S.Amdt. 1615

SA 1615. Mr. KENNEDY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill H.R. 7454, to amend title 49, United States Code, to
extend authorizations for the airport improvement program, to amend the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure
authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, and for other purposes;
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end, add the following:

TITLE IV--OTHER MATTERS

SEC. 401. EXPANDING USE OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE
GULF OF MEXICO.

(a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall prioritize the authorization of an
eligible UAS test range sponsor partnering with an eligible
airport authority to achieve the goals specified in
subsection (b).
(b) Goals.--The goals of a partnership authorized pursuant
to subsection (a) shall be to test the operations of
innovative technologies in both commercial and non-commercial
applications to--
(1) identify challenges associated with aviation operations
over large bodies of water;
(2) provide transportation of cargo and passengers to
offshore energy infrastructure;
(3) assess the impacts of operations in saltwater
environments;
(4) identify the challenges of integrating such
technologies in complex airspace, including with commercial
rotorcraft; and
(5) identify the differences between coordinating with
Federal air traffic control towers and towers operated under
the FAA Contract Tower Program.
(c) Briefing to Congress.--The Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration shall provide an annual briefing to
the appropriate committees of Congress on the status of the
partnership authorized under this section, including
detailing any barriers to the commercialization of innovative
technologies in the Gulf of Mexico.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible airport authority.--The term ``eligible
airport authority'' means an AIP-eligible airport authority
that is--
(A) located in a state bordering the Gulf of Mexico which
does not already contain a UAS Test Range;
(B) has an air traffic control tower operated under the FAA
Contract Tower Program;
(C) is located within 60 miles of a port; and
(D) does not have any scheduled passenger airline service
as of the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Eligible uas test range sponsor.--The term ``eligible
UAS test range sponsor'' means an existing sponsor of a UAS
test range located in a landlocked State.
(3) Innovative technologies.--The term ``innovative
technologies'' means unmanned aircraft systems and powered-
lift aircraft.
(4) UAS.--The term ``UAS'' means an unmanned aircraft
system.
(5) Unmanned aircraft system.--The term ``unmanned aircraft
system'' has the meaning given such term in section 44801 of
title 49, United States Code.

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