The Senate Commerce Committee recently advanced legislation designed to fund the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through 2021.
The bill also maintains the perimeter rules between Thurgood Marshall Baltimore Washington International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.
A large part of the bill addresses the development of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
“As the UAS industry continues to develop at a rapid pace, we need to ensure the U.S. is well positioned to keep pace with the technology so this development doesn’t just go overseas,” Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) said. “To that end, I’m pleased that the committee-passed version of this legislation includes several provisions that will move us forward in efforts to safely integrate this technology into commercial use and further harness its potential – including a five-year extension of the FAA Unmanned Aircraft System test sites like the Mid-Atlantic Partnership at Virginia Tech that are the vanguard of this burgeoning technology.”
Warner is a supporter of UAS technologies and last month introduced the Safe DRONE Act of 2017.
Parts of the bill were incorporated into the FAA reauthorization bill, which includes allowing the FAA to register UAS and collect fees.
By 2025, UAS production is expected to reach $93 billion, according to a Teal Group report.