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Aviation Medical Assistance Act of 1998

Public Law 105-170 · H.R. 2843 · 105th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Apr 24, 1998 · Transportation and Public Works

Sponsor: Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN-2)

Cosponsors (5): Rep. Barbara Kennelly,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Aviation Medical Assistance Act of 1998 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to reevaluate regulations regarding: (1) the equipment required to be carried in medical kits of aircraft operated by air carriers; and (2) the training required of flight attendants in the use of such equipment. Requires the Administrator to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to make any modifications to such regulations as a result of such reevaluation.

Requires major air carriers to make a good faith effort to report quarterly to the Administrator, over the course of a year, regarding deaths on aircrafts.

Requires the Administrator to decide whether or not to require automatic external defibrillators on passenger aircraft and at airports. Prohibits the Administrator from requiring them on helicopters and on aircraft with a maximum payload capacity of 7,500 pounds or less.

States that, if the Administrator decides that automatic external defibrillators should be required at airports, the proposed rulemaking or recommendation shall provide that the airports are responsible for providing the defibrillators.

Declares that an air carrier shall not be liable for damages in any action brought in a Federal or State court arising out of the carrier's performance in obtaining or attempting to obtain the assistance of a passenger in an in-flight medical emergency, or out of the passenger's acts or omissions while rendering such assistance, if the passenger is not an employee or agent of the carrier and the carrier in good faith believes that the passenger is medically qualified.

Declares that an individual shall not be liable for damages in any such action arising out of acts or omissions in providing or attempting to provide such assistance, except for gross negligence or willful misconduct.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.

  1. Apr 24, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-170.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Apr 17, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Apr 3, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  6. Mar 25, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  7. Mar 24, 1998FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  9. FloorFloor · Mr. Duncan moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  10. Mar 20, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  11. Mar 11, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  12. Mar 5, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  14. Nov 21, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  16. Nov 6, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  17. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.