Committee hears bill to require fixed‑base operators to protect restrained passengers and carry medical info

Delegate Lorig Charcutian introduced House Bill 639 to establish ground‑level protections for people transported through Maryland airports while restrained or in custody. Charcutian said the legislation focuses on state‑contracted fixed‑base operators (FBOs) and what those contractors may and may not do on the ground in Maryland. "A fixed based operator may not refuel a plane with people in restraints on the plane," Charcutian said, adding that passengers in restraints should be removed to climate‑controlled spaces for refueling so they could be evacuated in an emergency.

The bill also requires flight operators to have on‑board voluntary forms that indicate medical conditions, guardian contacts for juveniles, and other emergency information; an FBO would confirm the forms are on board but would not collect or retain them unless needed for a medical response. Charcutian said the bill further requires FBOs to see a judicial warrant for everyone on a flight when people are traveling in restraints, to help guard against trafficking or improper removals.

Health witnesses supported the measure. Laura Atwood of the Maryland chapter of Doctors for Camp Closure said detained passengers face elevated medical risks—reduced mobility, dehydration and increased clot risk—and urged the committee to act. Robert Cornett, who organized faith and community partners concerned about enforcement flights, asked clarifying amendments to make protections explicit at all public‑use airports and to treat forms as confidential.

Committee members probed two recurring concerns: federal preemption of tarmac and aircraft operations and privacy/handling of medical information. Delegate Naraki and others pointed to case law and federal jurisdiction questions; Charcutian responded that the bill is targeted at state‑contracted ground contractors (FBOs) rather than aircraft operations governed by the FAA, and that she had consulted with the attorney general’s office while drafting and would tighten language where needed. On medical privacy, she said forms would be voluntary, retained by the flight operator, and transferred only during a medical emergency; the MAA and draft language could be adjusted to clarify HIPAA and custodial custody issues.

What happens next: the sponsor asked for a favorable report but acknowledged several drafting items remain to be tightened, including jurisdictional language and the form-certification process.