IIB 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 386 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MARCH 1, 2011 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
AN ACT 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties 
for aiming laser pointers at airplanes, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing Aircraft 
Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2011’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST AIMING A LASER POINTER 
AT AN AIRCRAFT. 
(a) OFFENSE.—Chapter 2 of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after section 39 the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft 
‘‘(a) Whoever knowingly aims the beam of a laser 
pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction 
of the United States, or at the flight path of such an air-
craft, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not 
more than 5 years, or both. 
‘‘(b) As used in this section, the term ‘laser pointer’ 
means any device designed or used to amplify electro-
magnetic radiation by stimulated emission that emits a 
beam designed to be used by the operator as a pointer 
or highlighter to indicate, mark, or identify a specific posi-
tion, place, item, or object. 
‘‘(c) This section does not prohibit aiming a beam 
of a laser pointer at an aircraft, or the flight path of such 
an aircraft, by— 
‘‘(1) an authorized individual in the conduct of 
research and development or flight test operations 
conducted by an aircraft manufacturer, the Federal 
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Aviation Administration, or any other person author-
ized by the Federal Aviation Administration to con-
duct such research and development or flight test 
operations; 
‘‘(2) members or elements of the Department of 
Defense or Department of Homeland Security acting 
in an official capacity for the purpose of research, 
development, operations, testing or training; or 
‘‘(3) by an individual using a laser emergency 
signaling device to send an emergency distress sig-
nal. 
‘‘(d) The Attorney General, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Transportation, may provide by regulation, 
after public notice and comment, such additional excep-
tions to this section, as may be necessary and appropriate. 
The Attorney General shall provide written notification of 
any proposed regulations under this section to the Com-
mittees on the Judiciary of the House and Senate, the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the 
House, and the Committee on Commerce, Science and 
Transportation in the Senate not less than 90 days before 
such regulations become final.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 2 of title 18, United States 
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Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 39 the following new item: 
‘‘39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.’’. 
SEC. 3. COMPLIANCE WITH PAYGO. 
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 
shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 
titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 
Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 
by the Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the 
House of Representatives, provided that such statement 
has been submitted prior to the vote on passage. 
Passed the House of Representatives February 28, 
2011. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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