By Bob Katzen

Would impose a $5,000 fine and/or five-year prison sentence on anyone who directs a laser pointer at an aircraft or operates an unmanned aerial vehicle within the flight path of an aircraft.

“Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is called lasing and can cause temporary blindness and confusion to pilots as they attempt to descend towards a landing strip,” said sponsor Rep. Bruce Ayers (D-Quincy). “Statistics show that lasing is on the rise, with over 9,500 cases reported in 2022. With over 375,000 flights out of Logan Airport each year, carrying over 35 million passengers, lasing poses a serious public safety risk to pilots, passengers and the community below. With the passage of this bill, we can set a strong precedent that this dubious behavior will not be tolerated and will carry serious consequences.”