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S 1608 112th Congress Senate Crime and Law Enforcement Aviation and airports Criminal procedure and sentencing Transportation safety and security

Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2011

Introduced: September 22, 2011 Introduced by: Whitehouse, Sheldon Democratic · Rhode Island See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 22, 2011
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Sep 22, 2011
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5894-5895)
Sep 22, 2011
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the aiming of the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft or in its flight path. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to five years.

Exempts from such prohibition: (1) individuals conducting research and development or flight test operations for an aircraft manufacturer or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); (2) Department of Defense (DOD) or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel conducting research, development, operations, testing or training; or (3) an individual using a laser emergency signaling device to send a distress signal.

What's happening now September 22, 2011

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 386 Related bill Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2011
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1608: Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2011. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1608/
MLA
"S. 1608: Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2011." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1608/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1608, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1608/.
Markdown link
[S. 1608: Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2011](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1608/)
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