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H.R. 3644 115th Congress House

Drone Operator Safety Act of 2017

Official title: To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for the punishment of unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft, and for other purposes.

Introduced: August 4, 2017 See on congress.gov
Crime and Law Enforcement Aviation and airportsTransportation safety and security
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This bill died when the 115th Congress ended
It never became law before the 115th Congress (2017–2018) 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 21, 2017
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Aug 4, 2017
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Aug 4, 2017
Introduced in House
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 Latest action September 21, 2017

Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Drone Operator Safety Act of 2017

This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to knowingly or recklessly operate an unmanned aircraft that interferes with or disrupts an aircraft or airborne vehicle carrying at least one occupant in U.S. airspace.

It imposes criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term, or both—on a violator.

The prohibition includes the unauthorized operation of an unmanned aircraft within an airport's runway exclusion zone (i.e., defined area of controlled airspace around an active runway) unless the operation is the result of an unforeseeable circumstance (e.g., a malfunction).

 Related & companion bills 2
  • S 1755 Identical bill Drone Operator Safety Act of 2017
  • S 1405 Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3644: Drone Operator Safety Act of 2017. 115th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-3644/
MLA
"H.R. 3644: Drone Operator Safety Act of 2017." 115th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-3644/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3644, 115th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-3644/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3644: Drone Operator Safety Act of 2017](https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-3644/)
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