II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4219 

To extend the special air traffic rule for civil helicopters operating VFR 

along the North Shore, Long Island, New York, to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to promulgate a new special 

air traffic rule, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 20, 2020 

Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To extend the special air traffic rule for civil helicopters 

operating VFR along the North Shore, Long Island, 

New York, to require the Administrator of the Federal 

Aviation Administration to promulgate a new special air 

traffic rule, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Long Island All-Water 

5 Helicopter Route Act of 2020’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, NORTH SHORE AND 

2 SOUTH SHORE HELICOPTER ROUTES. 

3 (a) EXTENSION OF SPECIAL AIR TRAFFIC RULE FOR

4 NORTH SHORE.—Notwithstanding the ending date for the 

5 period described in section 93.101 of title 14, Code of Fed6 eral Regulations, the special air traffic rule for civil heli7 copters operating VFR along the North Shore, Long Is8 land, New York, in effect under subpart H of part 93 of 

9 title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, on August 6, 2020, 

10 shall remain in effect through the day before the date on 

11 which the final version of the special air traffic rule pro12 mulgated under subsection (b) is published. 

13 (b) RULEMAKING PROCEEDING.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

15 Federal Aviation Administration (in this section re16 ferred to as the ‘‘Administrator’’) shall conduct a 

17 rulemaking proceeding to promulgate a special air 

18 traffic rule for civil helicopters operating VFR along 

19 the North Shore and South Shore of Long Island, 

20 New York, in accordance with the requirements of 

21 this subsection. 

22 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—The special air traffic 

23 rule promulgated under this subsection shall require 

24 the following: 

25 (A) NORTH SHORE HELICOPTER ROUTE.— 

26 Each person who pilots a civil helicopter operVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:59 Jul 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4219.IS S4219

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1 ating VFR along Long Island, New York’s 

2 northern shoreline between the VPLYD way3 point and Plum Island shall— 

4 (i) based on the most recently pub5 lished editions by the Federal Aviation Ad6 ministration of the New York Helicopter 

7 Route Chart and the Northeast Aero8 nautical Chart Bulletin, adhere to an all9 water North Shore Helicopter Route that 

10 includes operating around Orient Point, 

11 Shelter Island, and Plum Island; 

12 (ii) mitigate noise by flying at least 1 

13 mile from the shoreline and at an altitude 

14 of not less than 2,500 feet mean sea level; 

15 and 

16 (iii) prohibit deviations from the 

17 North Shore Helicopter Route for purposes 

18 of transitioning to or from a destination or 

19 point of landing when departing from or 

20 arriving to locations east of longitude 

21 72°16′04′′ W. 

22 (B) SOUTH SHORE HELICOPTER ROUTE.— 

23 Each person who pilots a civil helicopter oper24 ating VFR along Long Island, New York’s 


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1 southern shoreline between Breezy Point Jetty 

2 and the VPMLT waypoint shall— 

3 (i) based on the most recently pub4 lished editions by the Federal Aviation Ad5 ministration of the New York Helicopter 

6 Route Chart and the Northeast Aero7 nautical Chart Bulletin, adhere to an all8 water South Shore Helicopter Route; and 

9 (ii) mitigate noise by flying at least 1 

10 mile from the shoreline and at an altitude 

11 of not less than 2,500 feet mean sea level. 

12 (C) EXCEPTIONS.—A person who pilots a 

13 civil helicopter operating VFR along Long Is14 land, New York’s northern shoreline or south15 ern shoreline may deviate from the North Shore 

16 Helicopter Route or South Shore Helicopter 

17 Route— 

18 (i) when necessary for safety or 

19 weather conditions; or 

20 (ii) except as prohibited under sub21 paragraph (A)(iii), when transitioning to 

22 or from a destination or point of landing. 

23 (D) FLIGHT REPORT.— 

24 (i) SUBMISSION.—If safety or weather 

25 conditions cause a person piloting a civil 


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1 helicopter operating VFR to deviate from 

2 the North Shore Helicopter Route or 

3 South Shore Helicopter Route, the person 

4 shall submit a 1-page report to the Admin5 istrator identifying the condition not later 

6 than 14 days after landing. 

7 (ii) PUBLIC DATABASE.—The Admin8 istrator shall make the reports submitted 

9 under clause (i) publically available in an 

10 online searchable database. 

11 (3) DEADLINES.— 

12 (A) RULEMAKING PROCEEDING.—Not later 

13 than 90 days after the date of enactment of 

14 this Act, the Administrator shall publish a no15 tice of proposed rulemaking to carry out the re16 quirements of this section. 

17 (B) PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.—The Ad18 ministrator shall provide notice of, and an op19 portunity for, at least 30 days of public com20 ment on the special air traffic rule promulgated 

21 under this subsection. 

22 (C) EFFECTIVE DATE OF SPECIAL AIR

23 TRAFFIC RULE.—Not later than May 1, 2021, 

24 the Administrator shall publish a final version 

25 of the special air traffic rule promulgated under 


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1 this subsection which shall take effect upon 

2 publication. 

3 (c) REPEAL.—Effective on the date on which the 

4 final version of the special air traffic rule promulgated 

5 under subsection (b) is published by the Administrator, 

6 subpart H of part 93 of title 14, Code of Federal Regula7 tions, is repealed. 

Æ 


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