I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 129 
To amend the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 to establish 
a prohibition to prevent the use of an unmanned aircraft system as 
a weapon while operating in the national airspace system, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2017 
Mr. BURGESS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 
to establish a prohibition to prevent the use of an un-
manned aircraft system as a weapon while operating 
in the national airspace system, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘No Armed Drones Act 
of 2017’’ or the ‘‘NADA Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle B of title III of the FAA 
Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 40101 
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note; 126 Stat. 72) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 337. PROHIBITION TO PREVENT USE OF UNMANNED 
AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AS WEAPONS WHILE OP-
ERATING IN NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM. 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary of Transpor-
tation may not authorize a person to operate an unmanned 
aircraft system in the national airspace system for the 
purpose, in whole or in part, of using the unmanned air-
craft system as a weapon or to deliver a weapon against 
a person or property. 
‘‘(b) GENERAL EXCEPTIONS.—The Secretary may 
establish exceptions to the prohibition in subsection (a) for 
operations of unmanned aircraft systems related to— 
‘‘(1) recreational hunting; 
‘‘(2) animal control; and 
‘‘(3) such other purposes as the Secretary de-
termines appropriate. 
‘‘(c) EXCEPTIONS FOR OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC UN-
MANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.—The Secretary may estab-
lish exceptions to the prohibition in subsection (a) for op-
erations of public unmanned aircraft systems related to— 
‘‘(1) operations conducted by U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection; 
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‘‘(2) operations conducted by the Department 
of Defense, including establishing areas of airspace 
for such operations under section 40103(b)(3) of 
title 49, United States Code; and 
‘‘(3) operations conducted by a governmental 
entity described in the definition of ‘public aircraft’ 
in section 40102(a) of such title for national defense 
purposes or in response to a terrorist event. 
‘‘(d) PROCEDURES TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY.— 
In authorizing operations pursuant to subsections (b) and 
(c), the Secretary shall implement procedures to ensure 
that reasonable precautions are taken to protect public 
safety. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following 
definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) PERSON.—The term ‘person’, in addition 
to its meaning under section 1 of title 1, United 
States Code, includes a governmental authority and 
a trustee, receiver, assignee, and other similar rep-
resentative. 
‘‘(2) WEAPON.—The term ‘weapon’ includes le-
thal and nonlethal weapons.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
contained in section 1(b) of such Act is amended by insert-
ing after the item relating to section 336 the following: 
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‘‘Sec. 337. Prohibition to prevent use of unmanned aircraft systems as weapons 
while operating in national airspace system.’’. 
Æ 
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