The AMA is asking us to share this with our customers. I have not yet studied this, but am sharing it as requested. I have bolded the links and some of the key points.
Recently, the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate both released their draft versions of FAA Reauthorization. In these bills, AMA was successful in securing higher altitudes in uncontrolled airspace, clarifying large model airplane operations, and providing additional protections for educational UAS operations.
View the House bill & the Senate bill.(click for links)
Both the House and the Senate bill:
Include a process to fly above 400 feet in Class G airspace.
Better clarify large model aircraft operations in Class G airspace and include a process for operations above 400 feet.
Change the term "sanctioned events" to "CBO-sponsored operations."
Create the Office of Innovation to manage the continued modernization of the National Airspace System.
Updates educational provision to allow elementary and secondary schools to fly under recreational rules.
Provide $1 million a year for Know Before You Fly from 2024 through 2028.
Individually, the House bill:
Requires the FAA to work with CBOs to develop a process to approve altitude requests above the UAS Facility Map in controlled airspace.
Requires the FAA to prioritize and adjudicate FRIA requests at fixed sites.
Requires the FAA to determine if a network base solution can satisfy the Remote ID rule.
Mandates rulemaking for beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) commercial operations.
Includes a provision for Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) development and testing.
And the Senate bill:
Uses the word "drone" in place of UAS (definition remains the same from 2018).
Requires that a categorical exclusion to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) be developed for low-impact operations.
Requires the FAA develop UTM procedures specifically for BVLOS operations.
However, AMA's work isn't done. We have amendments (view here & here) in both the House and Senate that would allow for higher altitudes for everyone in Class G airspace and would also allow AMA and other community-based organizations to self-declare FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIAs).
Our Government Affairs team will continue to travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional offices regularly as the bills move through the legislative process. In the meantime, AMA encourages you to take action immediately. It's critical that Congress hears your voice now. Please help us spread the word by posting the call to action to all of your social media followers. Change cannot happen without you!
Recently, the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate both released their draft versions of FAA Reauthorization. In these bills, AMA was successful in securing higher altitudes in uncontrolled airspace, clarifying large model airplane operations, and providing additional protections for educational UAS operations.
View the House bill & the Senate bill.(click for links)
Both the House and the Senate bill:
Include a process to fly above 400 feet in Class G airspace.
Better clarify large model aircraft operations in Class G airspace and include a process for operations above 400 feet.
Change the term "sanctioned events" to "CBO-sponsored operations."
Create the Office of Innovation to manage the continued modernization of the National Airspace System.
Updates educational provision to allow elementary and secondary schools to fly under recreational rules.
Provide $1 million a year for Know Before You Fly from 2024 through 2028.
Individually, the House bill:
Requires the FAA to work with CBOs to develop a process to approve altitude requests above the UAS Facility Map in controlled airspace.
Requires the FAA to prioritize and adjudicate FRIA requests at fixed sites.
Requires the FAA to determine if a network base solution can satisfy the Remote ID rule.
Mandates rulemaking for beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) commercial operations.
Includes a provision for Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) development and testing.
And the Senate bill:
Uses the word "drone" in place of UAS (definition remains the same from 2018).
Requires that a categorical exclusion to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) be developed for low-impact operations.
Requires the FAA develop UTM procedures specifically for BVLOS operations.
However, AMA's work isn't done. We have amendments (view here & here) in both the House and Senate that would allow for higher altitudes for everyone in Class G airspace and would also allow AMA and other community-based organizations to self-declare FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIAs).
Our Government Affairs team will continue to travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional offices regularly as the bills move through the legislative process. In the meantime, AMA encourages you to take action immediately. It's critical that Congress hears your voice now. Please help us spread the word by posting the call to action to all of your social media followers. Change cannot happen without you!
