[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 6, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1762-S1763]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3494. Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) 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:

       At the end of subtitle A of title II, add the following:

                        PART IV--OPERATOR SAFETY

     SEC. 2161. SHORT TITLE.

       This part may be cited as the ``Drone Operator Safety 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2162. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       (a) Finding.--Congress finds that educating operators of 
     unmanned aircraft about the laws and regulations that govern 
     such aircraft helps to ensure their safe operation.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration 
     should continue to prioritize the education of operators of 
     unmanned aircraft through public outreach efforts like the 
     ``Know Before You Fly'' campaign.

     SEC. 2163. UNSAFE OPERATION OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 2 of title 18, United States Code, 
     is amended--
       (1) in section 31--
       (A) in subsection (a)--
       (i) by redesignating paragraph (10) as paragraph (11); and
       (ii) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following:
       ``(10) Unmanned aircraft.--The term `unmanned aircraft' has 
     the meaning given such term in section 44801 of title 49.''; 
     and
       (B) in subsection (b), by inserting `` `airport','' before 
     `` `appliance' ''; and
       (2) by inserting after section 39A the following:

     ``Sec. 39B. Unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft

       ``(a) Offense.--Any person who intentionally or recklessly 
     operates an unmanned aircraft in a manner that interferes 
     with, or disrupts the operation of, an aircraft carrying 1 or 
     more occupants operating in the special aircraft jurisdiction 
     of the United States, in a manner that poses an imminent 
     safety hazard to such occupants, shall be punished as 
     provided in subsection (b).
       ``(b) Penalty.--
       ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
     punishment for an offense under subsection (a) shall be a 
     fine under this title, imprisonment for not more than 1 year, 
     or both.
       ``(2) Serious bodily injury or death.--The punishment for 
     an offense under subsection (a) during which the offender 
     attempts to cause, or intentionally or recklessly causes, 
     serious bodily injury or death shall be a fine under this 
     title, imprisonment for any term of years or for life, or 
     both.

[[Page S1763]]

       ``(c) Operation of Unmanned Aircraft in Close Proximity to 
     Airports.--
       ``(1) In general.--The operation of an unmanned aircraft 
     within a runway exclusion zone shall be considered a 
     violation of subsection (a) unless such operation is approved 
     by the air traffic control facility at the airport or is the 
     result of a malfunction or another cause that could not have 
     been reasonably foreseen or prevented by the operator.
       ``(2) Runway exclusion zone defined.--In this subsection, 
     the term `runway exclusion zone' means a rectangular area--
       ``(A) centered on the centerline of an active runway of an 
     airport immediately around which the airspace is designated 
     as class B, class C, or class D airspace at the surface under 
     part 71 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and
       ``(B) the length of which extends parallel to the runway's 
     centerline to points that are 1 statute mile from each end of 
     the runway and the width of which is \1/2\ statute mile.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 
     2 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
     after the item relating to section 39A the following:

``39B. Unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft.''.
                                 ______