FINDINGS AND POLICY.

SEC. 7202. FINDINGS AND POLICY. (a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings: (1) Illegal drug consumption and the trafficking in illegal drugs is a major problem in the United States. (2) The smuggling of drugs into the United States through the use of general aviation aircraft is a major contributing factor in the illegal drug crisis facing our Nation. (3) The Federal Government has a significant role in combatting such drug crisis. (4) The Federal Aviation Administration has played an important role in assisting law enforcement agencies in certain aspects of drug interdiction and enforcement activities. (5) The current systems of registering aircraft, certificating pilots, and processing major aircraft repair and alteration forms and enforcement of the requirements associated with such systems need to be improved in order to more effectively contribute to drug interdiction and enforcement efforts. (6) Improving such systems and enforcement of such requirements will require providing the Federal Aviation Administration with additional funding and other resources. (7) Improved systems of registering aircraft, certificating pilots, and processing major aircraft repair and alteration forms and increased enforcement of requirements associated with such systems will benefit all users of such systems (including law enforcement officials) and the general public. (b) Policy.—Section 103 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. App. 1303) is amended by redesignating paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) (and any references thereto) as paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5), respectively, by striking out the semicolons at the end of each of paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) (as so redesignated) and inserting in lieu thereof a period, and by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph: “(6) The provision of assistance to law enforcement agencies in the enforcement of laws relating to the regulation of controlled substances, to the extent consistent with aviation safety.”.