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Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73not60

§9096 Limitation on Certain Employee Compensation

Title 15 › Chapter 116— CORONAVIRUS ECONOMIC STABILIZATION (CARES ACT) › Subchapter III— ECONOMIC STABILIZATION AND ASSISTANCE TO SEVERELY DISTRESSED SECTORS OF THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY › Part C— Airline Worker Support Extension › § 9096

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires passenger airlines and their contractors that get federal financial help to sign an agreement limiting some employees’ pay for the two years from October 1, 2020 to October 1, 2022. Anyone who made more than $425,000 in 2019 (except workers whose pay is set by a collective bargaining deal made before December 27, 2020) cannot get more pay in any 12-month period than they got in 2019, and their severance or end-of-job benefits cannot be more than twice their 2019 pay. Anyone who made more than $3,000,000 in 2019 cannot be paid in any 12-month period more than $3,000,000 plus 50 percent of the amount they made over $3,000,000 in 2019. “Total compensation” means salary, bonuses, stock awards, and other money benefits from the carrier or contractor.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §9096

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may only provide financial assistance under this part to a passenger air carrier or contractor after such carrier or contractor enters into an agreement with the Secretary that provides that, during the 2-year period beginning October 1, 2020, and ending October 1, 2022—
(1)no officer or employee of the passenger air carrier or contractor whose total compensation exceeded $425,000 in calendar year 2019 (other than an employee whose compensation is determined through an existing collective bargaining agreement entered into prior to December 27, 2020) will receive from the passenger air carrier or contractor—
(A)total compensation that exceeds, during any 12 consecutive months of such 2-year period, the total compensation received by the officer or employee from the passenger air carrier or contractor in calendar year 2019; or
(B)severance pay or other benefits upon termination of employment with the passenger air carrier or contractor which exceeds twice the maximum total compensation received by the officer or employee from the passenger air carrier or contractor in calendar year 2019; and
(2)no officer or employee of the passenger air carrier or contractor whose total compensation exceeded $3,000,000 in calendar year 2019 may receive during any 12 consecutive months of such period total compensation in excess of the sum of—
(A)$3,000,000; and
(B)50 percent of the excess over $3,000,000 of the total compensation received by the officer or employee from the passenger air carrier or contractor in calendar year 2019.
(b)In this section, the term “total compensation” includes salary, bonuses, awards of stock, and other financial benefits provided by a passenger air carrier or contractor to an officer or employee of the passenger air carrier or contractor.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This part, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this subtitle”, meaning subtitle A (§§ 401–412) of title IV of div. N of Pub. L. 116–260, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2052, which enacted this part and amended section 9041, 9071, and 9074 of this title. For complete classification of subtitle A to the Code, see Tables. Codification Section was enacted as part of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, and also as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and not as part of the CARES Act which in part comprises this chapter.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 9096

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60