[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 69 (Friday, April 27, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. GLENN GROTHMAN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 26, 2018

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4) to 
     reauthorize programs of the Federal Aviation Administration, 
     and for other purposes:

  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr Chair, I would like to thank the Chairman and 
Ranking member for their effort to bring this bill forward.
  Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 4.
  My amendment is intended to offer a pathway to provide authorization 
for the use of actively tethered unmanned aircraft systems, or UAV's, 
for public safety purposes, specifically fire engines.
  My amendment preserves FAA's discretion to determine the conditions 
that apply to these operations, while denoting congressional intent for 
the authorization to cover a wide variety of public safety uses.
  My amendment ensures limited UAV operational authority and is 
available only to actively tethered UAV's that present a lower level of 
safety risk. This amendment would apply only to systems that:
  are physically attached to a ground station with a taut, 
appropriately load-rated tether that provides continuous power to the 
unmanned aircraft; and
  capable of being controlled and retrieved by such ground station 
through physical manipulation of the tether.
  These tethered public UAV's operating under the authority granted by 
subsection (a) shall be operated:
  within the line of sight of the operator;
  less than 200 feet above the ground;
  within class G airspace; and
  at least 5 statute miles from a tower-controller airport or airport 
denoted on by the Federal Aviation Administration-with limited 
exceptions.
  My amendment will be a huge asset for our men and women fighting 
fires and will improve their effectiveness. More importantly, passage 
of this amendment will help save lives.
  I am happy to offer this amendment and look forward to continue 
working with my colleagues and the FAA to ensure our first responders 
can utilize this potential resource.

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