To amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require prior approval from Congress before the Comptroller General may pursue a civil action under such Act, and for other purposes.

House Bill

H.R. 4229

119th Congress

To amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require prior approval from Congress before the Comptroller General may pursue a civil action under such Act, and for other purposes.

In Committee

Introduced:Jun 27, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Mikie Sherrill

D - NJ

Cosponsors

5

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Transportation and Public Works

Summary

This bill directs the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration to study the effects on aviation safety of unmanned free balloons that do not have a way to be tracked electronically. The goal is to determine if these balloons should be required to have a tracking device that can transmit their location and other identifying information in real-time.

Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

Introduced6/27/2025

StatusReferred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a pe

ChamberHouse

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

To amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require prior approval from Congress before the Comptroller General may pursue a civil action under such Act, and for other purposes.

This bill directs the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration to study the effects on aviation safety of unmanned free balloons that do not have a way to be tracked electronically. The goal is to determine if these balloons should be requ

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill directs the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration to study the effects on aviation safety of unmanned free balloons that do not have a way to be tracked electronically. The goal is to determine if these balloons should be required to have a tracking device that can transmit their location and other identifying information in real-time.

Bill Number: 4229
Introduced: 6/27/2025
Status: Referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a pe
Policy Area: Transportation and Public Works

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: To amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require prior approval from Congress before the Comptroller General may pursue a civil action under such Act, and for other purposes.
Bill Number: 4229
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a pe
Introduced: 6/27/2025
Summary: This bill directs the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration to study the effects on aviation safety of unmanned free balloons that do not have a way to be tracked electronically. The goal is to determine if these balloons should be required to have a tracking device that can

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill directs the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration to study the effects on aviation safety of unmanned free balloons that do not have a way to be tracked electronically. The goal is to determine if these balloons should be required to have a tracking device that can transmit their location and other identifying information in real-time.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

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 <ul> <li> 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 </li> <li> 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.</li> </ul>

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

The bill requires the DOD and FAA to study the impacts of domestically launched unmanned free balloons that do not have electronic tracking capabilities.
The study must look at the feasibility and potential impacts of mandating these balloons have a tracking device to transmit location, altitude, and identification data in real-time.
The study must also examine how the government can collect and integrate this balloon tracking data into their aviation operations.

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If this bill becomes law, it would affect anyone launching or operating unmanned free balloons domestically, as they may be required to equip their balloons with new tracking technology. This could impact companies, researchers, or hobbyists who use these balloons. The new tracking system could also provide the government with more comprehensive data on balloon activity to improve aviation safety and security.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Transportation and Public Works

Related Subjects

Aviation and airports

Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies

Congressional oversight

Government studies and investigations

Transportation safety and security

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

4229, 119th Congress (2025). "To amend the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require prior approval from Congress before the Comptroller General may pursue a civil action under such Act, and for other purposes.". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-4229