The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.JETSET Costs Act of 2023
Last action · June 22, 2023: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.Sponsor: Eric Schmitt
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
This bill proposes new rules to restrict the use of Department of Transportation (DOT) aircraft by the Secretary and executive staff. It requires that government flights be at least 5% cheaper than commercial alternatives and mandates stricter cost reporting and transparency.
The bill establishes new financial and operational requirements for the Secretary of Transportation's use of government aircraft, potentially changing how and when federal officials travel.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Secretary of Transportation
The Secretary is subject to new cost-comparison requirements and prohibitions on personal or political use of government aircraft.
Department of Transportation executive staff
Staff are subject to the same travel restrictions and cost-comparison requirements as the Secretary.
Federal Aviation Administration
The Administrator is required to revise internal orders regarding flight cost calculations.
Key Facts
- Government aircraft may only be used if the flight cost is at least 5% lower than a commercial airline flight.
- Emergency travel is exempt from the 5% cost rule if commercial service is unavailable, provided the Inspector General and Congress are notified within 7 days.
- The FAA Administrator must revise 'Order 2500.36N' within 180 days to reflect the true cost of flight operations.
- The DOT is prohibited from charging different rates to non-DOT officials when calculating per-seat costs.
Show all 8 facts
- The DOT must use the 'actual and full cost' of flights when comparing them to commercial alternatives.
- The Inspector General must submit an annual report to Congress starting December 31, 2023, itemizing all executive travel on government aircraft.
- The annual report must include documentation proving that each government flight was at least 5% cheaper than a commercial alternative.
- Personal or political use of government aircraft by the Secretary or executive staff is strictly prohibited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Secretary of Transportation still use government planes?
What happens if the Secretary uses a government plane for a political trip?
How will the public know if these rules are being followed?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jun 22, 2023SenateCommitteeRead twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Jun 22, 2023SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Standardization of Flight Costs
The bill forces a shift toward 'actual and full cost' accounting, preventing the DOT from using subsidized or internal rates to make government flights appear cheaper than they are.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment30Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools