Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3196 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3196

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit helicopter flights 
   near Statue of Liberty National Monument, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 2025

 Mr. Nadler (for himself, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Malliotakis, Ms. Meng, Ms. 
 Velazquez, and Mrs. McIver) introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit helicopter flights 
   near Statue of Liberty National Monument, 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 ``Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON HELICOPTER FLIGHTS NEAR STATUE OF LIBERTY 
              NATIONAL MONUMENT.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 44749. Prohibition on helicopter flights near Statue of Liberty 
              National Monument
    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this section, no person may operate a civil helicopter in 
covered airspace except as provided for under subsection (b).
    ``(b) Exceptions.--
            ``(1) Public health and safety.--The prohibition in 
        subsection (a) shall not apply to a flight carried out for 
        purposes of public health and safety, including--
                    ``(A) law enforcement;
                    ``(B) emergency response;
                    ``(C) disaster response;
                    ``(D) the provision of medical services; and
                    ``(E) providing other services for the benefit of 
                the general public, including flights carried out for 
                research or for official purposes by a news 
                organization.
            ``(2) Infrastructure maintenance.--The prohibition in 
        subsection (a) shall not apply to a flight carried out for 
        purposes heavy-lift operations in support of construction and 
        infrastructure maintenance.
    ``(c) Covered Airspace Defined.--In this section, the term `covered 
airspace' means the airspace within a 20-mile radius of the Statue of 
Liberty National Monument.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 447 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``44749. Prohibition on helicopter flights near Statue of Liberty 
                            National Monument.''.

SEC. 3. HELICOPTER FLIGHT ROUTES NEAR STATUE OF LIBERTY NATIONAL 
              MONUMENT.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue or 
update such regulations as are necessary to carry out the requirements 
of section 2.
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