Title: Long Island All-Water Helicopter Route Act of 2020
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Long Island All-Water Helicopter Route Act of 2020
This bill extends the special air traffic rule for civil helicopters operating under visual flight rules (VFR) along the North Shore in Long Island, New York to use the New York North Shore Helicopter Route. (VFR are a set of regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going.)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must conduct a rulemaking proceeding to promulgate a new special air traffic rule for civil helicopters operating VFR along the North Shore and South Shore of Long Island, New York in accordance with specified requirements of the bill.
A person who pilots a civil helicopter operating VFR along Long Island, New York's northern shoreline or southern shoreline may deviate from the North Shore Helicopter Route or South Shore Helicopter Route requirements: (1) for safety or weather conditions; or (2) when transitioning to or from a destination or point of landing, except for on the North Shore Helicopter Route when departing from or arriving to certain locations.
If safety or weather conditions cause a person piloting a civil helicopter operating VFR to deviate from either route, the person must submit a one page report to the FAA identifying the condition not later than 14 days after landing.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4219 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4219

To extend the special air traffic rule for civil helicopters operating 
   VFR along the North Shore, Long Island, New York, to require the 
 Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to promulgate a 
         new special air traffic rule, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 20, 2020

Mr. Schumer (for himself and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To extend the special air traffic rule for civil helicopters operating 
   VFR along the North Shore, Long Island, New York, to require the 
 Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to promulgate a 
         new special air traffic rule, 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 ``Long Island All-Water Helicopter 
Route Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, NORTH SHORE AND SOUTH SHORE HELICOPTER 
              ROUTES.

    (a) Extension of Special Air Traffic Rule for North Shore.--
Notwithstanding the ending date for the period described in section 
93.101 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, the special air 
traffic rule for civil helicopters operating VFR along the North Shore, 
Long Island, New York, in effect under subpart H of part 93 of title 
14, Code of Federal Regulations, on August 6, 2020, shall remain in 
effect through the day before the date on which the final version of 
the special air traffic rule promulgated under subsection (b) is 
published.
    (b) Rulemaking Proceeding.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
        Administration (in this section referred to as the 
        ``Administrator'') shall conduct a rulemaking proceeding to 
        promulgate a special air traffic rule for civil helicopters 
        operating VFR along the North Shore and South Shore of Long 
        Island, New York, in accordance with the requirements of this 
        subsection.
            (2) Requirements.--The special air traffic rule promulgated 
        under this subsection shall require the following:
                    (A) North shore helicopter route.--Each person who 
                pilots a civil helicopter operating VFR along Long 
                Island, New York's northern shoreline between the VPLYD 
                waypoint and Plum Island shall--
                            (i) based on the most recently published 
                        editions by the Federal Aviation Administration 
                        of the New York Helicopter Route Chart and the 
                        Northeast Aeronautical Chart Bulletin, adhere 
                        to an all-water North Shore Helicopter Route 
                        that includes operating around Orient Point, 
                        Shelter Island, and Plum Island;
                            (ii) mitigate noise by flying at least 1 
                        mile from the shoreline and at an altitude of 
                        not less than 2,500 feet mean sea level; and
                            (iii) prohibit deviations from the North 
                        Shore Helicopter Route for purposes of 
                        transitioning to or from a destination or point 
                        of landing when departing from or arriving to 
                        locations east of longitude 7216'04" W.
                    (B) South shore helicopter route.--Each person who 
                pilots a civil helicopter operating VFR along Long 
                Island, New York's southern shoreline between Breezy 
                Point Jetty and the VPMLT waypoint shall--
                            (i) based on the most recently published 
                        editions by the Federal Aviation Administration 
                        of the New York Helicopter Route Chart and the 
                        Northeast Aeronautical Chart Bulletin, adhere 
                        to an all-water South Shore Helicopter Route; 
                        and
                            (ii) mitigate noise by flying at least 1 
                        mile from the shoreline and at an altitude of 
                        not less than 2,500 feet mean sea level.
                    (C) Exceptions.--A person who pilots a civil 
                helicopter operating VFR along Long Island, New York's 
                northern shoreline or southern shoreline may deviate 
                from the North Shore Helicopter Route or South Shore 
                Helicopter Route--
                            (i) when necessary for safety or weather 
                        conditions; or
                            (ii) except as prohibited under 
                        subparagraph (A)(iii), when transitioning to or 
                        from a destination or point of landing.
                    (D) Flight report.--
                            (i) Submission.--If safety or weather 
                        conditions cause a person piloting a civil 
                        helicopter operating VFR to deviate from the 
                        North Shore Helicopter Route or South Shore 
                        Helicopter Route, the person shall submit a 1-
                        page report to the Administrator identifying 
                        the condition not later than 14 days after 
                        landing.
                            (ii) Public database.--The Administrator 
                        shall make the reports submitted under clause 
                        (i) publically available in an online 
                        searchable database.
            (3) Deadlines.--
                    (A) Rulemaking proceeding.--Not later than 90 days 
                after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
                Administrator shall publish a notice of proposed 
                rulemaking to carry out the requirements of this 
                section.
                    (B) Public comment period.--The Administrator shall 
                provide notice of, and an opportunity for, at least 30 
                days of public comment on the special air traffic rule 
                promulgated under this subsection.
                    (C) Effective date of special air traffic rule.--
                Not later than May 1, 2021, the Administrator shall 
                publish a final version of the special air traffic rule 
                promulgated under this subsection which shall take 
                effect upon publication.
    (c) Repeal.--Effective on the date on which the final version of 
the special air traffic rule promulgated under subsection (b) is 
published by the Administrator, subpart H of part 93 of title 14, Code 
of Federal Regulations, is repealed.
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