[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 54 (Monday, April 11, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1870-S1871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3623. Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3464 submitted by Mr. 
Thune (for himself and Mr. Nelson) to the bill H.R. 636, to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend increased expensing 
limitations, and for other purposes; 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 operates an unmanned 
     aircraft and, in so doing, knowingly or recklessly 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.--Any person who 
     attempts to cause, or knowingly or recklessly causes, serious 
     bodily injury or death during the commission of an offense 
     under subsection (a) shall be fined under this title, 
     imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both.
       ``(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 airport's air traffic control facility or is the 
     result of a circumstance, such as a malfunction, 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

[[Page S1871]]

       ``(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.''.
                                 ______