Recent Press Releases

Senate Passes Thune’s Bipartisan Aviation Bill, Including Major Security Reforms

“This bipartisan legislation takes several important steps to protect passengers’ safety and security and makes air travel a little easier along the way.”

April 19, 2016

WASHINGTON — 

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today applauded the Senate’s passage of his bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016 (S. 2658), which makes important reforms to protect consumers and enhance airport security in South Dakota and throughout the United States. 

“This bipartisan legislation takes several important steps to protect passengers’ safety and security and makes air travel a little easier along the way,” said Thune. “We worked hard to make consumer protections and airport security our top priorities in this bill, which is why it’s been called ‘one of the most passenger-friendly FAA reauthorization bills in a generation’ and includes one of the most comprehensive sets of aviation security reforms since President Obama took office. While passing this legislation in the Senate is an important step, we have more work to do. The traveling public will be best served once this bill makes its way to the president’s desk and is signed into law.” 

Thune was the lead sponsor and bill manager of S. 2658, which passed the Senate by a vote of 95-3 and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. Click here for more information on S. 2658 and here for more information on Thune’s airport security measures that were included in the final bill.