IB 

Union Calendar No. 499 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5040 

[Report No. 116–606, Part I] 

To direct the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to study the 

effects of drone incursions on wildfire suppression, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 12, 2019 

Mr. CURTIS (for himself and Mr. HUFFMAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

DECEMBER 2, 2020 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

DECEMBER 2, 2020 

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 

Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on November 12, 2019] 


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•HR 5040 RH

A BILL 

To direct the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 

to study the effects of drone incursions on wildfire suppression, and for other purposes. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
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•HR 5040 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Aerial Incursion Reper5 cussion Safety Act of 2020’’ or the ‘‘AIR Safety Act of 

6 2020’’. 

7 SEC. 2. STUDY ON EFFECTS OF DRONE INCURSIONS ON 

8 WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION. 

9 (a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Director of the Bureau 

10 of Land Management, in consultation with the Chief of the 

11 Forest Service and the National Association of State For12 esters, shall conduct a study on the effects of drone incur13 sions on the suppression of wildfires with respect to lands 

14 managed by the Department of the Interior or the Depart15 ment of Agriculture. 

16 (b) STUDY CONTENTS.—In conducting the study re17 quired under subsection (a), the Director shall— 

18 (1) determine, for each of the five most recently 

19 completed calendar years, the number of occurrences 

20 in which a drone incursion interfered with wildfire 

21 suppression and the effect of each such occurrence 

22 on— 

23 (A) the length of time required to achieve 

24 complete suppression; 


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•HR 5040 RH

1 (B) the effectiveness of aerial firefighting re2 sponses; and 

3 (C) the amounts expended by the Federal 

4 Government; and 

5 (2) evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of 

6 various actions to prevent drone incursions, includ7 ing— 

8 (A) the use of reasonable force to disable, 

9 damage, or destroy a drone; 

10 (B) the seizure of a drone, including seizure 

11 with a net device; and 

12 (C) the dissemination of education mate13 rials relating to the effects of drone incursions on 

14 wildfire suppression. 

15 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date 

16 of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to 

17 the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep18 resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re19 sources of the Senate a report on the findings of the study 

20 required under subsection (a) and any recommendations of 

21 the Director relating to such findings. 

22 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 (1) DRONE.—The term ‘‘drone’’ means an un24 manned aircraft system owned by a private indi25 vidual or entity. 


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•HR 5040 RH

1 (2) DRONE INCURSION.—The term ‘‘drone incur2 sion’’ means the operation of a drone within any air3 space for which the Administrator of the Federal 

4 Aviation Administration has issued a temporary 

5 flight restriction because of a wildfire. 

6 (3) WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION.—The term ‘‘wild7 fire suppression’’ has the meaning given such term in 

8 section 46320(d) of title 49, United States Code. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 499 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5040 

[Report No. 116–606, Part I] 

A BILL 

To direct the Director of the Bureau of Land Manon wildfire suppression, and for other purposes. agement to study the effects of drone incursions 

DECEMBER 2, 2020 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 

an amendment 

DECEMBER 2, 2020 

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the 

Union and ordered to be printed Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS