853 
HR 3935 PCS
(D) that is a subsidiary or affiliate of an 
entity described in subparagraphs (A) through 
(C). 
(2) SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT; UNMANNED 
AIRCRAFT; 
UNMANNED
AIRCRAFT
SYSTEM.—The 
terms ‘‘small unmanned aircraft’’, ‘‘unmanned air-
craft’’, and ‘‘unmanned aircraft system’’ have the 
meanings given such terms in section 44801 of title 
49, United States Code. 
SEC. 872. BANNING MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall initiate a study on the Banning 
Municipal Airport to identify— 
(1) aviation traffic at the Airport in each of the 
last 10 years, and estimated future traffic each year 
in the next 10 years; 
(2) associated annual revenues and costs in 
each year to service aviation traffic during the last 
10 years, and to continue to service it for another 
10 years; 
(3) use of the facility for fighting wildfires and 
the degree of its utility to the local County fire de-
partment or other emergency first responders; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00853
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3935.PCS
H3935
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
854 
HR 3935 PCS
(4) status of the Airport’s current infrastruc-
ture and planned improvements, if any, and during 
the next 5 years and their associated costs; 
(5) perspectives of and impact on the Morongo 
Band of Indians resulting from operation of the air-
port near tribal lands; and 
(6) Federal funds that would be required to 
modernize the Airport’s infrastructure to assure no 
annual operating financial losses for the next 10 
years. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report on the results of the study. 
SEC. 873. FEASIBILITY STUDY OF HARDENING SATELLITES 
THAT 
CONTRIBUTE 
TO 
UNITED 
STATES 
AEROSPACE NAVIGATION. 
The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration shall conduct a feasibility study to determine the 
cost to harden satellites that contribute to United States 
aerospace navigation. 
SEC. 874. STUDY AND REPORT ON EFFECTS OF UNMANNED 
FREE BALLOONS ON AVIATION SAFETY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00854
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3935.PCS
H3935
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
855 
HR 3935 PCS
Federal Aviation Administration, in coordination with the 
heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit a 
report to the appropriate committees of Congress on the 
effects unmanned free balloon operations, that do not emit 
electronic or radio signals for identification purposes, 
launched within the United States and its territories may 
have on aviation safety. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out this section, 
the Administrator shall consider— 
(1) current technology available and employed 
to track unmanned free balloon operations described 
under subsection (a); 
(2) how the flights of such operations have af-
fected, or could affect, aviation safety; 
(3) how such operations have contributed, or 
could contribute, to misidentified threats to civil or 
military aviation operations or infrastructure; and 
(4) how such operations have impacted, or 
could impact, national security and air traffic con-
trol operations. 
(c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The report specified under 
subsection (a) shall contain recommendations on the fol-
lowing: 
(1) The need for unmanned free balloons 
launched within the United States and its territories 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00855
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3935.PCS
H3935
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
856 
HR 3935 PCS
to be equipped with technology that may increase 
the near real-time trackability of such balloons to 
deconflict airspace and maintain aviation safety of 
the national airspace system in support of Adminis-
tration and Department of Defense aviation oper-
ations. 
(2) The feasibility and efficacy in requiring the 
equipage and usage of such technology. 
(d) APPROPRIATE.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro-
priate congressional committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives; 
(2) the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives; 
(3) the Committee on Armed Services of the 
Senate; and 
(4) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 875. UPDATE TO FAA ORDER ON AIRWAY PLANNING 
STANDARD. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration shall take such actions as may be necessary 
to update FAA Order 7031.2c, titled ‘‘Airway Planning 
Standard Number One–Terminal Air Navigation Facilities 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00856
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3935.PCS
H3935
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
857 
HR 3935 PCS
and Air Traffic Control Services’’, to lower the remote 
radar bright display scope installation requirement from 
30,000 annual itinerant operations to 15,000 annual 
itinerant operations. 
SEC. 876. SURFACE SURVEILLANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after en-
actment of this Act, the Administrator shall conduct a 
study of surface surveillance systems that are operational 
as of the date of enactment of this Act. 
(b) CONTENTS.—In carrying out the study required 
under subsection (a), the Administrator shall— 
(1) demonstrate that any change to the configu-
ration of such systems or decommissioning of a sen-
sor from such systems provides an equivalent level of 
safety as the current system; 
(2) determine how a technology refresh of leg-
acy sensor equipment can reduce operational and 
maintenance costs compared to current costs and ex-
tend the useful life and affordability of such sys-
tems; and, 
(3) consider how to enhance such systems 
through new capabilities and software tools that im-
prove the safety of terminal airspace and the airport 
surface. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00857
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3935.PCS
H3935
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
858 
HR 3935 PCS
(c) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the study under 
subsection (a), the Administrator shall consult with rep-
resentatives of— 
(1) National Transportation Safety Board; 
(2) aviation safety experts with specific knowl-
edge of surface surveillance technology, including 
multilateration and ADS-B; and, 
(3) representatives with expertise in surface 
safety of the exclusive bargaining representative of 
the air traffic controllers certified under section 
7111 of title 5, United 24 States Code; and 
(4) representatives of the certified bargaining 
representative of airway transportation systems spe-
cialists for the Federal Aviation Administration. 
