Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6618 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6618

To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 conduct a study on drone incursions on wildfire suppression, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 11, 2025

   Ms. Bynum (for herself, Mr. Crane, Mr. Neguse, and Mr. Ciscomani) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 conduct a study on drone incursions on wildfire suppression, 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 ``Wildfire Aerial Response Safety 
Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON DRONE INCURSIONS ON WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Drone.--The term ``drone'' means an unmanned aircraft 
        system owned by a private individual or entity.
            (2) Drone incursion.--The term ``drone incursion'' means 
        the operation of a drone within any airspace for which the 
        Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration has issued 
        a temporary flight restriction because of a wildfire.
            (3) Unmanned aircraft system.--The term ``unmanned aircraft 
        system'' means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements 
        (including, if applicable, communication links and the 
        components that control the unmanned aircraft) that are 
        required for the operator to operate safely and efficiently.
    (b) Study Required.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and 
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 
Service, shall conduct a study on the effects of drone incursions on 
wildfire suppression with respect to land managed by the Department of 
the Interior or the Department of Agriculture.
    (c) Study Contents.--In conducting the study required under 
subsection (b), the Administrator shall--
            (1) determine, for each of the 5 most recent calendar 
        years--
                    (A) the number of occurrences in which a drone 
                incursion interfered with wildfire suppression; and
                    (B) the estimated effect of each occurrence 
                described in subparagraph (A) on--
                            (i) the length of time required to achieve 
                        complete suppression;
                            (ii) any associated delay in the fielding 
                        of aerial firefighting response units; and
                            (iii) the amounts expended by the Federal 
                        Government; and
            (2) evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of various 
        actions to prevent drone incursions, including--
                    (A) the use of counter-drone radio towers;
                    (B) the use of reasonable force to disable, damage, 
                or destroy a drone;
                    (C) the seizure of a drone, including seizure with 
                a net device; and
                    (D) the dissemination of educational materials 
                relating to the effects of drone incursions on wildfire 
                suppression.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources, the Committee on Appropriations, and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 
the Committee on Natural Resources, the Committee on Appropriations, 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives a report describing--
            (1) the findings of the study required under subsection 
        (b); and
            (2) any recommendations relating to those findings.
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