IB 

Union Calendar No. 89 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1615 

[Report No. 110–149] 

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 

MARCH 21, 2007 

Mr. KELLER of Florida (for himself and Mr. FORBES) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

MAY 14, 2007 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

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

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

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 2007’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST AIMING A LASER POINTER 

2 AT AN AIRCRAFT. 

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

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

5 ‘‘§ 39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft 

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

7 pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction 

8 of the United States, or at the flight path of such an air9 craft, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not 

10 more than 5 years, or both. 

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

12 means any device designed or used to amplify electro13 magnetic radiation by stimulated emission that emits a 

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

15 or highlighter to indicate, mark, or identify a specific posi16 tion, place, item, or object. 

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

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

19 an aircraft, by— 

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

21 research and development or flight test operations 

22 conducted by an aircraft manufacturer, the Federal 

23 Aviation Administration, or any other person author24 ized by the Federal Aviation Administration to con25 duct such research and development or flight test 

26 operations; 


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

2 Defense or Department of Homeland Security acting 

3 in an official capacity for the purpose of research, 

4 development, operations, testing or training; or 

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

6 signaling device to send an emergency distress sig7 nal. 

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

9 Secretary of Transportation, may provide by regulation, 

10 after public notice and comment, such additional excep11 tions to this section, as may be necessary and appropriate. 

12 The Attorney General shall provide written notification of 

13 any proposed regulations under this section to the Com14 mittees on the Judiciary of the House and Senate, the 

15 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the 

16 House, and the Committee on Commerce, Science and 

17 Transportation in the Senate not less than 90 days before 

18 such regulations become final.’’. 

19 (b) AMENDMENT TO TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The 

20 table of sections at the beginning of chapter 2 of title 18, 

21 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

22 following new item: 

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

23 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

24 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing Aircraft Cock25 pits Against Lasers Act of 2007’’. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
4 

•HR 1615 RH

1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST AIMING A LASER POINTER 

2 AT AN AIRCRAFT. 

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

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

5 ‘‘§ 39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft 

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

7 pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction 

8 of the United States, or at the flight path of such an air9 craft, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more 

10 than 5 years, or both. 

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

12 means any device designed or used to amplify electro13 magnetic radiation by stimulated emission that emits a 

14 beam designed to be used by the operator as a pointer or 

15 highlighter to indicate, mark, or identify a specific position, 

16 place, item, or object. 

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

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

19 an aircraft, by— 

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

21 research and development or flight test operations 

22 conducted by an aircraft manufacturer, the Federal 

23 Aviation Administration, or any other person author24 ized by the Federal Aviation Administration to con25 duct such research and development or flight test op26 erations; 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
5 

•HR 1615 RH

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

2 Defense or Department of Homeland Security acting 

3 in an official capacity for the purpose of research, de4 velopment, operations, testing or training; or 

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

6 signaling device to send an emergency distress signal. 

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

8 Secretary of Transportation, may provide by regulation, 

9 after public notice and comment, such additional exceptions 

10 to this section, as may be necessary and appropriate. The 

11 Attorney General shall provide written notification of any 

12 proposed regulations under this section to the Committees 

13 on the Judiciary of the House and Senate, the Committee 

14 on Transportation and Infrastructure in the House, and 

15 the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation 

16 in the Senate not less than 90 days before such regulations 

17 become final.’’. 

18 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at 

19 the beginning of chapter 2 of title 18, United States Code, 

20 is amended by adding at the end the following new item: 

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


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 89 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1615 

[Report No. 110

–149] 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide 

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

MAY 14, 2007 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with BILLS