[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3553 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3553

     To exempt certain charitable flights from certain regulations 
                   applicable to commercial flights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 24 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

 Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Stevens) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To exempt certain charitable flights from certain regulations 
                   applicable to commercial flights.

    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 ``Volunteer Pilot Act''.

SEC. 2. EXEMPTIONS FOR CERTAIN CHARITABLE FLIGHTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 44701(f) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The Administrator'' and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Charitable flights.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of law, a passenger or cargo carrying flight for the 
        benefit of a nonprofit organization recognized under Federal or 
        State law that does not involve any payment from the 
        beneficiary of such flight shall not be required to obtain an 
        air carrier or commercial operator certificate under section 
        44705, shall not be required to obtain an air carrier and 
        commercial operator certificate under part 119 of title 14, 
        Code of Federal Regulations, and shall not be subject to drug 
        and alcohol testing under sections 121.457 and 121.459 of such 
        title 14, if--
                    ``(A) the flight is conducted from an airport that 
                is adequate for the airplane or helicopter used;
                    ``(B) the airplane or helicopter has a maximum of 9 
                seats, excluding each crew member seat, and a maximum 
                payload capacity of 7,500 pounds;
                    ``(C) the flight is not an aerobatic or a formation 
                flight;
                    ``(D) the airplane or helicopter used for the 
                flight holds a standard airworthiness certificate, is 
                airworthy, and is operated in compliance with all 
                applicable Federal Aviation Administration 
                airworthiness standards;
                    ``(E) reimbursement of, or donations to, the pilot 
                in command of the airplane or helicopter does not 
                exceed the total cost of owning, operating, and 
                maintaining the aircraft for that flight, which may 
                include fuel, oil, airport expenditures, rental fees, 
                insurance, and maintenance;
                    ``(F) a private pilot acting as pilot in command 
                has at least 500 hours of flight time;
                    ``(G) the flight is conducted in accordance with 
                applicable Federal Aviation Administration safety 
                regulations; and
                    ``(H) the pilot in command maintains a record with 
                the Federal Aviation Administration that shows that the 
                pilot is in compliance with all applicable Federal 
                Aviation Administration regulations.
            ``(3) Classification of charitable flights.--Any flight 
        meeting the requirements under paragraph (2) shall not be 
        considered to be a flight for compensation or hire for purposes 
        of the Federal Aviation Administration.''.
    (b) Rulemaking.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration shall promulgate regulations to carry out the amendment 
made by subsection (a).
                                 <all>