Balloon Location and Identification Pronouncement Study Act

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.

Bill 118 hr 4229, also known as the Balloon Location and Identification Pronouncement Study Act, is a piece of legislation currently being considered by the US Congress. The purpose of this bill is to conduct a study on the location and identification of balloons that are released into the atmosphere.

The bill aims to address concerns about the environmental impact of balloons that are released into the air, as well as the potential dangers they pose to wildlife and aircraft. The study would examine the current methods used to track and identify balloons, as well as explore potential new technologies that could improve the tracking and identification process.

If passed, the Balloon Location and Identification Pronouncement Study Act would allocate funding for the study and require the results to be reported to Congress within a specified timeframe. The findings of the study would then be used to inform future legislation and regulations related to the release of balloons. Overall, this bill seeks to promote environmental conservation and safety by better understanding the impact of balloons on the environment and exploring ways to improve the tracking and identification of released balloons.