High Threat Helicopter Flight Area Act

High Threat Helicopter Flight Area Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to designate an area at high risk for an attack by one or more terrorists as a high threat helicopter flight area.

Directs the Secretary to provide screening of all passengers and property transported from a high threat flight helicopter area on a passenger helicopter equivalent to that provided for passengers and property carried aboard a domestic passenger aircraft. Requires the Secretary to develop a plan for acquiring and training personnel, including acquiring equipment, to provide such screening.

Directs the Secretary of Transportation to take necessary action to ensure that: (1) no passenger helicopter flies in a high threat flight area, except on approach for landing, or departure after takeoff, in such area; (2) a passenger helicopter when flying in such area, to the maximum extent practicable, flies over water; and (3) a helicopter pilot when in flight over such area remains in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding its flight path, irrespective of its altitude. Exempts from such requirement helicopters carrying out military, police, medical, or other operations as the Secretary of Transportation deems appropriate.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4765 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4765

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate high threat 
 helicopter flight areas and to provide special rules for screening of 
  passengers and property to be transported on passenger helicopters 
  operating to or from such areas and for helicopters flights in such 
                     areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 15, 2006

  Mr. Weiner introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 Secretary of Homeland Security to designate high threat 
 helicopter flight areas and to provide special rules for screening of 
  passengers and property to be transported on passenger helicopters 
  operating to or from such areas and for helicopters flights in such 
                     areas, 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 ``High Threat Helicopter Flight Area 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

    The Secretary of Homeland Security shall designate an area in the 
United States that the Secretary determines is an area at high risk for 
an attack by one or more terrorists as a high threat helicopter flight 
area.

SEC. 3. SCREENING FOR PASSENGER HELICOPTERS DEPARTING HIGH THREAT 
              FLIGHT AREAS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide 
the same screening of all passengers and property that will be 
transported, from a point located in an area designated as a high 
threat helicopter area under section 2, on a passenger helicopter in 
the United States by a person (including an air carrier) as the 
screening that is provided for passengers and property that are carried 
aboard a passenger aircraft operated by an air carrier under section 
44901 of title 49, United States Code.
    (b) Deadline for Beginning.--On the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall begin development of a plan for acquiring and 
training personnel, and acquiring equipment, to provide the screening 
required by subsection (a).

SEC. 4. SPECIAL RULES REGARDING FLIGHTS OF HELICOPTERS OPERATING IN 
              HIGH THREAT FLIGHT AREAS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall take such 
action as may be necessary to ensure that--
            (1) no passenger helicopter flies in an area designated as 
        a high threat flight area by the Secretary of Homeland Security 
        under section 2, except on approach for landing, or departure 
        after take off, in such area;
            (2) whenever a passenger helicopter is flying in such an 
        area, the helicopter, to maximum extent practicable, flies over 
        water; and
            (3) the pilot of a flight of any helicopter in such an area 
        remains in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration 
        regarding the flight path of such helicopter, regardless of the 
        altitude of such helicopter.
    (b) Exceptions.--The Secretary of Transportation shall except from 
any requirement of subsection (a) a helicopter carrying out such 
military, police, medical, or other operations as the Secretary 
determines appropriate.
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