[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5879 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5879
To amend title 49, United States Code, to permit small, unmanned
aircraft pilot research for public safety, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 3, 2023
Mr. Nehls (for himself, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Finstad, Mr. Guest, Mr. Davis of
North Carolina, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, and Mr. Stauber) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 49, United States Code, to permit small, unmanned
aircraft pilot research for public safety, 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 ``Drone Research and Innovation for
Law Enforcement Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT PILOT RESEARCH FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
(a) In General.--Chapter 448 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 44811. Small unmanned aircraft pilot research for public safety
``(a) Prohibition Regarding Weapons.--The prohibition regarding
unmanned aircraft armed with dangerous weapons under section 363 of the
FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 44802 note) is reaffirmed.
``(b) Pilot Research Program.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 3 months after the date
of enactment of this section, the Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration shall initiate a pilot research program
to study the potential use of non-lethal de-escalation unmanned
aircraft by law enforcement agencies.
``(2) Contents.--The study required under subsection (b)
shall address--
``(A) the process of assessing and validating
conducted energy devices or other non-lethal de-
escalation equipment that may be attached to unmanned
aircraft;
``(B) training protocols for law enforcement and
agents of the Administration; and
``(C) operational and safety protocols for
operators of non-lethal de-escalation unmanned aircraft
and agencies directly overseeing the operation of such
unmanned aircraft.
``(3) Partnerships.--The Administrator shall enter into
interagency agreements with the Departments of Justice,
Department of Homeland Security, and State large metropolitan
and rural law enforcement agencies with regard to the pilot
research program established under this subsection. The
Administrator shall designate the Center of Excellence for
Unmanned Aerial Systems designated under section 44814, in
collaboration with Federal, State, and large metropolitan law
enforcement as well as rural law enforcement training
facilities, as the location for such program.
``(4) Consultation.--The Administrator shall solicit input
from, and coordinate with, relevant stakeholders as appropriate
in carrying out the pilot research program established under
this subsection.
``(5) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation a report on the results of the pilot research
program that includes a plan outlining a proposed process
through which a law enforcement applicant to such program may
seek permission from the Administrator to operate non-lethal
de-escalation unmanned aircraft.
``(c) Rulemaking.--Not later than 90 days after submitting the
report set required under subsection (b)(5), the Administrator shall
initiate a rulemaking to create a process through which the
Administrator may provide approval to operate non-lethal de-escalation
unmanned aircraft.
``(d) Manufacturing Requirement.--Any non-lethal de-escalation
unmanned aircraft used under the pilot research program may be
manufactured in the United States, as defined by the Federal Trade
Commission under part 323 of title 16, Code of Federal Regulations.
``(e) Definitions of Non-Lethal De-Escalation Unmanned Aircraft.--
In this section:
``(1) Non-lethal de-escalation unmanned aircraft.--The term
`non-lethal de-escalation un- manned aircraft' means an
unmanned aircraft equipped with 1 or more non-lethal weapons or
devices that is--
``(A) used by law enforcement personnel in
scenarios that present significant risk to human life,
including the life of law enforcement personnel,
captives, uninvolved individuals, the public, or a
suspected criminal; and
``(B) in which the suspected criminal is in an
position through which he or she could potentially
escalate the situation and expose human life to a high
level of risk.
``(2) Non-lethal weapon.--The term `non-lethal weapon' has
the meaning given the term in used in DOD Directive Number
300.03E, issued on August 31, 2018, by the Department of
Defense.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 448 of title 49,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
```44811. Small unmanned aircraft pilot research for public safety.''.
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