July 24, 2020 3:15 a.m.

Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley has introduced the Maintaining Important Distance During Lengthy Epidemics Act of 2020.

Known as the Middle Act, the legislation would require face masks on planes and bans the sale of middle or otherwise adjacent seats for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.

An update from Merkley said “Filling planes to capacity, forcing passengers to sit shoulder to shoulder for hours at a time, is incredibly irresponsible during a pandemic”. Merkley claims “…airlines are willing to put their profit margins ahead of the health of their customers”.

The legislation would prohibit air carriers from filling a seat adjacent to another occupied seat on a passenger aircraft during the pandemic, with the Federal Aviation Administration able to make allowances for families traveling together. The bill would also prohibit any potential passenger or crewmember from boarding an airplane without wearing a mask, and bars airlines from charging customers fees associated with seat switching undertaken by airlines to comply with the regulations.

The legislation also requires the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance for additional exceptions based on federal health guidance.