Drone Operator Safety Act of 2017

“39B. Unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft

“(a) Offense—It shall be unlawful to operate an unmanned aircraft and, in so doing, knowingly or recklessly interfering with, or disrupting the operation of, an aircraft or other airborne vehicle carrying one or more occupants operating in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, in a manner that poses an imminent safety hazard to such occupants.

“(b) Penalty

“(1) In general—Except as provided in paragraph (2), a person who violates subsection (a) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both.

“(2) Serious bodily injury or death—Any person who attempts to cause, or knowingly or recklessly causes, serious bodily injury or death while violating subsection (a) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both.

“(c) Operation of unmanned aircraft in close proximity to airports

“(1) In general—The operation of an unmanned aircraft, including an operation covered by section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–95; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note), within a runway exclusion zone shall be considered a violation of subsection (a) unless—

“(A) the operation of the unmanned aircraft received prior authorization for the operation from the air traffic control tower at the airport; or

“(B) the operation is the result of a circumstance, such as a malfunction, that could not have been reasonably foreseen or prevented by the operator.

“(2) Runway exclusion zone defined—In this subsection, the term “runway exclusion zone” means a rectangular area—

“(A) centered on the centerline of a runway of an airport; and

“(B) the length of which extends parallel to the runway’s centerline to points that are 1 statute mile from each end of the runway and the width of which is ½ statute mile.”