WASHINGTON   –  U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) has added her name to legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives which would create family-friendly seating on airplanes from which publicly-viewable screens would not be visible.  Individual screens in seatbacks would not be affected.

The legislation is in response to airlines showing movies on publicly viewable screens that contain extreme violent content.  One airline website states that their publicly viewable entertainment, “...may contain material not suitable for everyone. Parental guidance and viewer discretion are recommended.” Unfortunately, while parents can control whether their children can listen to the movies, they have no control over whether their children see the images.

“Traveling with children is difficult enough without having to worry about them being exposed to inappropriate content on the television screens in the plane.  Airlines have a responsibility to ensure that their passengers of all ages are treated with respect, and that requires some common sense when choosing in-flight entertainment,” Emerson said.  “This legislation would give parents the peace of mind that they can board airlines with their children without encountering images of extreme violence, inappropriate language, or drug use.  I urge Congress to act quickly on this bill – it’s a small piece of legislation that makes a big difference to parents and children.”

Airlines would be required to provide seating in this “Family Friendly” section for children under 13 and at least 1 adult traveling with the child. Additionally, the airlines and its employees would be required to offer the opportunity to request seating in the “Family Friendly” section to adults traveling with children.