[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1608 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1608

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 22, 2011

Mr. Whitehouse (for himself, Mr. Kirk, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
 Inouye, and Mr. Casey) introduced the following bill; which was read 
          twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against 
Lasers Act of 2011''.

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

    (a) Offense.--Chapter 2 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting after section 39 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 Senate and the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation 
of the Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives, 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 inserting 
after the item relating to section 39 the following new item:

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