Introduction of the Commercial UAS Modernization Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, the UAS industry is booming in Oregon and nationwide, but our laws and regulations are stifling innovation instead of encouraging it, forcing American companies to look overseas to test new technology. We must not miss the opportunity to harness the benefits and utility of UAS technology, which will bring advances in safety and efficiency in nearly every sector of the economy.

Today, I am introducing the Commercial UAS Modernization Act, which creates an interim framework that will promote American innovation in the rapidly growing field of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and will facilitate the safe integration of UAS into the National Airspace System.

While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in the process of creating a regulatory framework for commercial UAS operation, the FAA's existing approach to UAS integration and regulation has been piecemeal at best. As a result, we are behind other countries in developing a regulatory regime that encourages growth of this burgeoning industry, and U.S. companies are being overtaken by competition in Canada, Europe, and Asia. This legislation offers a uniform and comprehensive approach that offers our drone industry a sensible path forward.

The UAS industry expects to produce more than 100,000 U.S. jobs, with $82 billion in economic impact, within a decade after these regulations are complete. The potential social and economic benefits of this technology go far beyond package delivery and capturing photos and video footage. Around the world, UAS are being used to inspect critical infrastructure and conduct land surveys, fight forest fires and support emergency and disaster response, transport medical samples and supplies, analyze and manage crops, detect oil spills and predict volcanic eruptions, catch poachers, and deliver high-speed Internet to remote or underserved areas. Full integration of UAS into the national airspace could revolutionize the way entire sectors of our economy and governments function.

The Commercial UAS Modernization Act provides a much-needed update to federal rules, making it clear that flying smartphones should not be regulated like Predator drones.

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