[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6618 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 471
119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6618

                          [Report No. 119-548]

To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 conduct a study on drone incursions on wildfire suppression, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 11, 2025

   Ms. Bynum (for herself, Mr. Crane, Mr. Neguse, and Mr. Ciscomani) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

                             March 16, 2026

                     Additional sponsor: Ms. Kaptur

                             March 16, 2026

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
    [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on 
                           December 11, 2025]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 conduct a study on 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 ``Wildfire Aerial Response Safety 
Act''.

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

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Counter-UASsystem; unmanned aircraft system.--The terms 
        ``counter-UAS system'' and ``unmanned aircraft system'' have 
        the meanings given such terms in section 44801 of title 49, 
        United States Code.
            (2) Unmanned aircraft system incursion.--The term 
        ``unmanned aircraft system incursion'' means the operation of 
        an unmanned aircraft system within any airspace for which the 
        Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration has issued 
        a temporary flight restriction because of a wildfire.
    (b) Study Required.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and 
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 
Service, shall conduct a study on the effects of unmanned aircraft 
system incursions on wildfire suppression with respect to land managed 
by the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture.
    (c) Study Contents.--In conducting the study required under 
subsection (b), the Administrator shall--
            (1) determine, for each of the 5 most recent calendar 
        years--
                    (A) the number of occurrences in which a unmanned 
                aircraft system incursion has interfered with wildfire 
                suppression; and
                    (B) the estimated effect of each occurrence 
                described in subparagraph (A) on--
                            (i) the length of time required to achieve 
                        complete suppression;
                            (ii) any associated delay in the fielding 
                        of aerial firefighting response units; and
                            (iii) the amounts expended by the Federal 
                        Government; and
            (2) evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of--
                    (A) the dissemination of educational materials 
                relating to the effects of unmanned aircraft system 
                incursions on wildfire suppression operations; and
                    (B) the deployment of approved counter-UAS systems 
                by authorized entities as a means to detect, mitigate, 
                and prevent unmanned aircraft system incursions during 
                such operations.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources, the Committee on Appropriations, and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 
the Committee on Natural Resources, the Committee on Appropriations, 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives a report describing--
            (1) the findings of the study required under subsection 
        (b); and
            (2) any recommendations relating to those findings.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 471

119th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 6618

                          [Report No. 119-548]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 conduct a study on drone incursions on wildfire suppression, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             March 16, 2026

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed