airline should never be unprepared or ill-equipped, especially at 30,000 feet in the air.”
“Most people don’t know that if their kid has a medical problem on a plane that airlines are under no obligation to carry right-sized equipment or medication to care for them, and I think that would scare a lot of people,” said Rep. Maloney. “Parents should be able to fly with peace of mind – and that means airlines should be equipped to handle medical emergencies for all of their passengers – regardless of age.”
“When a family boards a commercial flight, the last thing on their minds should be what would happen should their child experience an in-flight medical emergency, like a seizure, asthma attack, or allergic reaction,” said American Academy of Pediatrics President Colleen Kraft, MD, MBA, FAAP. “Currently, the emergency medical kits on airplanes are not equipped to meet children’s unique needs; the Airplane Kids in Transit Safety (KITS) Act would fix that. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) thanks Representatives Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) and John J. Faso (R-N.Y.) for authoring and championing the Airplane KITS Act as part of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill and urges the U.S. Senate to take up and pass a similar provision without delay.”
With more Americans traveling by air than ever before, adult travelers can generally feel safe knowing that, in the case of a medical emergency, a well-trained flight crew will have the medical equipment necessary to treat them. But shockingly, the Emergency Medical Kits (EMKs) required on commercial flights are woefully inadequate for treating the most vulnerable passengers. Given the vulnerability of infants, children and adolescents during medical emergencies, the FAA should update their outdated regulations on the contents of EMKs.
The Airplane KITS Act would specifically require the FAA, within 1 year of enactment, to initiate a rulemaking to update the requirements for EMKs to ensure that they contain appropriate medication and equipment to meet the emergency needs of children. The bill has been endorsed by the American Association of Pediatrics.
H.R. 4, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 is a five-year bill to reauthorize programs administered under the Federal Aviation Administration. The reauthorization bill also includes the Disaster Recovery Reform Act. The legislation passed the House floor by a vote of 393—13.
It will now move to the Senate for consideration.
