Safe Airspace for Americans Act

OCR Text

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 6967 Introduced in House (IH)] DOC 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6967 To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to establish procedures and reporting requirements for incidents relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 11, 2024 Mr. Robert Garcia of California (for himself, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Moskowitz, Ms. Mace, Mr. Ogles, and Mrs. Luna) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to establish procedures and reporting requirements for incidents relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena, 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 ``Safe Airspace for Americans Act''. SEC. 2. UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA. (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall-- (1) develop procedures to synchronize and standardize the collection, reporting, and analysis of incidents, including adverse physiological effects, or the disruption, interference, or interaction with flight instruments, potentially caused by an unidentified anomalous phenomena reported by civilian aircrew, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, aviation maintenance personnel, aviation dispatchers, air carriers or operators, and airports; (2) develop processes and procedures to ensure that such incidents are reported and stored in an appropriate manner that allows for the integration of analysis of such information; (3) establish procedures to provide employees of the Federal Aviation Administration the ability for timely and consistent reporting of such incidents that could reasonably be considered an unidentified anomalous phenomena; (4) develop processes and procedures to ensure the timely investigations of such incidents, including immediately archiving information or data, including pilot-controller communications as well as air traffic management system and radar data, that could be used to aid in such investigations; and (5) evaluate the threat that such incidents present to the safety of the national airspace system. (b) Coordination.--In carrying out the requirements of this section, the Administrator shall coordinate with the heads of other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, as appropriate, including the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the Secretary of Energy. (c) All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office.--The Administrator shall share the reports and all incident archived information and data submitted under this section with the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office of the Department of Defense. (d) Prohibition Against Use of Reports for Enforcement Purposes.-- The Administrator may not use reports submitted under this section (or information derived therefrom) in any enforcement action except information concerning accidents or criminal offenses. (e) Communications Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall produce and implement a communications strategy to-- (1) engage the public and publicize the reporting process described under subsection (a); and (2) decrease stigma towards individuals submitting information to the Administrator under this section. (f) Reporting System.-- (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall select whether reports submitted under this section shall be received through-- (A) the Aviation Safety Reporting Program in effect as of the date of enactment of this Act; or (B) a new and separate system similar to such Program that is established to exclusively receive report of potential unidentified anomalous phenomena. (2) Consideration.--If the Administrator makes a selection under paragraph (1)(A), not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall consider whether to update the Aviation Safety Reporting Program reporting intake system to improve the capture information rega…