Micro Drone Safety and Innovation Act of 2016

Summary: Micro Drone Safety and Innovation Act of 2016 This bill amends the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 to make a special rule for any micro unmanned aircraft system whose aircraft component, including payload, weighs at most 4.4 pounds (micro drone). A micro drone and its operator shall qualify for exemptions from certain airman certification, airworthiness, and operational regulations if the system is operated:  at an altitude under 400 feet above ground level, at an airspeed under 40 knots, within the operator's visual line of sight,  between sunrise and sunset, and at least five statute miles from the geographic center of an airport that either has an operational air traffic control tower or is denoted on a current aeronautical chart published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  A micro drone may also be operated within five statute miles of such an airport if, beforehand, the operator notifies the airport operator and receives approval from the air traffic control tower, if the airport has one. Under the exemptions of this bill, any person may operate a micro drone without being required to:   pass any aeronautical knowledge test, meet any age or experience requirement, or obtain an airman certificate or medical certificate.  In an alternative to the requirements of this bill, a micro drone may be operated pursuant to any form of FAA-prescribed authorization, operational rules, or exemptions pertaining to unmanned aircraft systems; but both the aircraft and its operator shall remain exempt from any requirement for an airman certificate or medical certificate.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Micro Drone Safety and Innovation 
Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. OPERATION OF MICRO UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle B of title III of the FAA Modernization 
and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-95; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 337. SPECIAL RULE FOR MICRO UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.

    ``(a) Requirements for Operation of Micro Unmanned Aircraft 
Systems.--
            ``(1) In general.--A micro unmanned aircraft system and the 
        operator of that system shall qualify for the exemptions 
        described under subsections (b), (c), and (d) if the system is 
        operated--
                    ``(A) at an altitude of less than 400 feet above 
                ground level;
                    ``(B) at an airspeed not greater than 40 knots;
                    ``(C) within the visual line of sight of the 
                operator;
                    ``(D) during the hours between sunrise and sunset; 
                and
                    ``(E) except as provided in paragraph (2), not less 
                than 5 statute miles from the geographic center of an 
                airport with an operational air traffic control tower 
                or an airport denoted on a current aeronautical chart 
                published by the Federal Aviation Administration.
            ``(2) Operation within 5 statute miles of an airport.--A 
        micro unmanned aircraft system may be operated within 5 statute 
        miles of an airport described in paragraph (1)(E) if, before 
        the micro unmanned aircraft system is operated within 5 statute 
        miles of the airport, the operator of the micro unmanned 
        aircraft system--
                    ``(A) provides notice to the airport operator; and
                    ``(B) in the case of an airport with an operational 
                air traffic control tower, receives approval from the 
                air traffic control tower.
    ``(b) Exemptions for Operators of Micro Unmanned Aircraft 
Systems.--Notwithstanding sections 44703 and 44711 of title 49, United 
States Code, part 61 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, or any 
other provision of a statute, rule, or regulation relating to airman 
certification, any person may operate a micro unmanned aircraft system 
in accordance with subsection (a) without being required--
            ``(1) to pass any aeronautical knowledge test;
            ``(2) to meet any age or experience requirement; or
            ``(3) to obtain an airman certificate or medical 
        certificate.
    ``(c) Exemption From Airworthiness Standards.--Notwithstanding any 
provision of chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code, or any other 
provision of a statute, rule, or regulation relating to certification 
of aircraft or aircraft parts or equipment, a micro unmanned aircraft 
system operated in accordance with subsection (a) and component parts 
and equipment for that system shall not be required to meet 
airworthiness certification standards or to obtain an airworthiness 
certificate.
    ``(d) Exemptions From Operational Regulations.--
            ``(1) Part 91 regulations.--Sections 91.7(a), 91.119(c), 
        91.121, 91.151(a)(1), 91.405(a), and 91.407(a)(1), paragraphs 
        (1) and (2) of section 91.409(a), and subsections (a) and (b) 
        of section 91.417 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, 
        shall not apply with respect to the operation of a micro 
        unmanned aircraft system in accordance with subsection (a).
            ``(2) Certificate of waiver or authorization.--A micro 
        unmanned aircraft system operated in accordance with subsection 
        (a) may be operated by any person without a certificate of 
        authorization or waiver from the Federal Aviation 
        Administration.
            ``(3) Future regulations.--A micro unmanned aircraft system 
        operated in accordance with subsection (a), and the operator of 
        such a system, shall be exempt from any additional requirements 
        that may be prescribed pursuant to this subtitle after the date 
        of the enactment of the Micro Drone Safety and Innovation Act 
        of 2016.
    ``(e) Alternative Regulations.--Instead of being operated in 
accordance with subsection (a), a micro unmanned aircraft may be 
operated pursuant to any form of authorization, operational rules, or 
exemptions pertaining to unmanned aircraft systems prescribed by the 
Administrator, except that a micro unmanned aircraft and its operator 
shall be exempt from any requirement for an airman certificate or 
medical certificate.
    ``(f) Micro Unmanned Aircraft System Defined.--In this section, the 
term `micro unmanned aircraft system' means an unmanned aircraft system 
the aircraft component of which weighs not more than 4.4 pounds, 
including payload.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the FAA 
Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 336 the following:

``Sec. 337. Operation of micro unmanned aircraft systems.''.