II 

Calendar No. 657 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3993 

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 28, 2006 

Mr. MARTINEZ introduced the following bill; which was read the first time 

SEPTEMBER 30 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 29), 2006 

Read the second time and placed on the calendar 

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 2006’’. 


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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 ‘‘§ 39B. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft 

6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Whoever knowingly aims the 

7 beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft in the special air8 craft jurisdiction of the United States, or at the flight path 

9 of such an aircraft, shall be fined under this title, impris10 oned not more than 5 years, or both. 

11 ‘‘(b) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘laser 

12 pointer’ means any device designed or used to amplify 

13 electromagnetic radiation by stimulated emission that 

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

15 pointer or highlighter to indicate, mark, or identify a spe16 cific position, place, item, or object. 

17 ‘‘(c) EXCEPTIONS.—This section does not prohibit 

18 aiming a beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, or the 

19 flight path of such an aircraft, by— 

20 ‘‘(1) an individual authorized to engage in such 

21 conduct by an aircraft manufacturer as part of the 

22 conduct of research and development or flight test 

23 operations conducted by such manufacturer; 

24 ‘‘(2) an official of the Federal Aviation Admin25 istration authorized to engage in such conduct; 


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1 ‘‘(3) any other person authorized by the Fed2 eral Aviation Administration to engage in such con3 duct as part of research and development or flight 

4 test operations; 

5 ‘‘(4) a member or element of the Department of 

6 Defense or Department of Homeland Security acting 

7 in an official capacity for the purpose of research, 

8 development, operations, testing, or training; or 

9 ‘‘(5) an individual using a laser emergency sig10 naling device to send an emergency distress signal. 

11 ‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General, in 

13 consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, 

14 may provide by regulation, after public notice and 

15 comment, such additional exceptions to this section 

16 as may be necessary and appropriate. 

17 ‘‘(2) NOTICE TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 

18 days before the date any regulations issued under 

19 paragraph (1) become final, the Attorney General 

20 shall provide written notification of any proposed 

21 regulations under this section to the Committee on 

22 the Judiciary and the Committee on Commerce, 

23 Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 

24 Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on 


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1 Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 

2 Representatives.’’. 

3 (b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 2 of title 18, United 

5 States Code, is amended by redesignating the sec6 tion 39 relating to commercial motor vehicle inspec7 tions as section 39A. 

8 (2) AMENDMENT TO TABLE OF SECTIONS.— 

9 The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 2 

10 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by strik11 ing the item relating to the section 39 relating to 

12 commercial motor vehicle inspections and inserting 

13 the following 

‘‘39A. Commercial motor vehicles required to stop for inspections. 

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


ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS

ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
Calendar No. 657 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3993 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide 

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

SEPTEMBER 30 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 29), 2006 

Read the second time and placed on the calendar 


ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with BILLS