[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1615 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                  Union Calendar No. 89
110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1615

                          [Report No. 110-149]

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for aiming 
          laser pointers at airplanes, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 21, 2007

   Mr. Keller of Florida (for himself and Mr. Forbes) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

                              May 14, 2007

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Aircraft Cockpits 
Against Lasers Act of 2007''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST AIMING A LASER POINTER AT AN 
              AIRCRAFT.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Offense.--Chapter 2 of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Sec. 39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(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 aircraft, shall be fined under 
this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(b) As used in this section, the term `laser pointer' 
means any device designed or used to amplify electromagnetic 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 position, place, item, or object.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(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--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) an authorized individual in the conduct of 
        research and development or flight test operations conducted by 
        an aircraft manufacturer, the Federal Aviation Administration, 
        or any other person authorized by the Federal Aviation 
        Administration to conduct such research and development or 
        flight test operations;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(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</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) by an individual using a laser emergency 
        signaling device to send an emergency distress 
        signal.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(d) The Attorney General, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Transportation, may provide by regulation, after public 
notice and comment, such additional exceptions 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 Committees 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.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Amendment to Table of Sections.--The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 2 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new item:</DELETED>

<DELETED>``39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.''.

</DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against 
Lasers Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST AIMING A LASER POINTER AT AN AIRCRAFT.

    (a) Offense.--Chapter 2 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 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 aircraft, 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 electromagnetic 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 position, 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 Aviation Administration, or 
        any other person authorized by the Federal Aviation 
        Administration to conduct 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 signal.
    ``(d) The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Transportation, may provide by regulation, after public notice and 
comment, such additional exceptions 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 
Committees 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 Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new item:

``39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.''.
                                                  Union Calendar No. 89

110th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 1615

                          [Report No. 110-149]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for aiming 
          laser pointers at airplanes, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              May 14, 2007

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed