I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 580

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations requiring turbojet aircraft of air carriers to be equipped with missile defense systems, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 5, 2003

Mr. ISRAEL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee 

on Armed Services, 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 direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations 

requiring turbojet aircraft of air carriers to be equipped 

with missile defense systems, 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 ‘‘Commercial Airline 

5 Missile Defense Act’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. REGULATIONS REQUIRING MISSILE DEFENSE SYS2 TEMS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

4 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor5 tation shall issue regulations that require all turbojet air6 craft used by an air carrier for scheduled air service to 

7 be equipped with a missile defense system. 

8 (b) SCHEDULE FOR INSTALLATION.—The regulations 

9 shall establish a schedule for the purchase and installation 

10 of such systems on turbojet aircraft currently in service 

11 and turbojet aircraft contracted for before the date of 

12 issuance of the regulations. 

13 (c) NEW AIRCRAFT.—The regulations shall also re14 quire that all turbojet aircraft contracted for on or after 

15 the date of issuance of the regulations by an air carrier 

16 for scheduled air service be equipped with a missile de17 fense system. 

18 (d) DEADLINES FOR COMMENCEMENT OF INSTALLA19 TION.—The regulations shall require that installation and 

20 operation of missile defense systems under the regulations 

21 begin no later than December 31, 2003. 

22 SEC. 3. PURCHASE OF MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS BY THE 

23 SECRETARY. 

24 The Secretary of Transportation shall purchase and 

25 make available to an air carrier such missile defense sys26 tems as may be necessary for the air carrier to comply 
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1 with the regulations issued under section 2 (other than 

2 subsection (c)) with respect to turbojet aircraft used by 

3 the air carrier for scheduled air service. 

4 SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITY OF AIR CARRIER. 

5 Under the regulations issued under section 2, an air 

6 carrier shall be responsible for installing and operating a 

7 missile defense system purchased and made available by 

8 the Secretary of Transportation under section 3. 

9 SEC. 5. PROGRESS REPORTS. 

10 Not later than January 1, 2004, and each July 1 and 

11 January 1 thereafter, the Secretary of Transportation 

12 shall transmit to Congress a report on the progress being 

13 made in implementation of this Act, including the regula14 tions issued to carry out this Act.

15 SEC. 6. INTERIM SECURITY MEASURES 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—In order to provide interim secu17 rity before the deployment of missile defense systems for 

18 turbojet aircraft required under section 2, the President 

19 shall—

20 (1) exercise the President’s authority under 

21 title 32, United States Code, to elevate National 

22 Guard units to Federal status for the purpose of pa23 trolling airport areas surrounding airports against 

24 the threat posed by missiles and other ordinance to 

25 commercial aircraft; and 
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1 (2) deploy units of the United States Coast 

2 Guard, in coordination with the Secretary of Trans3 portation and the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

4 for the purpose of patrolling areas surrounding air5 ports to protect against the threat posed by missiles 

6 and other ordinance to commercial aircraft. 

7 (b) PROGRESS REPORT.—Not later than 90 days 

8 after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall 

9 submit to Congress a report on the progress being made 

10 to implement this section. 

11 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

12 In this Act, the following definitions apply: 

13 (1) AIRCRAFT AND AIR CARRIER.—The terms 

14 ‘‘aircraft’’ and ‘‘air carrier’’ have the meaning such 

15 terms have under section 40102 of title 49, United 

16 States Code. 

17 (2) MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM.—The term 

18 ‘‘missile defense system’’ means an appropriate (as 

19 certified by the Secretary of Transportation) elec20 tronic system that would automatically—

21 (A) identify when the aircraft is threatened 

22 by an incoming missile or other ordinance; 

23 (B) detect the source of the threat; and 

24 (C) disrupt the guidance system of the in25 coming missile or other ordinance, which is in-
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1 tended to result in the incoming missile or other 

2 ordinance being diverted off course and missing 

3 the aircraft.

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