Balloon Location and Identification Pronouncement Study Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4229 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4229

To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the Federal 
 Aviation Administration to conduct a study and submit a report on the 
         effects of unmanned free balloons on aviation safety.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 20, 2023

   Ms. Sherrill (for herself, Mr. Gimenez, and Ms. Garcia of Texas) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Armed Services, 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 direct the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the Federal 
 Aviation Administration to conduct a study and submit a report on the 
         effects of unmanned free balloons on aviation safety.

    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 ``Balloon Location and Identification 
Pronouncement Study Act'' or the ``BLIPS Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY AND REPORT ON EFFECTS OF UNMANNED FREE BALLOONS ON 
              AVIATION SAFETY.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The officials concerned shall conduct a 
        study on the effects on aviation safety of domestically 
        launched unmanned free balloons that do not emit an electronic 
        or radio signal that is able to be located or tracked by the 
        owner of the balloon or by civil or military airspace 
        authorities.
            (2) Elements.--The study described in paragraph (1) shall 
        include an analysis of--
                    (A) how flights of the balloons described in 
                paragraph (1) have or could affect aviation safety;
                    (B) how such balloon flights have contributed or 
                could contribute to misidentified threats to civil or 
                military air vehicles or infrastructure; and
                    (C) how such balloon flights have impacted or could 
                impact defense readiness and air traffic control 
                operations.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
        enactment of this section, the officials concerned shall submit 
        to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing 
        the results of the study described in subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Discussion and recommendations.--The report described 
        in paragraph (1) shall include discussion and recommendations 
        pertaining to--
                    (A) the efficacy, feasibility, technical 
                specifications, and potential civil and military 
                impacts of mandating that each domestically launched 
                unmanned free balloon be equipped with an electronic or 
                radio emitter that can be tracked with near real-time, 
                geolocational, and altitudinal precision, and which can 
                transmit identifying information of the balloon or its 
                owner; and
                    (B) how the officials concerned can collect and use 
                the data of such emitters for airspace deconfliction 
                and maintaining a safe airspace picture by integrating 
                the data into a real-time or near real-time digital 
                system that supports the operations of the Federal 
                Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    (B) the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure of the House of Representatives;
                    (C) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; 
                and
                    (D) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate.
            (2) Officials concerned.--The term ``officials concerned'' 
        means the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the 
        Federal Aviation Administration.
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