[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5040 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 499
116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5040

                      [Report No. 116-606, Part I]

 To direct the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to study the 
  effects of drone incursions on wildfire suppression, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 12, 2019

Mr. Curtis (for himself and Mr. Huffman) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
     addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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

                            December 2, 2020

   Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

                            December 2, 2020

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
    Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
    [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on 
                           November 12, 2019]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to study the 
  effects of drone incursions on wildfire suppression, 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 ``Aerial Incursion Repercussion Safety 
Act of 2020'' or the ``AIR Safety Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON EFFECTS OF DRONE INCURSIONS ON WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION.

    (a) Study Required.--The Director of the Bureau of Land Management, 
in consultation with the Chief of the Forest Service and the National 
Association of State Foresters, shall conduct a study on the effects of 
drone incursions on the suppression of wildfires with respect to lands 
managed by the Department of the Interior or the Department of 
Agriculture.
    (b) Study Contents.--In conducting the study required under 
subsection (a), the Director shall--
            (1) determine, for each of the five most recently completed 
        calendar years, the number of occurrences in which a drone 
        incursion interfered with wildfire suppression and the effect 
        of each such occurrence on--
                    (A) the length of time required to achieve complete 
                suppression;
                    (B) the effectiveness of aerial firefighting 
                responses; and
                    (C) the amounts expended by the Federal Government; 
                and
            (2) evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of various 
        actions to prevent drone incursions, including--
                    (A) the use of reasonable force to disable, damage, 
                or destroy a drone;
                    (B) the seizure of a drone, including seizure with 
                a net device; and
                    (C) the dissemination of education materials 
                relating to the effects of drone incursions on wildfire 
                suppression.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to the Committee on 
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the findings of 
the study required under subsection (a) and any recommendations of the 
Director relating to such findings.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Drone.--The term ``drone'' means an unmanned aircraft 
        system owned by a private individual or entity.
            (2) Drone incursion.--The term ``drone incursion'' means 
        the operation of a drone within any airspace for which the 
        Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration has issued 
        a temporary flight restriction because of a wildfire.
            (3) Wildfire suppression.--The term ``wildfire 
        suppression'' has the meaning given such term in section 
        46320(d) of title 49, United States Code.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 499

116th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 5040

                      [Report No. 116-606, Part I]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To direct the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to study the 
  effects of drone incursions on wildfire suppression, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            December 2, 2020

   Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment

                            December 2, 2020

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
    Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed