[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 6, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1761-S1762]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3492. Mr. INHOFE (for himself, Mr. Booker, Ms. Heitkamp, and Mr. 
Whitehouse) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill H.R. 636, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to 
permanently extend increased expensing limitations, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       On page 84, between lines 10 and 11, insert the following:
       ``(f) Operation by Owners and Operators of Critical 
     Infrastructure.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of the Federal Aviation Administration 
     Reauthorization Act of 2016, the Secretary of Transportation 
     shall establish a process under the authority of this 
     section, or a process under this subsection, pursuant to 
     which a covered person may operate an unmanned aircraft 
     system to conduct activities described in paragraph (2)--
       ``(A) beyond the visual line of sight of the individual 
     operating the unmanned aircraft system; and
       ``(B) without any restriction on the time of the operation.
       ``(2) Activities described.--The activities described in 
     this paragraph that a covered

[[Page S1762]]

     person may use an unmanned aircraft system to conduct are the 
     following:
       ``(A) Activities for which compliance with current law or 
     regulation can be accomplished by the use of manned aircraft, 
     including--
       ``(i) conducting activities to ensure compliance with 
     Federal or State regulatory, permit, or other requirements, 
     including to conduct surveys associated with applications for 
     permits for new pipeline or pipeline systems construction or 
     maintenance or rehabilitation of existing pipelines or 
     pipeline systems; or
       ``(ii) conducting activities relating to ensuring 
     compliance with--

       ``(I) the requirements of part 192 or 195 of title 49, Code 
     of Federal Regulations; or
       ``(II) any Federal, State, or local governmental or 
     regulatory body or industry best practice pertaining to the 
     construction, ownership, operation, maintenance, repair, or 
     replacement of covered facilities.

       ``(B) Activities to inspect, repair, construct, maintain, 
     or protect covered facilities, including to respond to a 
     pipeline, pipeline system, or electric energy infrastructure 
     incident, or in response to or in preparation for a natural 
     disaster, man-made disaster, severe weather event, or other 
     incident beyond the control of the covered person that may 
     cause material damage to a covered facility.
       ``(C) Activities not described in subparagraph (A) or (B) 
     if the covered person notifies the local Flight Standards 
     District Office before the operation of the unmanned aircraft 
     system for such activities.
       ``(3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       ``(A) Covered facility.--The term `covered facility' means 
     a pipeline, pipeline system, electric energy generation, 
     transmission, or distribution facility (including renewable 
     electric energy), oil or gas production, refining, or 
     processing facility, or other critical infrastructure.
       ``(B) Covered person.--The term `covered person' means a 
     person that--
       ``(i) owns or operates a covered facility;
       ``(ii) is the sponsor of a covered facility project;
       ``(iii) is an association of persons described by clause 
     (i) or (ii) and is seeking programmatic approval for an 
     activity in accordance with this subsection; or
       ``(iv) is an agent of any person described in clause (i), 
     (ii), or (iii).
       ``(C) Critical infrastructure.--The term `critical 
     infrastructure' has the meaning given that term in section 
     2339D of title 18.''.
                                 ______