229 
SEC. 432. CODIFICATION OF EXISTING LAW; ADDITIONAL 
PROVISIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle VII of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 453 
the following: 
‘‘CHAPTER 455—UNMANNED AIRCRAFT 
SYSTEMS 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘45501. Definitions. 
‘‘45502. Integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into national airspace 
system. 
‘‘45503. Risk-based permitting of unmanned aircraft systems. 
‘‘45504. Public unmanned aircraft systems. 
‘‘45505. Special rules for certain unmanned aircraft systems. 
‘‘45506. Certification of new air navigation facilities for unmanned aircraft and 
other aircraft. 
‘‘45507. Special rules for certain UTM and low-altitude CNS. 
‘‘45508. Operation of small unmanned aircraft. 
‘‘45509. Special rules for model aircraft. 
‘‘45510. Carriage of property for compensation or hire. 
‘‘§ 45501. Definitions 
‘‘In this chapter, the following definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) AERIAL
DATA
COLLECTION.—The term 
‘aerial data collection’ means the gathering of data 
by a device aboard an unmanned aircraft during 
flight, including imagery, sensing, and measurement 
by such device. 
‘‘(2) ARCTIC.—The term ‘Arctic’ means the 
United States zone of the Chukchi Sea, Beaufort 
Sea, and Bering Sea north of the Aleutian chain. 
‘‘(3) CERTIFICATE
OF
WAIVER; CERTIFICATE 
OF AUTHORIZATION.—The terms ‘certificate of waiv-
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er’ and ‘certificate of authorization’ mean a Federal 
Aviation Administration grant of approval for a spe-
cific flight operation. 
‘‘(4) CNS.—The term ‘CNS’ means a commu-
nication, navigation, or surveillance system or serv-
ice. 
‘‘(5) MODEL AIRCRAFT.—the term ‘model air-
craft’ means an unmanned aircraft that is— 
‘‘(A) capable of sustained flight in the at-
mosphere; 
‘‘(B) flown within visual line of sight of the 
person operating the aircraft; and 
‘‘(C) flown for hobby or recreational pur-
poses. 
‘‘(6) PERMANENT AREAS.—The term ‘perma-
nent areas’ means areas on land or water that pro-
vide for launch, recovery, and operation of small un-
manned aircraft. 
‘‘(7) PUBLIC UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM.— 
The term ‘public unmanned aircraft system’ means 
an unmanned aircraft system that meets the quali-
fications and conditions required for operation of a 
public aircraft (as defined in section 40102(a)). 
‘‘(8) SENSE-AND-AVOID CAPABILITY.—The term 
‘sense-and-avoid capability’ means the capability of 
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an unmanned aircraft to remain a safe distance 
from and to avoid collisions with other airborne air-
craft. 
‘‘(9) SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.—The term 
‘small unmanned aircraft’ means an unmanned air-
craft weighing less than 55 pounds, including every-
thing that is on board the aircraft. 
‘‘(10) UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.—The term ‘un-
manned aircraft’ means an aircraft that is operated 
without the possibility of direct human intervention 
from within or on the aircraft. 
‘‘(11) UNMANNED
AIRCRAFT
SYSTEM.—The 
term ‘unmanned aircraft system’ means an un-
manned aircraft and associated elements (including 
communication links and the components that con-
trol the unmanned aircraft) that are required for the 
pilot in command to operate safely and efficiently in 
the national airspace system. 
‘‘(12) UTM.—The term ‘UTM’ means an un-
manned aircraft traffic management system or serv-
ice. 
‘‘§ 45502. Integration of civil unmanned aircraft sys-
tems into national airspace system 
‘‘(a) REQUIRED PLANNING FOR INTEGRATION.— 
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‘‘(1) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.—Not later than 
November 10, 2012, the Secretary of Transpor-
tation, in consultation with representatives of the 
aviation industry, Federal agencies that employ un-
manned aircraft systems technology in the national 
airspace system, and the unmanned aircraft systems 
industry, shall develop a comprehensive plan to safe-
ly accelerate the integration of civil unmanned air-
craft systems into the national airspace system. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—The plan required 
under paragraph (1) shall contain, at a minimum, 
recommendations or projections on— 
‘‘(A) the rulemaking to be conducted under 
subsection (b), with specific recommendations 
on how the rulemaking will— 
‘‘(i) define the acceptable standards 
for operation and certification of civil un-
manned aircraft systems; 
‘‘(ii) ensure that any civil unmanned 
aircraft system includes a sense-and-avoid 
capability; and 
‘‘(iii) establish standards and require-
ments for the operator and pilot of a civil 
unmanned 
aircraft 
system, 
including 
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standards and requirements for registra-
tion and licensing; 
‘‘(B) the best methods to enhance the tech-
nologies and subsystems necessary to achieve 
the safe and routine operation of civil un-
manned aircraft systems in the national air-
space system; 
‘‘(C) a phased-in approach to the integra-
tion of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the 
national airspace system; 
‘‘(D) a timeline for the phased-in approach 
described under subparagraph (C); 
‘‘(E) creation of a safe airspace designa-
tion for cooperative manned and unmanned 
flight operations in the national airspace sys-
tem; 
‘‘(F) establishment of a process to develop 
certification, flight standards, and air traffic re-
quirements for civil unmanned aircraft systems 
at test ranges where such systems are subject 
to testing; 
‘‘(G) the best methods to ensure the safe 
operation of civil unmanned aircraft systems 
and public unmanned aircraft systems simulta-
neously in the national airspace system; and 
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‘‘(H) incorporation of the plan into the an-
nual NextGen Implementation Plan document 
(or any successor document) of the Federal 
Aviation Administration. 
‘‘(3) DEADLINE.—The plan required under 
paragraph (1) shall provide for the safe integration 
of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national 
airspace system as soon as practicable, but not later 
than September 30, 2015. 
‘‘(4) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 
February 14, 2013, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a copy of the plan required under para-
graph (1). 
‘‘(5) ROADMAP.—Not later than February 14, 
2013, the Secretary shall approve and make avail-
able in print and on the Administration’s internet 
website a 5-year roadmap for the introduction of 
civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national 
airspace system, as coordinated by the Unmanned 
Aircraft Program Office of the Administration. The 
Secretary shall update the roadmap annually. 
‘‘(b) RULEMAKING.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date on which the plan required under subsection 
(a)(1) is submitted to Congress under subsection (a)(4), 
the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register— 
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