Tracking Sky-High Illnesses: CDC Wants Your Thoughts on Air Travel Data
Published Date: 1/13/2026
Notice
Summary
The CDC wants your thoughts on a plan to collect info about illnesses and deaths linked to air travel. This helps stop diseases from spreading between states or from other countries into the U.S. If you have ideas, send them by March 16, 2026—this effort aims to keep everyone safer without adding extra hassle or costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Airlines must share passenger manifests
The CDC will collect conveyance, passenger, and crew contact information (manifests) from airlines to support contact investigations for communicable diseases. This collection is intended to help prevent spread of disease across states and from other countries into the United States.
Airline staff must comply with manifest orders
Airline medical officers, manifest information systems managers, or safety/administrative managers may need to respond to CDC manifest orders: the submission estimates 350 respondents at 150 minutes each (875 hours) for international manifest orders and 500 respondents at 90 minutes each (750 hours) for domestic manifest orders. The notice states there is no cost other than respondents' time.
Travelers may need to fill illness forms
Travelers may be asked to complete forms such as the Air Travel Illness or Death Investigation Form (estimated 4,000 respondents at 15 minutes each, totaling 1,000 hours) and Public Health Passenger Locator Forms for limited onboard exposure (545 respondents each for international and domestic flights at 5 minutes each, totaling 45 hours each). These forms collect information used for contact investigations when a traveler is suspected or confirmed to be infectious.
Crew must report onboard illness or death
Pilots, masters of vessels, and comparable persons in charge must submit reports when death or communicable illness occurs onboard (examples: pilot report of death/illness onboard — 500 respondents at 7 minutes each; pilot death/illness reports from aircraft — 1,400 respondents at 7 minutes each; master of vessel — 200 respondents at 7 minutes each). These reports support CDC and public health follow-up under 42 CFR parts 70 and 71.
Public health staff must report investigation outcomes
State, local, territorial, and international public health staff are expected to submit investigation outcome reporting forms for air travel contact investigations (examples and totals include: 60 respondents at 5 minutes, 72 respondents at 5 minutes, 51 respondents at 10 minutes, and other small entries). The CDC estimates total annualized burden hours for the collection at 2,981 hours and states there is no cost to respondents other than their time.
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-16865, Notice of Award of a Sole Source Cooperative Agreement To Fund Ministry of Health Zambia
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the award of approximately $15,000,000 for Federal Fiscal Year 2026 funding to Ministry of Health Zambia, subject to the availability of funds. Funding amounts for years 2-5 will be set at continuation. The award will support Zambia through the Ministry of Health (MOH) to lead and oversee the national HIV response in alignment with the U.S. Government's (USG) goal to transition to the host government by 2030.
2026-16852, Solicitation of Nominations for Appointment to the World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is seeking nominations for membership on the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), in accordance with provisions of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, as amended. The STAC consists of 17 members including experts in fields associated with occupational medicine, pulmonary medicine, environmental medicine, environmental health, industrial hygiene, epidemiology, toxicology, and mental health, and representatives of WTC responders as well as representatives of certified-eligible WTC survivors.
2026-16731, Notice of Award of a Sole Source Cooperative Agreement To Fund the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia
The CDC is awarding $30 million to Ethiopia's Ministry of Health to lead national HIV and TB programs from September 2026 to September 2031. This funding will help improve and manage life-saving health services across the country. The Ministry of Health is the only group authorized to handle this important work, ensuring strong and lasting support for Ethiopia’s fight against HIV and TB.
2026-16706, Order Under Sections 362 and 365 of the Public Health Service Act Continuing the Suspension of the Right To Introduce Certain Persons From Countries Where a Quarantinable Communicable Disease Exists
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a component of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces it is issuing an Order under Section 362 and 365 of the Public Health Service Act, and associated implementing regulations, continuing the suspension of the right to introduce certain persons from countries where an outbreak of a quarantinable communicable disease exists. This Order was issued on August 12, 2026, and shall remain in effect through 4:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Friday, September 11, 2026. This Order may be amended or rescinded prior to that time at the discretion of the Director.
2026-16732, Notice of Award of a Sole Source Cooperative Agreement To Fund University Teaching Hospital in Zambia
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the award of approximately $30,000,000, for Federal Fiscal Year 2026 funding to Zambia's University Teaching Hospital (UTH), subject to availability of funds. Funding amounts for years 2-5 will be set at continuation. The award is expected to improve HIV and TB clinical and laboratory service delivery at referral level hospitals and provincial- level referral facilities through the national government referral facility, UTH.
2026-16658, Notice of Award of a Single Source Cooperative Agreement To Fund International Rescue Committee
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the award of approximately $1,000,000 for Federal Fiscal Year 2026 funding to International Rescue Committee (IRC), subject to availability of funds. Funding amounts for years 2-5 will be set at continuation. The award will allow CDC to support the implementation of strategies to reduce the transmission of communicable and emerging diseases in mobile populations in overseas settings.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-00422, Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations
The CDC wants your thoughts on a new plan to collect info about people who travel across land borders and might have contagious diseases. This helps them act fast to protect public health. If you have ideas, send them by March 16, 2026—no money changes, just smarter data gathering to keep us safe!
Next: 2026-00424, Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations
The CDC wants your thoughts on a new survey and focus groups to see how well their cancer control training programs are working. This affects organizations involved in the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program and helps make sure resources are used wisely. Comments are open until March 16, 2026, with no new costs for participants.