Each week during the 2024 state sessions, this newsletter will provide updates on the legislative actions taking place in statehouses across the country.
About Drone Prepared and AAM Prepared: AUVSI’s Prepared initiatives work to ensure that states and localities are ready for the benefits that uncrewed and autonomous flight will bring to their communities.
What’s new: As 2024 sessions begin, we’re seeing an influx of new measures.
- Another 17 states convened this week.
- There were 13 new measures introduced and 3 saw committee activity.
What’s next: We expect to continue to see high levels of new bills through January, with increased levels of committee activity towards the end of the month.
- Florida House Bill 1275/Senate Bill 1506 – Requires the Development of a strategic infrastructure investment plan to address mobility infrastructure and secure the state economic driver, with a focus on AAM implementation.?
- Florida House Bill 1301 – Creates a grant program for funding to develop and establish vertiports in the State.?
- Florida House Bill 1425 – Applies critical infrastructure UAS restrictions to moderate-risk residential facilities, instead of nonsecure residential facilities.?
- Florida Senate Bill 1532/Senate Bill 1646 – Applies the new definition of “dam” to critical infrastructure restrictions for UAS.??
- Illinois Senate Bill 2698 – Allows a forest preserve district or conservation district to regulate UAS.??
- Iowa Senate File 2030 – Clarifies that an emergency use proclamation may not authorize the use of any UAS or advanced robotics to enforce the proclamation.?
- Indiana Senate Bill 182 – Clarifies that trafficking with an inmate includes delivering, carrying, or receiving contraband through the use of UAS.??
- Indiana Senate Bill 189 – Permits the use of UAS to locate and recover legally taken animals.??
- Maryland Senate Bill 273 – Prohibits the intentional photography or image capture of a correctional facility through a UAS and prohibits the delivery of contraband by a UAS.??
- New Jersey Senate Bill 195 – States that a person commits a crime if he operates a UAS in the furtherance of an offence or crime.??
- New Jersey Senate Bill 1035 – Increases the research expense credit for taxpayers in targeted industries. Advanced transportation, aviation, and AV research included in “targeted industry.”??
- Tennesse Senate Bill 1645/ House Bill 1620 - Removes the July 1, 2024, termination date for Chapter 462 of the Public Acts of 2021, allowing a law enforcement agency to continue to use a drone to search for and collect evidence or obtain information with the consent of a private property owner, in case of a natural emergency, or to investigate a crime that is occurring or has occurred.?
- West Virginia House Bill 4497 – Requires UAS registration information to be included on any domestic violence registry.??
- Wisconsin Senate Bill 867 - States that counties, cities, villages, and towns must use zoning and land use authority to promote reasonable access to advanced air mobility operators at public vertiports and may not grant or permit an exclusive right of operation to one or more vertiport owners or operators.?
- Washington House Bill 2134 – This measure was heard in the House Transportation Committee on the 10th. It appropriates $300,000 to develop a statewide AAM plan.??
- Washington House Bill 1586 – This measure was referred to the House Rules “X” File, which means it is no longer eligible for consideration. It required a study on vehicular pursuit technology, including drones.??
- Indiana Senate Bill 182 – This measure is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law on the 16th. It clarifies that trafficking with an inmate includes delivering, carrying, or receiving through a UAS.??
- January 16: Illinois, New Mexico, and Utah convene
- January 17: Hawaii convenes
- January 19: Iowa introduction deadline
Elizabeth Sila
is Manager, Government Affairs at AUVSI.
