Title: Wildfire Airspace Protection Act of 2017
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Wildfire Airspace Protection Act of 2017
This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to knowingly or recklessly operate an unmanned aircraft that interferes with a wildfire suppression, law enforcement, or emergency response effort.
It imposes criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both—on a violator.
The prohibition does not apply to the operation of an unmanned aircraft by the government to protect public safety and welfare, including firefighting, law enforcement, or emergency response efforts.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1138 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1138

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a criminal penalty 
 for launching drones that interfere with fighting wildfires affecting 
               Federal property, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2017

    Mr. Cook (for himself, Mr. Royce of California, Ms. Brownley of 
 California, and Mr. Aguilar) introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a criminal penalty 
 for launching drones that interfere with fighting wildfires affecting 
               Federal property, 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 ``Wildfire Airspace Protection Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. INTERFERENCE WITH WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION, LAW ENFORCEMENT, OR 
              EMERGENCY RESPONSE EFFORT BY OPERATION OF UNMANNED 
              AIRCRAFT.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 65 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1370. Interference with wildfire suppression, law enforcement, 
              or emergency response effort by operation of unmanned 
              aircraft
    ``(a) Offense.--Except as provided in subsection (b), an individual 
who operates an unmanned aircraft and in so doing knowingly or 
recklessly interferes with a wildfire suppression, law enforcement, or 
emergency response effort shall be fined under this title or imprisoned 
not more than 5 years, or both.
    ``(b) Exceptions.--This section does not apply to the operation of 
an unmanned aircraft conducted by a unit or agency of the United States 
Government or of a State, tribal, or local government (including any 
individual conducting such operation pursuant to a contract or other 
agreement entered into with the unit or agency) for the purpose of 
protecting the public safety and welfare, including firefighting, law 
enforcement, or emergency response.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions 
apply:
            ``(1) Wildfire.--The term `wildfire' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 2 of the Emergency Wildfire Suppression 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1856m).
            ``(2) Wildfire suppression.--The term `wildfire 
        suppression' means an effort to contain, extinguish, or 
        suppress a wildfire.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 65 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``1370. Interference with wildfire suppression, law enforcement, or 
                            emergency response effort by operation of 
                            unmanned aircraft.''.
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