States in Session: Drone Legislation We're Tracking

This month, state legislatures came into session for 2023. All 50 states will be meeting in unrestricted sessions this year.?

States?have the ability to push forward the industry through UAS and AAM friendly policy. When states support and collaborate with the emerging uncrewed systems industry, it provides immense public benefit for all.?

To assist in this goal, AUVSI has created an industry backed multi-state initiative,?Drone Prepared, to help lawmakers ensure that their state is ready for the benefits that uncrewed systems offer.?Follow our state air domain?bill tracker?for regular updates.?

Legislation AUVSI Supports?

Key bills we’re tracking:?AUVSI is grateful for the opportunity to work closely this session with Mississippi Judiciary A Chairman Joey Filingane, who is excited about the benefits the drone industry can bring to his state. We also sent letters of support of the Governor’s Executive Budget to lawmakers in North Dakota.?

What they do:?

• Mississippi companion bills?HB 839?and?SB 2146?– the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Rights and Authorities Act?– were introduced with AUVSI’s support using our model legislation. The bill passed out of the House Committee Judiciary B by a unanimous vote.?
• North Dakota?HB 1018?is the vehicle for?Governor Doug Burgum's Executive Budget,?which includes $30 million in funding for Vantis and $7 million for the GrandSKY UAS business and aviation park in Grand Forks.?Learn more in a press release?here.

What’s next:?This week, the AUVSI State Advocacy team is in Mississippi to testify in favor of the Drone Prepared legislation.?

Legislation AUVSI Opposes?

Key bills?we’re tracking:?Last week,?AUVSI, along with the Drone Service Providers Alliance (DSPA) and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), submitted?letters of?opposition?for?Virginia HB 2020 and SB 1073, Wyoming SF 32, and Utah SB 24. AUVSI also submitted written testimony in opposition to Missouri HB 178.?

What they do:?

• Virginia?HB 2020?and?SB 1073?are?intended to prohibit the use of drones to deliver contraband. These measures have already been subject to industry pushback due to problematic lateral distance language that was in earlier versions of the bills. While the language has been amended in a positive direction, drone-specific contraband measures are unnecessary and duplicative when there is already contraband statute on the books.??
• Wyoming SF 32?is another contraband measure, introduced as a part of a package of drone regulation measures.?As Wyoming already has contraband prohibitions in place, this measure creates unnecessary, redundant regulation of the industry.?
• Utah SB 24?recently passed in the Senate. It?would require additional registration of UAS, impose additional registration fees, and require licensure for AAM businesses in political subdivisions. This measure will encumber an emerging industry with gratuitous fees and create barriers to necessary innovations.?
• Missouri HB 178?would prohibit the operation of UAS on private property within 400 feet of the vertical distance of private property, with exceptions including for federally certified pilots of uncrewed aircraft.??

Why these bills are the wrong approach:?Legislators?should exercise caution when creating drone-specific legislation and focus on supporting the growth of the UAS and AAM industry without creating duplicative and onerous regulations. In the absence of regulatory hurdles, commercial drone operations hold immense promise to simultaneously provide workforce, economic, and environmental benefits to the communities where they operate.?

What’s next:?The AUVSI?State Advocacy team is continuing to educate state lawmakers across the nation about how they can support effective, UAS industry-supported proposals.?

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Elizabeth Sila is Government Affairs Coordinator at AUVSI.