Skip to main content
H.R. 4229 118th Congress House

Balloon Location and Identification Pronouncement Study Act

Official title: To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a study and submit a report on the effects of unmanned free balloons on aviation safety.

Introduced: July 10, 2023 See on congress.gov
Transportation and Public Works Aviation and airportsBroadcasting, cable, digital technologiesCongressional oversightGovernment studies and investigationsTransportation safety and security
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 118th Congress ended
It never became law before the 118th Congress (2023–2024) 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
Jun 21, 2023
Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
Jun 20, 2023
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jun 20, 2023
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action June 21, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Balloon Location and Identification Pronouncement Study Act or the BLIPS Act

This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to study the effects on aviation safety of domestically launched unmanned free balloons that do not emit a trackable electronic or radio signal.

DOD and the FAA must submit a report to Congress on the study. The report must include a discussion and recommendations on

  • the efficacy, feasibility, technical specifications, and potential civil and military impacts of mandating that domestically launched unmanned free balloons be equipped with an electronic or radio emitter that can be tracked with near real-time, geolocational, and altitudinal precision, and which can transmit identifying information of the balloon or its owner; and
  • how DOD and the FAA can collect the data and integrate it into a real-time or near real-time digital system that supports the operations of DOD and the FAA.
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Cosponsors 5
All 5 Democratic 2 Republican 3
R
Bergman, Jack
Michigan · Jul 10, 2023
 D
Carson, André
Indiana · Jul 10, 2023
 R
Radewagen, Aumua Amata Coleman
American Samoa · Jul 6, 2023
 D
Garcia, Sylvia R.
Texas · Jun 20, 2023
 R
Gimenez, Carlos A.
Florida · Jun 20, 2023
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4229: Balloon Location and Identification Pronouncement Study Act. 118th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-4229/
MLA
"H.R. 4229: Balloon Location and Identification Pronouncement Study Act." 118th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-4229/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4229, 118th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-4229/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4229: Balloon Location and Identification Pronouncement Study Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-4229/)
Report a problem