Helicopter Passenger Protection Act
Bill: H.R.7521 | Sponsor: Rep. Neguse, Joe (D-CO)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Helicopter Passenger Protection Act
This bill requires that certain rotorcraft manufactured before April 5, 2020, comply with Federal Aviation Administration requirements relating to fuel system crash resistance. The requirement does not apply to an unmanned aircraft that does not carry occupants.
The bill also allows a tax credit equal to 10% of the costs of making changes to a fuel system in an emergency medical rotorcraft to comply with certain requirements for fuel system crash resistance.

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Helicopter Passenger Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. HELICOPTER FUEL SYSTEM SAFETY.

    Section 44737 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (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 following:
    ``(b) Prohibition for Rotorcraft Manufactured Before April 5, 
2020.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, a person may not operate in 
        United States airspace a rotorcraft manufactured before April 
        5, 2020, for which the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
        Administration has issued a standard airworthiness certificate, 
        unless such rotorcraft includes a fuel system that is certified 
        by the Administrator to--
                    ``(A) comply with the requirements applicable to 
                the category of the rotorcraft under paragraphs (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 puncture force of 250 pounds) or paragraphs 
                (1), (2), (3), (5), and (6) of section 29.952(a), 
                section 29.952(f), and section 29.963(b) (but allowing 
                for a minimum puncture force of 250 pounds) of title 
                14, Code of Federal Regulations, 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.''.

SEC. 3. CREDIT FOR IMPROVING SAFETY OF FUEL SYSTEMS IN ROTORCRAFT.

    (a) In General.--Subpart B of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after 
section 30D the following new section:

``SEC. 30E. IMPROVING SAFETY OF FUEL SYSTEMS IN ROTORCRAFT.

    ``(a) In General.--There shall be allowed as a credit against the 
tax imposed by this chapter for the taxable year an amount equal to 10 
percent of the qualified fuel system improvement costs which are paid 
or incurred by the taxpayer during the taxable year.
    ``(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Qualified fuel system improvement costs.--The term 
        `qualified fuel system improvement costs' means costs paid or 
        incurred to make qualified changes to a fuel system in a 
        rotorcraft that did not, before such changes, meet the 
        requirements described in paragraph (2)(A).
            ``(2) Qualified changes.--The term `qualified changes' 
        means--
                    ``(A) changes necessary to make a fuel system 
                compliant with the requirements under--
                            ``(i) paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (5), and 
                        (6) of section 27.952(a), section 27.952(c), 
                        section 27.952(f), section 27.952(g), section 
                        27.963(g) (but allowing for a minimum puncture 
                        force of 250 pounds if successfully drop tested 
                        in-structure), and section 27.975(b) of title 
                        14, Code of Federal Regulations as in effect on 
                        the date of enactment of this section, or
                            ``(ii) paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (5), and 
                        (6) of section 29.952(a), section 29.952(c), 
                        section 29.952(f), section 29.952(g), section 
                        29.963(b) (but allowing for a minimum puncture 
                        force of 250 pounds if successfully drop tested 
                        in-structure), and 29.975(a)(7) of such title 
                        as so in effect, and
                    ``(B) such changes as the Secretary determines are 
                necessary to result in a fuel system that has 
                equivalent crash resistance to a fuel system compliant 
                with the requirements under clause (i) or (ii) of 
                subparagraph (A).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for such subpart A 
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 30D the 
following new item:

``Sec. 30E. Improving safety of fuel systems in rotorcraft.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022.
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