I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8393 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require that certain rotorcraft 
manufactured before April 5, 2020, comply with requirements relating 
to fuel system crash resistance, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 14, 2024 
Mr. NEGUSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require that 
certain rotorcraft manufactured before April 5, 2020, 
comply with requirements relating to fuel system crash 
resistance, 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 ‘‘Helicopter Passenger 
Protection Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CRASH-RESISTANT FUEL SYSTEMS IN ROTORCRAFT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration shall task the Aviation Rule-
making Advisory Committee to— 
(1) review the data analysis conducted and the 
recommendations developed by the Aviation Rule-
making Advisory Committee Rotorcraft Occupant 
Protection Working Group of the Administration; 
(2) update the 2018 report of such working 
group on rotorcraft occupant protection by— 
(A) reviewing National Transportation 
Safety Board data from 2016 through 2023 on 
post-crash fires in helicopter accidents; and 
(B) determining whether and to what ex-
tent crash-resistant fuel systems could have 
prevented fatalities; and 
(3) develop recommendations for either the Ad-
ministrator or the helicopter industry to encourage 
helicopter owners and operators to expedite the in-
stallation of crash-resistant fuel systems in the air-
craft of such owners and operators regardless of 
original certification and manufacture date. 
(b) SCHEDULE.— 
(1) DEADLINE.—Not later than 18 months 
after the Administrator tasks the Aviation Rule-
making Advisory Committee under subsection (a), 
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the Committee shall submit the recommendations 
developed under subsection (a)(2) to the Adminis-
trator. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—If applicable, and not 
later than 180 days after receiving the recommenda-
tions under paragraph (1), the Administrator 
shall— 
(A) begin implementing, as appropriate, 
any consensus safety recommendations the Ad-
ministrator receives from the Aviation Rule-
making Advisory Committee, and brief the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate on any recommenda-
tions the Administrator does not implement; 
and 
(B) partner with the United States Heli-
copter Safety Team, as appropriate, to facilitate 
implementation of any recommendations for the 
helicopter industry pursuant to subsection 
(a)(2). 
SEC. 3. HELICOPTER FUEL SYSTEM SAFETY. 
Section 44737 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
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(1) in subsection (a)(2) by striking ‘‘the date 
that is 18 months after the date of enactment of 
this section’’ and inserting ‘‘April 5, 2020’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as 
subsections (c) and (d), respectively; and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) PROHIBITION
FOR ROTORCRAFT MANUFAC-
TURED BEFORE APRIL 5, 2020.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 5 years 
after the date of enactment of this subsection, a per-
son may not operate in United States airspace a 
rotorcraft manufactured before April 5, 2020, for 
which the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration has issued a standard airworthiness 
certificate, unless such rotorcraft includes a fuel sys-
tem that is certified by the Administrator to— 
‘‘(A) comply with the requirements applica-
ble to the category of the rotorcraft under para-
graphs (1), (2), (3), (5), and (6) of section 
27.952(a), 
section 
27.952(f), 
and 
section 
27.963(g) (but allowing for a minimum punc-
ture force of 250 pounds) or paragraphs (1), 
(2), (3), (5), and (6) of section 29.952(a), sec-
tion 29.952(f), and section 29.963(b) (but al-
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lowing for a minimum puncture force of 250 
pounds) of title 14, Code of Federal Regula-
tions, as in effect on the date of enactment of 
this subsection; or 
‘‘(B) employ other means acceptable to the 
Administrator to provide an equivalent level of 
fuel system crash resistance. 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—This subsection shall not 
apply to an unmanned aircraft that does not carry 
any occupants.’’. 
Æ 
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