(a)
In general— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall modify part 250 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to ensure that an air carrier—
(1)
may not refuse to transport a passenger holding a confirmed reserved space on a flight to provide a seat for another passenger, regardless of whether such passenger is an employee of an air carrier;
(2)
negotiates and solicits a volunteer to relinquish his or her space before boarding the aircraft; and
(3)
if necessary, continues to increase the amount of compensation offered until a volunteer willingly accepts the offer in exchange for relinquishing a confirmed reserved space.
(b)
Rule of construction— Nothing in this Act restricts the ability of an air carrier to remove a passenger for safety or security reasons.