IB 

Union Calendar No. 4 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 386 

[Report No. 112–11, Part I] 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for aiming 

laser pointers at airplanes, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 20, 2011 

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California (for himself, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, 

Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. HARPER, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. SCOTT

of Virginia, and Mr. GALLEGLY) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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 

FEBRUARY 11, 2011 

Additional sponsors: Mr. LONG, Ms. CHU, and Mr. COBLE

FEBRUARY 11, 2011 

Reported from the Committee on the Judiciary 

FEBRUARY 11, 2011 

Committee on the Budget discharged; committed to the Committee of the 

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


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 386 RH

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties 

for aiming laser pointers at airplanes, and for other purposes. 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 386 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 ‘‘Securing Aircraft 

5 Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST AIMING A LASER POINTER 

7 AT AN AIRCRAFT. 

8 (a) OFFENSE.—Chapter 2 of title 18, United States 

9 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘§ 39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft 

11 ‘‘(a) Whoever knowingly aims the beam of a laser 

12 pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction 

13 of the United States, or at the flight path of such an air14 craft, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not 

15 more than 5 years, or both. 

16 ‘‘(b) As used in this section, the term ‘laser pointer’ 

17 means any device designed or used to amplify electro18 magnetic radiation by stimulated emission that emits a 

19 beam designed to be used by the operator as a pointer 

20 or highlighter to indicate, mark, or identify a specific posi21 tion, place, item, or object. 

22 ‘‘(c) This section does not prohibit aiming a beam 

23 of a laser pointer at an aircraft, or the flight path of such 

24 an aircraft, by— 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 386 RH

1 ‘‘(1) an authorized individual in the conduct of 

2 research and development or flight test operations 

3 conducted by an aircraft manufacturer, the Federal 

4 Aviation Administration, or any other person author5 ized by the Federal Aviation Administration to con6 duct such research and development or flight test 

7 operations; 

8 ‘‘(2) members or elements of the Department of 

9 Defense or Department of Homeland Security acting 

10 in an official capacity for the purpose of research, 

11 development, operations, testing or training; or 

12 ‘‘(3) by an individual using a laser emergency 

13 signaling device to send an emergency distress sig14 nal. 

15 ‘‘(d) The Attorney General, in consultation with the 

16 Secretary of Transportation, may provide by regulation, 

17 after public notice and comment, such additional excep18 tions to this section, as may be necessary and appropriate. 

19 The Attorney General shall provide written notification of 

20 any proposed regulations under this section to the Com21 mittees on the Judiciary of the House and Senate, the 

22 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the 

23 House, and the Committee on Commerce, Science and 

24 Transportation in the Senate not less than 90 days before 

25 such regulations become final.’’. 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 386 RH

1 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

2 at the beginning of chapter 2 of title 18, United States 

3 Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 

4 section 39 the following new item: 

‘‘39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.’’. 

5 SEC. 3. COMPLIANCE WITH PAYGO. 

6 The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 

7 complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 

8 shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 

9 titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 

10 Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 

11 by the Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the 

12 House of Representatives, provided that such statement 

13 has been submitted prior to the vote on passage. 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 4 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 386 

[Report No. 112–11, Part I] 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide 

and for other purposes. penalties for aiming laser pointers at airplanes, 

FEBRUARY 11, 2011 

Committee on the Budget discharged; committed to the 

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


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS