,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #haf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #ae1 #bjbc   
,mr4 ,kelly 7for himself and ,mr4 ,budd7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was read twice and referred to the      
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to require 
the ,administrator of the ,federal      
,aviation ,administration to establish  
an ,aviation ,rulemaking ,committee to  
make recommendations regarding          
continuous aircraft tracking and        
transmission of identity1 altitude1 and 
location data for high altitude         
balloons1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,seeing ,objects at ,altitude       
,regularly ,act or the ,,soar ,act4  #b4
 ,continuous aircraft tracking and      
transmission for high altitude balloons 
7a7 ,aviation ,rulemaking ,committee    
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj   
days after the date of enactment of this
 section1 the ,administrator shall      

establish an ,aviation ,rulemaking      
,committee 7in this section referred to 
as the ,committee7 to review and develop
 findings and recommendations regarding 
a standard that any high altitude       
balloon be equipped with a system for   
continuous aircraft tracking that shall 
transmit1 at a minimum1 the altitude1   
location1 and identity of the high      
altitude balloon in a manner which is   
accessible to air traffic controllers1  
aircraft1 and other users of the        
,national ,airspace ,system4  7#b7      
,composition ,the ,committee shall      
consist of members appointed by the     
,administrator1 including the following3
 7,a7 ,representatives of industry4     
7,b7 ,aviation safety experts with      
specific knowledge of high altitude     
balloon operations4  7,c7               
,representatives of the ,department of  
,defense4  7,d7 ,representatives of     
,federal agencies that conduct high     
altitude balloon operations4  7#c7      
,report ,not later than #ah months after

 the date of enactment of this section1 
the ,committee shall submit to the      
,administrator a report detailing the   
findings and recommendations of the     
,committee described in paragraph 7#a74 
,such report shall include              
recommendations regarding the following3
  7,a7 ,how to update sections #ia4bae1 
#ia4bbe1 and #ii4ac of title #ad1 ,code 
of ,federal ,regulations1 to require any
 high altitude balloons to have a       
continuous aircraft tracking and        
transmission system4  7,b7 ,any         
necessary updates to the requirements   
for unmanned free balloons under subpart
 ,d of part #aja of title #ad1 ,code of 
,federal ,regulations4  7,c7 ,any       
necessary updates to other ,federal     
,aviation ,administration regulations or
 requirements deemed appropriate and    
necessary by the ,administrator to-- 7i7
 ensure any high altitude balloon has a 
continuous aircraft tracking and        
transmission system2  7ii7 ensure all   
data relating to the altitude1 location1

 and identity of any high altitude      
balloon is made available to air traffic
 controllers1 aircraft1 and other users 
of the ,national ,airspace ,system2 and 
7iii7 maintain airspace safety4  7b7    
,rulemaking and other requirements ,not 
later than #ahj days after the date on  
which the ,committee submits the report 
under subsection 7a77#c71 the           
,administrator shall-- 7#a7 issue a     
notice of proposed rulemaking to require
 a continuous aircraft tracking and     
transmission system for any high        
altitude balloon1 in accordance with the
 recommendations of the ,committee2 and 
7#b7 coordinate with foreign authorities
 7including bilateral partners and the  
,international ,civil ,aviation         
,organization 7,,icao77 to develop      
continuous aircraft tracking and        
transmission system standards for any   
high altitude balloon operating outside 
of the ,national ,airspace ,system4  7c7
 ,interim standard ,during the period   
beginning on the date that is #b years  

after the date of enactment of this     
section and ending on the date on which 
the ,administrator issues a notice of   
proposed rulemaking under subsection    
7b77#a71 a person may only operate a    
high altitude balloon if such balloon   
meets the requirements described in     
section #ia4bae7;b7 of title #ad1 ,code 
of ,federal ,regulations1               
notwithstanding the exemption provided  
in subsection 7e77#a7 of such section   
#ia4bae4  7d7 ,reports to ,congress ,not
 later than #f months after the date of 
enactment of this section1 and every #f 
months thereafter until the             
,administrator promulgates a final rule 
under subsection 7b71 the ,administrator
 shall submit to the appropriate        
committees of ,congress a report on the 
status of the rulemaking and other      
requirements being developed under such 
subsection4  7e7 ,definitions ,in this  
section3  7#a7 ,administrator ,the term 
,administrator means the ,administrator 
of the ,federal ,aviation               

,administration4  7#b7 ,appropriate     
committees of ,congress ,the term       
appropriate committees of ,congress     
means--  7,a7 the ,committee on         
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate2  7,b7 the ,committee on
 ,appropriations of the ,senate2  7,c7  
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure of the ,house of        
,representatives2 and  7,d7 the         
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,house of ,representatives4  7#c7 ,high 
altitude balloon ,the term high altitude
 balloon means a manned or unmanned free
 balloon operating not less than #aj1jjj
 feet above sea level4