[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3025 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3025

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a criminal penalty 
 for launching drones that interfere with fighting wildfires affecting 
               Federal property, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 2015

   Mr. Cook introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

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                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a criminal penalty 
 for launching drones that interfere with fighting wildfires affecting 
               Federal property, 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 ``Wildfire Airspace Protection Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. LAUNCHING DRONES THAT INTERFERE WITH FIGHTING WILDFIRES 
              AFFECTING FEDERAL PROPERTY.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 65 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1370. Launching drones that interfere with fighting wildfires 
              affecting Federal property
    ``(a) Offense.--Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever 
knowingly launches a drone in a place near a wildfire that threatens 
the real or personal property of the United States, or of any 
department or agency thereof, and is reckless as to whether that drone 
will interfere with fighting the fire, if the drone does interfere with 
that firefighting, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not 
more than 5 years, or both.
    ``(b) Defense.--It is a defense to a prosecution for an offense 
under this section that the drone was launched by a firefighter or 
other public safety officer acting in the course of official duty.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 65 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``1370. Launching drones that interfere with fighting wildfires 
                            affecting Federal property.''.
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