[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. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    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. SCHIFF. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment, 
Schiff No. 29, which requires the FAA to create a program that utilizes 
remote detection and identification technologies to identify unmanned 
aircraft systems (UAS) that are not in compliance with applicable 
Federal aviation laws and regulations.
  I first came to this issue several years ago when fire fighters 
responding to a wildfire had to ground support aircraft due to 
civilians operating drones in the airspace. This problem seems likely 
to grow more pronounced, not just in response to wildfires but also in 
the airspace near airports. According to the FAA, the agency projects 
there are 1.1 million unmanned aircraft systems in the United States 
and they expect that number to grow rapidly in the corning years, 
putting airline passengers, firefighters, and others at risk.
  I want the owners of these vehicles to be able to enjoy them, but in 
a complicated and crowded airspace like the one we have in Los Angeles, 
we need to be sure we are putting public safety first. That is why it 
is so important for Congress to give the FAA and law enforcement the 
appropriate tools to address this increase in drones entering 
restricted airspace.
  Furthermore, we still do not know how many unmanned aircraft enter 
restricted airspace, whether at airports, above forest fires, or in 
other restricted areas. That is why my amendment also requires annual 
reporting by FAA to Congress to report the number of drones entering 
restricted airspace, the number of enforcement cases brought by FAA or 
other agencies, and recommendations by FAA for detection and mitigation 
systems. There are a variety of vendors developing technology to 
counter unauthorized UAS operation in restricted airspace, some of 
which show great promise and have already been tested in pilot projects 
by the FAA. My amendment would direct the FAA to continue this 
important work.
  With the adoption of UAS technology continuing at a rapid pace, I am 
worried it is more a matter of when and not if a drone will collide 
with a commercial airliner or first responder, with potentially 
devastating results. We must be proactive to ensure that the next time 
we read about this issue, we are not also reading about casualties that 
could have been prevented.
  I thank the Chairman and Ranking Members of the committee and 
appreciate the inclusion of my amendment in the FAA Reauthorization 
bill. It is my hope it will remain in any conference agreement 
finalized by the House and Senate.

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