Senators introduce legislation for commercial use of drones in the US
US Senators Cory Booker and John Hoeven have introduced the Commercial UAS Modernization Act, which aims to “establish an interim rule for the operation of small unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes and their safe integration into the national airspace system”. Of course, one of the “commercial purposes” that have been proposed for small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) – or drones – is delivering post and parcels.
As previously reported, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently conducting tests on drones with industry partners. However, the the Small UAV Coalition – a lobby group campaigning for the wider use of drones – believes that the legislation proposed by Senators Booker and Hoeven could speed up the clearance process significantly.
According to the Small UAV Coalition: “The Commercial UAS Modernization Act would allow operators in the United States to take advantage of this technology now, instead of waiting one year or longer for the FAA to publish its final rule.”
The coalition added that it also welcomed a provision in the bill that would “create a Deputy Associate Administrator within the FAA to oversee UAS research and development, develop a UAV registration system, and authorize operations beyond the parameters of the FAA’s proposed rule”.
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has also thrown it weight behind the proposed legislation.
Douglas Johnson, vice president, technology policy with the CEA, commented: “According to CEA’s recent economic research, the US will reach one million UAS flights per day within the next 20 years – as long as we have the right policy environment in place.
“A safety-focused, lightly regulated UAS market will bring better access to the game-changing innovations drones can deliver – sometimes quite literally – from the rapid dispatch of first-responder supplies, to safer work environments for our inspection and repair crews, to more efficient, less-polluting commercial delivery systems. And by responsibly integrating drones into our transportation system, we’ll be able to cut back on city traffic, use less fuel and produce lower levels of carbon emissions.
“By seeking to advance the safe deployment and integration of commercial drones in the U.S., this bill recognizes the need to make the most of what could be a one billion dollar technology market.”
In the US, and indeed in other countries across the world, politicians are balancing their concerns over the possible safety risks of operating drones in high density population areas, with the fear that their country could lose out in a fiercely competitive commercial battle if they surrender the technological lead.
Senator Booker made this point when introducing the bill: “There is so much potential that can be unlocked if we lay the proper framework to support innovation in unmanned aircraft systems, but right now, the US is falling behind other countries because we lack rules for the safe operation of commercial UAS technology. The Commercial UAS Modernization Act sets up clear and immediate rules of the road, helping to lay a foundation that will allow us to make cutting-edge progress in a rapidly emerging field.”
The Commercial UAS Modernization Act was introduced to the US Senate yesterday (12 May) – just one day after the Singapore Parliament passed the Unmanned Aircraft (Public Safety and Security) Act.
Click here to view the full text of the Commercial UAS Modernization Act.
Click here to view a statement from Senator Booker regarding the introduction of the Act.
