II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5040 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 11, 2020 

Received 

AN ACT 

To direct the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 

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

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


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HR 5040 RDS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Aerial Incursion Re3 percussion Safety Act of 2020’’ or the ‘‘AIR Safety Act 

4 of 2020’’. 

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

6 WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION. 

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

8 of Land Management, in consultation with the Chief of 

9 the Forest Service, the Administrator of the Federal Avia10 tion Administration, and the National Association of State 

11 Foresters, shall conduct a study on the effects of drone 

12 incursions on the suppression of wildfires with respect to 

13 lands managed by the Department of the Interior or the 

14 Department of Agriculture. 

15 (b) STUDY CONTENTS.—In conducting the study re16 quired under subsection (a), the Director shall— 

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

18 completed calendar years, the number of occurrences 

19 in which a drone incursion interfered with wildfire 

20 suppression and the effect of each such occurrence 

21 on— 

22 (A) the length of time required to achieve 

23 complete suppression; 

24 (B) the effectiveness of aerial firefighting 

25 responses; and 


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HR 5040 RDS

1 (C) the amounts expended by the Federal 

2 Government; and 

3 (2) evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of 

4 various actions to prevent drone incursions, includ5 ing— 

6 (A) temporary flight restrictions of the 

7 Federal Aviation Administration; and 

8 (B) the dissemination of education mate9 rials relating to the effects of drone incursions 

10 on wildfire suppression. 

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

12 date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall sub13 mit to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Com14 mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 

15 of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and 

16 Natural Resources and the Committee on Commerce, 

17 Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the 

18 findings of the study required under subsection (a) and 

19 any recommendations of the Director relating to such 

20 findings. 

21 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

22 (1) DRONE.—The term ‘‘drone’’ means an un23 manned aircraft system, as defined in section 44801 

24 of title 49, United States Code, owned by a private 

25 individual or entity. 


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1 (2) DRONE INCURSION.—The term ‘‘drone in2 cursion’’ means the operation of a drone within any 

3 airspace 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 

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

Passed the House of Representatives December 10, 

2020. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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