[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2603 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2603

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate high threat 
 helicopter flight areas and to provide special rules for screening of 
  passengers and property to be transported on passenger helicopters 
  operating to or from such areas and for helicopters flights in such 
                     areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 6, 2007

  Mr. Weiner introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate high threat 
 helicopter flight areas and to provide special rules for screening of 
  passengers and property to be transported on passenger helicopters 
  operating to or from such areas and for helicopters flights in such 
                     areas, 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 ``High Threat Helicopter Flight Area 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

    The Secretary of Homeland Security shall designate an area in the 
United States that the Secretary determines is an area at high risk for 
an attack by one or more terrorists as a high threat helicopter flight 
area.

SEC. 3. SCREENING FOR PASSENGER HELICOPTERS DEPARTING HIGH THREAT 
              FLIGHT AREAS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide 
the same screening of all passengers and property that will be 
transported, from a point located in an area designated as a high 
threat helicopter area under section 2, on a passenger helicopter in 
the United States by a person (including an air carrier) as the 
screening that is provided for passengers and property that are carried 
aboard a passenger aircraft operated by an air carrier under section 
44901 of title 49, United States Code.
    (b) Deadline for Beginning.--The Secretary shall begin development 
of a plan for acquiring and training personnel, and acquiring 
equipment, to provide the screening required by subsection (a).

SEC. 4. SPECIAL RULES REGARDING FLIGHTS OF HELICOPTERS OPERATING IN 
              HIGH THREAT FLIGHT AREAS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall take such 
action as may be necessary to ensure that--
            (1) no passenger helicopter flies in an area designated as 
        a high threat flight area by the Secretary of Homeland Security 
        under section 2, except on approach for landing, or departure 
        after take off, in such area;
            (2) whenever a passenger helicopter is flying in such an 
        area, the helicopter, to maximum extent practicable, flies over 
        water; and
            (3) the pilot of a flight of any helicopter in such an area 
        remains in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration 
        regarding the flight path of such helicopter, regardless of the 
        altitude of such helicopter.
    (b) Exceptions.--The Secretary of Transportation shall except from 
any requirement of subsection (a) a helicopter carrying out such 
military, police, medical, or other operations as the Secretary 
determines appropriate.
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