Drone Safety Enhancement Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6647 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6647

   To provide for collaboration between NASA and the FAA relating to 
 research on unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 11, 2025

Mr. Kean (for himself and Mr. Amo) introduced the following bill; which 
    was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for collaboration between NASA and the FAA relating to 
 research on unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility, 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 Safety Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM AND ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY.

    (a) Finding.--Congress finds that research and development related 
to autonomous aviation is vital to ensure United States competitiveness 
as the National Airspace System evolves from trajectory-based 
operations to collaborative and highly automated operations.
    (b) Collaboration.--The Administrator shall, in collaboration with 
the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, the heads of 
other relevant Federal agencies, and appropriate representatives of 
academia and industry, continue its research on unmanned aircraft 
systems and advanced air mobility, including research related to UTM 
and autonomous capabilities, as practicable.
    (c) Briefing.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate 
committees of Congress on the progress of the research under subsection 
(b).
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration.
            (2) Advanced air mobility.--The term ``advanced air 
        mobility'' means a transportation system that is comprised of 
        urban air mobility and regional air mobility using manned or 
        unmanned aircraft.
            (3) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
                of the House of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate.
            (4) Regional air mobility.--The term ``regional air 
        mobility'' means the movement of passengers or property by air 
        between two points using an airworthy aircraft that--
                    (A) has advanced technologies, such as distributed 
                propulsion, vertical takeoff and landing, powered lift, 
                nontraditional power systems, or autonomous 
                technologies;
                    (B) has a maximum takeoff weight of greater than 
                1,320 pounds; and
                    (C) is not urban air mobility.
            (5) Unmanned aircraft system.--The term ``unmanned aircraft 
        system'' has the meaning given such term in section 44801 of 
        title 49, United States Code.
            (6) Urban air mobility.--The term ``urban air mobility'' 
        means the movement of passengers or property by air between two 
        points in different cities or two points within the same city 
        using an airworthy aircraft that--
                    (A) has advanced technologies, such as distributed 
                propulsion, vertical takeoff and landing, powered lift, 
                nontraditional power systems, or autonomous 
                technologies; and
                    (B) has a maximum takeoff weight of greater than 
                1,320 pounds.
            (7) UTM.--The term ``UTM'' means an unmanned aircraft 
        system traffic management system or service.
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