Last week, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx after singer-guitarist John McCauley of the band Deer Tick wasn’t able to board a plane with his instrument.

Instances of both damage to instruments and passengers being denied boarding with instruments as carry-on luggage have repeatedly occurred. Over two years ago, Congress passed legislation to require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish regulations allowing passengers to stow a musical instrument in accordance with carry-on baggage requirements. However, no regulations have yet been issued.

As the regulation deadline approached last February, a bipartisan group of 35 U.S. Senators and Representatives, including Congressional Arts Caucus co-Chairs Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ), called for immediate action to advance a nearly two-year old stalled process and finally end confusion over rules for musical instruments as carry-on luggage. This congressional letter followed a similar letter from nonprofit arts organizations, including Americans for the Arts, requesting a meeting with the FAA. These nonprofit organizations had long advocated for including a provision in the now enacted FAA Modernization and Reform Act that would provide uniform regulations for the handling of musical instruments as carry-on luggage.

Despite forward momentum with joint agency and industry meetings, problems still continue because of ongoing delay from the FAA in issuing regulations. Final regulations providing universal standards for storing and caring for instruments in flight would help all traveling musicians and fellow passengers.