II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1608 

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

laser pointers at airplanes, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. KIRK, Mrs. BOXER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. 

INOUYE, and Mr. CASEY) introduced the following bill; which was read 

twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

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

for aiming laser pointers at airplanes, 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 ‘‘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 inserting after section 39 the fol10 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘§ 39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft 

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

3 pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction 

4 of the United States, or at the flight path of such an air5 craft, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not 

6 more than 5 years, or both. 

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

8 means any device designed or used to amplify electro9 magnetic radiation by stimulated emission that emits a 

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

11 or highlighter to indicate, mark, or identify a specific posi12 tion, place, item, or object. 

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

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

15 an aircraft, by— 

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

17 research and development or flight test operations 

18 conducted by an aircraft manufacturer, the Federal 

19 Aviation Administration, or any other person author20 ized by the Federal Aviation Administration to con21 duct such research and development or flight test 

22 operations; 

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

24 Defense or Department of Homeland Security acting 

25 in an official capacity for the purpose of research, 

26 development, operations, testing or training; or 


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•S 1608 IS

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

2 signaling device to send an emergency distress sig3 nal. 

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

5 Secretary of Transportation, may provide by regulation, 

6 after public notice and comment, such additional excep7 tions to this section, as may be necessary and appropriate. 

8 The Attorney General shall provide written notification of 

9 any proposed regulations under this section to the Com10 mittees on the Judiciary of the Senate and the House of 

11 Representatives, the Committee on Commerce, Science 

12 and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on 

13 Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep14 resentatives, not less than 90 days before such regulations 

15 become final.’’. 

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

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

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

19 section 39 the following new item: 

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

Æ 


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