(d) REPORT.—Upon completion of the review initi-
ated under subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 
report describing the findings of such review and shall 
make all data related to the safety analysis and conclu-
sions developed under subsection (b) available to the pub-
lic on the website of the Administration in a downloadable 
format. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00858
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3935.PCS
H3935
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
859 
HR 3935 PCS
(e) IMPLEMENTATION.—Upon submission of the re-
port required by subsection (d), the Administrator may 
implement changes to surface surveillance systems based 
on the outcome of the review in subsection (b). 
SEC. 877. CERTIFICATION AND REPORT BY INSPECTOR 
GENERAL RELATING TO RADAR IMPACTS 
AND OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT AP-
PROVAL PROCESS. 
(a) CERTIFICATION.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the President (or 
a designee) shall certify in writing that— 
(1) offshore wind projects in the North Atlantic 
and Mid-Atlantic Planning Areas will not weaken, 
degrade, interfere with, or nullify the performance 
and capabilities of radar relied upon by commercial 
aviation, military aviation, space launch vehicles, or 
other commercial space launch activities; and 
(2) the development of offshore wind projects in 
the North Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic Planning Areas 
will not degrade the capabilities of the Federal Avia-
tion Administration to monitor United States air-
space, or hinder commercial, private, or military 
aviation activities. 
(b) AUDIT AND REPORT BY INSPECTOR GENERAL.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00859
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3935.PCS
H3935
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
860 
HR 3935 PCS
(1) AUDIT AND REPORT.—The Inspector Gen-
eral of the Department of Transportation shall audit 
and report to Congress on the effects of offshore 
wind industrialization related to radar, impacts to 
commercial air and military traffic, and the suffi-
ciency of the review and approval process for off-
shore wind projects in the North Atlantic and Mid- 
Atlantic Planning Areas. Such report shall also in-
clude the following: 
(A) An investigation of the sufficiency of 
the 
process 
for 
approving 
offshore 
wind 
projects, and these projects impact on radar, in-
cluding the consultation process between the 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the 
Federal Aviation Administration, and the Mili-
tary Aviation and Installation Assurance Siting 
Clearinghouse, and whether concerns voiced by 
the 
Federal 
Aviation 
Administration, 
the 
United States Armed Forces were sufficiently 
considered in the approval process. 
(B) A specific study on the impact of such 
projects on shore based radar capabilities. 
(C) A determination whether offshore wind 
projects will weaken, compromise, or interfere 
with, or nullify the usage of radar utilized by 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00860
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3935.PCS
H3935
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
861 
HR 3935 PCS
the 
Federal 
Aviation 
Administration, 
the 
United States Armed Forces, and the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, as well 
as commercial space launch activities. 
(D) An audit of the approval applications 
by the Military Aviation and Installation Assur-
ance Siting Clearinghouse regarding concerns 
voiced over the impact to radar and ability to 
identify airborne threats, freedom to navigate 
United States airspace, and ability to train 
within United States airspace. 
(E) A determination whether any offshore 
wind projects will impact, alter, or disrupt com-
mercial, private, or military aviation flight 
paths. 
(F) A determination whether any offshore 
wind projects will impact, compromise, inhibit, 
or nullify the usage of radar and sonar tech-
nologies utilized by the armed forces and any 
agencies carrying out space launch programs. 
(G) A determination whether any offshore 
wind projects will impact, compromise, or in-
hibit the ability of the United States Coast 
Guard to conduct maritime safety and life-
saving operations. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00861
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3935.PCS
H3935
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
862 
HR 3935 PCS
(H) An assessment of how offshore wind 
energy projects impact low-level military air-
space off the Atlantic Coast. 
(I) A determination whether the mitigation 
strategies laid out in the 2016 Report on the 
Impact of Wind Energy Developments on Mili-
tary Installations are sufficient, achievable and, 
realistic. 
(2) SURVEY REQUIRED.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Inspector General 
of the Department of Transportation shall con-
duct a survey of individuals directly responsible 
for installations and units effected by offshore 
wind development projects, including those cur-
rently underway and those proposed, with re-
spect to— 
(i) mission critical capabilities related 
to radar interference, sonar interference, 
lifesaving operations, and training mis-
sions; and 
(ii) the sufficiency of local military in-
stallation commander input in the approval 
process. 
(B) REPORT.—The Inspector General of 
the Department of Transportation shall submit 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00862
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3935.PCS
H3935
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB