I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4911 
To impose criminal penalties for the unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 12, 2016 
Mr. LANGEVIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To impose criminal penalties for the unsafe operation of 
unmanned aircraft. 
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 ‘‘Drone Operator Safety 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDING; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDING.—Congress finds that educating opera-
tors of unmanned aircraft about the laws and regulations 
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that govern such aircraft helps to ensure their safe oper-
ation. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration should continue to prioritize the education of 
operators of unmanned aircraft through public outreach 
efforts like the ‘‘Know Before You Fly’’ campaign. 
SEC. 3. UNSAFE OPERATION OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 2 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in section 31— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by redesignating paragraph (10) as 
paragraph (11); and 
(ii) by inserting after paragraph (9) 
the following: 
‘‘(10) UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.—The term ‘un-
manned aircraft’ has the meaning given such term 
in section 44801 of title 49.’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘ ‘air-
port’,’’ before ‘‘ ‘appliance’ ’’; and 
(2) by inserting after section 39A the following: 
‘‘§ 39B. Unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft 
‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—Any person who operates an un-
manned aircraft and, in so doing, knowingly or recklessly 
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interferes with, or disrupts the operation of, an aircraft 
carrying 1 or more occupants operating in the special air-
craft jurisdiction of the United States, in a manner that 
poses an imminent safety hazard to such occupants, shall 
be punished as provided in subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) PENALTY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the punishment for an offense under sub-
section (a) shall be a fine under this title, imprison-
ment for not more than 1 year, or both. 
‘‘(2) SERIOUS BODILY INJURY OR DEATH.—Any 
person who attempts to cause, or knowingly or reck-
lessly causes, serious bodily injury or death during 
the commission of an offense under subsection (a) 
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for any 
term of years or for life, or both. 
‘‘(c) OPERATION OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT IN CLOSE 
PROXIMITY TO AIRPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The operation of an un-
manned aircraft within a runway exclusion zone 
shall be considered a violation of subsection (a) un-
less such operation is approved by the airport’s air 
traffic control facility or is the result of a cir-
cumstance, such as a malfunction, that could not 
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have been reasonably foreseen or prevented by the 
operator. 
‘‘(2) RUNWAY EXCLUSION ZONE DEFINED.—In 
this subsection, the term ‘runway exclusion zone’ 
means a rectangular area— 
‘‘(A) centered on the centerline of an ac-
tive runway of an airport immediately around 
which the airspace is designated as class B, 
class C, or class D airspace at the surface 
under part 71 of title 14, Code of Federal Reg-
ulations; and 
‘‘(B) the length of which extends parallel 
to the runway’s centerline to points that are 1 
statute mile from each end of the runway and 
the width of which is 1⁄2 statute mile.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for chapter 2 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 39A the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘39B. Unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft.’’. 
Æ 
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