US to Set Commercial Drone Operating Guideline to Compete With Other States

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US should set operating guidelines for commercial unmanned drones and integrate technology to keep up with the pace of other countries, US Senators Cory Booker and John Hoeven said in a new legislation they introduced.

There is so much potential that can be unlocked if we lay the proper framework to support innovation in unmanned aircraft systems,” Booker said in a press release on Tuesday. “But right now, the US is falling behind other countries because we lack rules for the safe operation of commercial UAS [Unmanned Aerial Systems] technology.”

Hoeven noted the new legislation, the Commercial UAS Modernization Act, will play a major role in the US economy.

“We’re on the frontier of a whole new era of aviation, when remotely piloted aircraft will improve crop production, provide valuable aid for first responders and even deliver packages to our doorstep,” Hoeven said.

The Senator further stated that the United States needs to design “safe pathways for the UAS industry to deliver these benefits to consumers,” and added “our bill, through the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] test sites, does just that.”

The FAA has been moving towards integrating UAS technology into American airspace systems, but other countries have outpaced the United States in establishing safety rules that allows unmanned drones to operate, according to the release.

In ten years, the UAS industry expects to produce more than 100,000 jobs and impact the economy with $82 billion.

“We cannot allow other countries to outpace us at what we do best. This legislation is essential to ensuring our legacy as a country that leads the globe in technological innovation,” Booker said.

The Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the National Association of Broadcasters and Information Technology and Innovation support the Act, according to the release.