I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4911 

To impose criminal penalties for the unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 12, 2016 

Mr. LANGEVIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 

A BILL 

To impose criminal penalties for the unsafe operation of 

unmanned aircraft. 

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 ‘‘Drone Operator Safety 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDING; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 (a) FINDING.—Congress finds that educating opera8 tors of unmanned aircraft about the laws and regulations 


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1 that govern such aircraft helps to ensure their safe oper2 ation. 

3 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con4 gress that the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad5 ministration should continue to prioritize the education of 

6 operators of unmanned aircraft through public outreach 

7 efforts like the ‘‘Know Before You Fly’’ campaign. 

8 SEC. 3. UNSAFE OPERATION OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 2 of title 18, United 

10 States Code, is amended— 

11 (1) in section 31— 

12 (A) in subsection (a)— 

13 (i) by redesignating paragraph (10) as 

14 paragraph (11); and 

15 (ii) by inserting after paragraph (9) 

16 the following: 

17 ‘‘(10) UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.—The term ‘un18 manned aircraft’ has the meaning given such term 

19 in section 44801 of title 49.’’; and 

20 (B) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘ ‘air21 port’,’’ before ‘‘ ‘appliance’ ’’; and 

22 (2) by inserting after section 39A the following: 

23 ‘‘§ 39B. Unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft 

24 ‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—Any person who operates an un25 manned aircraft and, in so doing, knowingly or recklessly 


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1 interferes with, or disrupts the operation of, an aircraft 

2 carrying 1 or more occupants operating in the special air3 craft jurisdiction of the United States, in a manner that 

4 poses an imminent safety hazard to such occupants, shall 

5 be punished as provided in subsection (b). 

6 ‘‘(b) PENALTY.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para8 graph (2), the punishment for an offense under sub9 section (a) shall be a fine under this title, imprison10 ment for not more than 1 year, or both. 

11 ‘‘(2) SERIOUS BODILY INJURY OR DEATH.—Any 

12 person who attempts to cause, or knowingly or reck13 lessly causes, serious bodily injury or death during 

14 the commission of an offense under subsection (a) 

15 shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for any 

16 term of years or for life, or both. 

17 ‘‘(c) OPERATION OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT IN CLOSE

18 PROXIMITY TO AIRPORTS.— 

19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The operation of an un20 manned aircraft within a runway exclusion zone 

21 shall be considered a violation of subsection (a) un22 less such operation is approved by the airport’s air 

23 traffic control facility or is the result of a cir24 cumstance, such as a malfunction, that could not 


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1 have been reasonably foreseen or prevented by the 

2 operator. 

3 ‘‘(2) RUNWAY EXCLUSION ZONE DEFINED.—In 

4 this subsection, the term ‘runway exclusion zone’ 

5 means a rectangular area— 

6 ‘‘(A) centered on the centerline of an ac7 tive runway of an airport immediately around 

8 which the airspace is designated as class B, 

9 class C, or class D airspace at the surface 

10 under part 71 of title 14, Code of Federal Reg11 ulations; and 

12 ‘‘(B) the length of which extends parallel 

13 to the runway’s centerline to points that are 1 

14 statute mile from each end of the runway and 

the width of which is 1 15 ⁄2 statute mile.’’. 

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

17 for chapter 2 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 

18 by inserting after the item relating to section 39A the fol19 lowing: 

‘‘39B. Unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft.’’. 

Æ 


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