Representative John Cyrier Proposes New Bill in Texas

There seems to be a rash of ridiculous, aero-ignorant attempts to regulate aviation by entities without the power or knowledge to do so... and it's terrifying to examine some of the nonsense that is being proposed.

A case in point; our friends at AMA tell us that on March 9, 2021, Representative John Cyrier (R-Texas) introduced House Bill No. 3403. The bill proposes that it be a criminal offense to fly any unmanned aircraft outside of the direct line of sight of the operator, above unauthorized private property, attempts to set altitude restrictions, and imposes a fee for such an occurrence. AMA believes that this bill could impact the model aircraft community if it is passed.

Texas proposed HB 3403 attempts to regulate airspace and UAS operations, which is the sovereign authority of the U.S. government. In December 2015, the FAA released a fact sheet for state and local governments that asserts its authority over the airspace and underscores the importance of consistent federal regulations. While possibly well intended, HB 3403 includes several operational restrictions (altitude, location, etc.) that run counter to FAA’s authority.

AMA urges members from Texas to reach out to Representative Cyrier and the members of Texas House of Representatives Transportation Committee to express their opposition to this bill.

Following is contact information for those representatives:

• Rep. John Cyrier: (512) 463-0682 or email
• Rep. Terry Canales: (512) 463-0426 or email
• Rep. Ed Thompson: (512) 463-0707 or email
• Rep. Trent Ashby: (512) 463-0508 or email
• Rep. John Bucy III: (512) 463-0696 or email
• Rep. Yvonne Davis: (512) 463-0598 or email
• Rep. Cody Harris: (512) 463-0730 or email
• Rep. Brooks Landgraf: (512) 463-0546 or email
• Rep. J.M. Lozano: (512) 463-0463 or email
• Rep. Armando Martinez: (512) 463-0530 or email
• Rep. Evelina Ortega: (512) 463-0638 or email
• Rep. Mary Ann Perez: (512) 463-0460 or email
• Rep. Glenn Rogers: (512) 463-0656 or email
• Rep. John Smithee: (512) 463-0702 or email

FMI: Click here to read the letter AMA Government Affairs Director, Tyler Dobbs, wrote to Rep. John Cyrier; Click here to read the letter addressed to the Texas House of Representatives Transportation Committee, www.modelaircraft.org.