The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved several bills authored by Chair Rep. Peter DeFazio that are aimed to make transportation infrastructure safer.

H.R. 5139, Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act, legislation to help track and prevent sexual assault and harassment from occurring in different modes of transportation. The legislation aims to address incidents of sexual assault and harassment in multiple modes of transportation by requiring certain transportation carriers, including passenger airlines, commuter and intercity passenger railroads, transit agencies, operators of cruise ships, certain types of bus companies, and ridesharing companies to establish formal policies, training, and reporting structures regarding sexual assault and harassment. It also requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to collect information on the number of sexual assault or harassment incidents reported by these entities and make this information publicly available.

H.R. 5119, Safe Aircraft Maintenance Standards Act, legislation that would establish one standard of safety regardless of where an aircraft is maintained. The bill strengthens the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of repair stations located outside the United States, particularly at a time when airlines are increasingly relying on outsourced maintenance work.