Title: Drone Safety Enhancement Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Drone Safety Enhancement Act
This bill authorizes funding for FY2019-FY2024 to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Know Before You Fly educational campaign or similar public informational efforts to broaden unmanned aircraft systems (drone) safety awareness.
The FAA shall initiate a review of the process for interagency coordination of C-UAS activity and the standards for operation of a C-UAS system. A "C-UAS system" is the counter-unmanned aircraft system for detecting, tracking, and defending against drones.
The bill amends the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 to include railroad facilities as fixed site facilities for purposes of prohibiting or restricting the operation of a drone near such facilities.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3511 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3511

 To broaden unmanned aircraft systems safety awareness, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 26, 2018

 Ms. Cortez Masto introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
 and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To broaden unmanned aircraft systems safety awareness, 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 ``Drone Safety Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR KNOW BEFORE YOU FLY 
              CAMPAIGN.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the 
Federal Aviation Administration $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2019 through 2024 for the Know Before You Fly educational campaign or 
similar public informational efforts intended to broaden unmanned 
aircraft systems safety awareness.

SEC. 3. UNITED STATES COUNTER-UAS SYSTEM REVIEW OF INTERAGENCY 
              COORDINATION PROCESSES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after that date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration (referred to in this section as the ``Administration''), 
in consultation with government agencies currently authorized to 
operate Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) systems within the 
United States (including the territories and possessions of the United 
States), shall initiate a review of the following:
            (1) The process the Administration is utilizing for 
        interagency coordination of C-UAS activity pursuant to a 
        relevant Federal statute authorizing such activity within the 
        United States (including the territories and possessions of the 
        United States).
            (2) The standards the Administration is utilizing for 
        operation of a C-UAS system pursuant to a relevant Federal 
        statute authorizing such activity within the United States 
        (including the territories and possessions of the United 
        States), including whether the following criteria are being 
        taken into consideration in the development of the standards:
                    (A) Safety of the national airspace.
                    (B) Protecting individuals and property on the 
                ground.
                    (C) Noninterference with avionics of manned 
                aircraft, and unmanned aircraft, operating legally in 
                the national airspace.
                    (D) Noninterference with air traffic control 
                systems.
                    (E) Consistent procedures in the operation of C-UAS 
                systems to the maximum extent practicable.
                    (F) Adequate coordination procedures and protocols 
                with the Federal Aviation Administration during the 
                operation of C-UAS systems.
                    (G) Adequate training for personnel operating C-UAS 
                systems.
                    (H) Assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness 
                of the coordination and review processes to ensure 
                national airspace safety while minimizing bureaucracy.
                    (I) Such other matters the Administrator deems 
                necessary for the safe and lawful operation of C-UAS 
                systems.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date upon which the 
review in subsection (a) is initiated, the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation in the Senate and the Committee on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report on the 
Administration's activities related to C-UAS systems, including--
            (1) any coordination with Federal agencies and States, 
        subdivisions and States, and political authorities of at least 
        2 States that operate C-UAS systems; and
            (2) an assessment of the standards being utilized for the 
        operation of a counter-UAS systems within the United States 
        (including the territories and possessions of the United 
        States).

SEC. 4. UAS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE RULEMAKING APPLICATIONS FOR 
              DESIGNATION.

    Section 2209 of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 
(49 U.S.C. 40101 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1)(C)(i), by striking ``and 
        distribution facilities and equipment'' and inserting 
        ``distribution facilities and equipment, and railroad 
        facilities''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Deadlines.--
            ``(1) Not later than March 31, 2019, the Administrator 
        shall publish a notice of proposed rulemaking to carry out the 
        requirements of this section.
            ``(2) Not later than 12 months after publishing the notice 
        of proposed rulemaking under paragraph (1), the Administrator 
        shall issue a final rule.''.
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