Consumer Drone Safety Act

Consumer Drone Safety Act

This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to publish a final rule containing safety requirements for the operation of consumer drones.

The final rule shall apply to consumer drones that are:

• flown for hobby or recreational use, and
• not operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization.

The final rule shall also contain requirements that include:

• a maximum altitude for flight of consumer drones,
• circumstances or areas where flights are restricted because of risk of unsafe interactions with manned aircraft and to persons or property on the ground, and
• conditions that may require limitations on flight (such as weather or time of day).

The FAA must also publish a final rule applicable to the manufacturing of consumer drones. This rule shall require modification, at the manufacturer's expense, of existing consumer drones so that they meet the rule's requirements.

The FAA may exempt from the rule applicable to manufacturers certain types of consumer drones if certain conditions concerning feasibility, cost, and safety are met.

No person may operate a consumer drone in the national airspace system without specific authority from the FAA.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection may use existing authority to enforce restrictions on the importation of consumer drones into the United States.