I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 580
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations requiring tur-
bojet 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.
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 ‘‘Commercial Airline 
Missile Defense Act’’.
SEC. 2. REGULATIONS REQUIRING MISSILE DEFENSE SYS-
TEMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor-
tation shall issue regulations that require all turbojet air-
craft used by an air carrier for scheduled air service to 
be equipped with a missile defense system. 
(b) SCHEDULE FOR INSTALLATION.—The regulations 
shall establish a schedule for the purchase and installation 
of such systems on turbojet aircraft currently in service 
and turbojet aircraft contracted for before the date of 
issuance of the regulations. 
(c) NEW AIRCRAFT.—The regulations shall also re-
quire that all turbojet aircraft contracted for on or after 
the date of issuance of the regulations by an air carrier 
for scheduled air service be equipped with a missile de-
fense system. 
(d) DEADLINES FOR COMMENCEMENT OF INSTALLA-
TION.—The regulations shall require that installation and 
operation of missile defense systems under the regulations 
begin no later than December 31, 2003. 
SEC. 3. PURCHASE OF MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS BY THE 
SECRETARY. 
The Secretary of Transportation shall purchase and 
make available to an air carrier such missile defense sys-
tems as may be necessary for the air carrier to comply
with the regulations issued under section 2 (other than 
subsection (c)) with respect to turbojet aircraft used by 
the air carrier for scheduled air service. 
SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITY OF AIR CARRIER. 
Under the regulations issued under section 2, an air 
carrier shall be responsible for installing and operating a 
missile defense system purchased and made available by 
the Secretary of Transportation under section 3. 
SEC. 5. PROGRESS REPORTS. 
Not later than January 1, 2004, and each July 1 and 
January 1 thereafter, the Secretary of Transportation 
shall transmit to Congress a report on the progress being 
made in implementation of this Act, including the regula-
tions issued to carry out this Act.
SEC. 6. INTERIM SECURITY MEASURES 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In order to provide interim secu-
rity before the deployment of missile defense systems for 
turbojet aircraft required under section 2, the President 
shall—
(1) exercise the President’s authority under 
title 32, United States Code, to elevate National 
Guard units to Federal status for the purpose of pa-
trolling airport areas surrounding airports against 
the threat posed by missiles and other ordinance to 
commercial aircraft; and
(2) deploy units of the United States Coast 
Guard, in coordination with the Secretary of Trans-
portation and the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
for the purpose of patrolling areas surrounding air-
ports to protect against the threat posed by missiles 
and other ordinance to commercial aircraft. 
(b) PROGRESS REPORT.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall 
submit to Congress a report on the progress being made 
to implement this section. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, the following definitions apply: 
(1) AIRCRAFT AND AIR CARRIER.—The terms 
‘‘aircraft’’ and ‘‘air carrier’’ have the meaning such 
terms have under section 40102 of title 49, United 
States Code. 
(2) MISSILE
DEFENSE
SYSTEM.—The term 
‘‘missile defense system’’ means an appropriate (as 
certified by the Secretary of Transportation) elec-
tronic system that would automatically—
(A) identify when the aircraft is threatened 
by an incoming missile or other ordinance; 
(B) detect the source of the threat; and 
(C) disrupt the guidance system of the in-
coming missile or other ordinance, which is in-