[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1388 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1388

 To authorize the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration 
 to enter into contracts to demonstrate or validate technology related 
   to the integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national 
                airspace system, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 1, 2023

Mr. Hoeven (for himself and Mr. Warner) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration 
 to enter into contracts to demonstrate or validate technology related 
   to the integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national 
                airspace system, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``UAS Integration Research Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. UAS INTEGRATION RESEARCH CONTRACTS.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall enter into contracts to 
demonstrate or validate technology related to the integration of 
unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system.
    (b) Topics of Interest.--The Administrator shall identify topics of 
interest related to the integration of unmanned aircraft systems into 
the national airspace including, but not limited to, the following:
            (1) Detect and avoid capabilities.
            (2) Beyond visual line of sight operations.
            (3) Operation of multiple unmanned aircraft systems.
            (4) Unmanned aircraft systems traffic management.
            (5) Command and control.
            (6) Safety standards for unmanned aircraft systems and 
        associated element ground and air systems.
    (c) Solicitation.--The Administrator shall solicit proposals from 
applicants who--
            (1) describe a project that relates to a topic of interest 
        described in subsection (b);
            (2) demonstrate technical merit; and
            (3) involve a contract with a test range.
    (d) Awards.--The Administrator shall make contract awards based on 
the following:
            (1) An evaluation of a proposal, including its--
                    (A) relevance to a topic of interest described in 
                subsection (b);
                    (B) degree of technical merit; and
                    (C) cost and price information.
            (2) Availability of funds.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $12,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2028.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
            (2) Unmanned aircraft system.--The term ``unmanned aircraft 
        system'' has the meaning given that term in section 44801(12) 
        of title 49, United States Code.
            (3) Test range.--The term ``test range'' has the meaning 
        given that term in section 44801(10) of title 49, United States 
        Code.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT TEST RANGES.

    Section 44803(h) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``September 30, 2023'' and inserting ``September 30, 2028''.
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