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HR 4229 118th Congress House Transportation and Public Works Aviation and airports Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies Congressional oversight Government studies and investigations Transportation safety and security

Balloon Location and Identification Pronouncement Study Act

Introduced: June 20, 2023 See on congress.gov
 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
 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.
What's happening now June 21, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3