Consideration HR 3935 – FAA Reauthorization –

Yesterday, the Senate resumed consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of H.R. 3935. Sen Schumer (D,NY) entered a motion to close further debate on the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill. The vote on that cloture motion will take place when the Senate returns on March 30^th, 2024, after the vote on the Georgia N. Alexakis nomination.

The Senate actually started this process back in September, but it lead nowhere. At the time there were suggestions that Schumer was going to use the bill as a vessel for consideration of a clean continuing resolution while the House was trying to sort out how to proceed on the spending bills under Rep McCarthy (R,CA). At that time there had been one anti-Ukraine amendment submitted by Sen Vance (R,OH).

No new amendments have been submitted yet for consideration during the actual debate on HR 3935. The first amendment will almost certainly come from Sen Cantwell (D,WA) offering the reported version of S 1939 as substitute language for HR 3935. Additional amendments will be submitted, and some will be considered.

As I noted in a post on S 1939 there is an interesting counter-UAS provision in the Senate bill:

“Section 811 would amend 49 USC Chapter 448 by adding a new § 44813 Unmanned aircraft system detection and mitigation enforcement. The new section would prohibit anyone (other than certain government agencies and employees) from operating “a system or technology to detect, identify, monitor, track, or mitigate an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system in a manner that adversely impacts or interferes with safe airport operations, navigation, or air traffic services, or the safe and efficient operation of the national airspace system.” The term “adversely impacts or interferes with’ is not defined. Violators would be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $25,000 per violation. This prohibition would terminate on September 30, 2028.”