Value Of 'Commercial UAS Modernization Act' Questioned By Some Smaller Operators

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate by Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Hoeven (R-ND) has been praised by industry groups like AUVSI, but it is not universally popular in all corners of the UAV world.

The bill is intended to establish an interim rule for the operation of small unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes and their safe integration into the national airspace system while the FAA grinds through its rulemaking process. It would allow the operation of small unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes without an airworthiness certificate within the United States beginning on the date of the enactment and ending on the effective date of a final rule based on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

The law would require operators to carry liability insurance, register their aircraft with the FAA, pass a knowledge test and show proficiency with their aircraft.

AUVSI president and CEO said in a statement that the association "appreciates the efforts of Senators Booker and Hoeven to accelerate the safe integration of UAS in the National Airspace System. Their proposed legislation elevates UAS as a national priority, ensuring the industry can quickly and safely takeoff in the U.S. and keep pace with other countries that already have more permissive UAS regulations. The sooner we allow the broader use of this technology, the more quickly the U.S. will realize the many societal and economic benefits of UAS.”

According to AUVSI’s economic impact report, within 10 years of integration, the UAS industry will represent an $82 billion segment of the U.S. economy and generate more than 100,000 new high-paying technical jobs. Conversely, each day the rulemaking is delayed, the U.S. loses a projected $27 million in economic impact.

But writing on the website Radio Motherboard, columnist Jason Koebler says that the bill would only benefit large companies that want to operate their aircraft for commercial purposes. He said the law, if enacted, would be "great news" for large companies "who have plenty of money to navigate these regulations."

Koelber cites a section of the bill that would criminalize the use of UAVs that don't comply with his regulations, which are more strict than those proposed by the FAA in its NPRM. The bill also allows for "reasonable fees" for the registration of the aircraft.

Koebler says that UAV technology has already led to the creation of "hundreds" of one- and two-person businesses, some of which are growing rapidly. But this bill, he says, appears to be "designed to help the major players get a head start on the small guys who will have to wait for the FAA's real rules to go into effect."

FMI: Full Article, Booker/Hoeven Bill