[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 215 (Friday, December 18, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H7270-H7271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DRONE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 2730) to establish and ensure an inclusive and transparent
Drone Advisory Committee.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 2730
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 ``Drone Advisory Committee for
the 21st Century Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the Sense of Congress that:
(1) Due to the ever-increasing use of Unmanned Aircraft
Systems in the agriculture, forestry, and rangeland sectors,
as well as the inherently different uses in less populated
parts of the nation, membership of the Drone Advisory
Committee established by the Federal Aviation Administration
should, to the extent practicable, include direct
representatives from county and tribal government,
agriculture, forestry, and rangeland interests.
(2) Full transparency in the work of the Drone Advisory
Committee is vital to ensuring the public can effectively
participate and contribute to the development of sound
Federal policies. The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration should, to the maximum extent practicable,
ensure the work of the Drone Advisory Committee is shared
with and easily accessible to the public and shall ensure
transparency and openness in the manner in which the affairs
of the Committee are conducted.
SEC. 3. DRONE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP.
(1) In general.--The Federal Aviation Administration shall
take appropriate steps to encourage direct representation of
county and tribal governments as well as agriculture,
forestry, rangeland sectors, and other rural interests on the
Drone Advisory Committee.
(2) Public participation.--To the maximum extent
practicable, the Administrator shall include public
participation in the process of nominating individuals for
membership on the Committee.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Rodney Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.
General Leave
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on S. 2730.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
There was no objection.
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2730, the Drone Advisory
Committee for the 21st Century Act, introduced by Senator Peters of
Michigan.
The number of unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, in the United
States airspace has grown exponentially in recent years. The growth is
expected to continue, as drones are deployed for more and more uses
each year. Drones have become important tools to assist with everything
from infrastructure inspection and lifesaving missions to delivering
medical supplies and prescriptions.
As the Federal Aviation Administration continues its efforts to
safely integrate drones into the National Airspace System, the work of
the Drone Advisory Committee, an FAA advisory committee that provides
the agency with advice and recommendations on key drone integration
issues, will continue to play an important role in such efforts.
The Drone Advisory Committee is currently comprised of executives
from a cross-section of interested stakeholders, including academia,
drone manufacturers and operators, aviation labor, and local
governments, among others. While drones are increasingly being used in
the agriculture, forestry, and rangeland sectors and by county and
Tribal governments, these stakeholders are not represented adequately
in the current committee makeup.
S. 2730 would, therefore, require the FAA to take appropriate steps
to encourage the direct representation of county and Tribal
governments, as well as agriculture, forestry, rangeland sectors, and
other rural interests, on the Drone Advisory Committee. The bill will
also require the FAA to include public participation in the process of
nominating individuals for advisory committee membership going forward.
The efforts outlined in S. 2730 will not only include transparency
and openness in how the Drone Advisory Committee's membership is
constructed, but they will also help ensure the insights of
stakeholders, with vast experience operating drones and perspectives
regarding their integration, are reflected in the advisory committee's
important work, ultimately informing future FAA decisionmaking.
Madam Speaker, I support this legislation, I urge my colleagues to do
the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I again rise in support of another great piece of
bipartisan legislation, S. 2730, the Drone Advisory Committee for the
21st Century Act.
The Drone Advisory Committee is a long-term advisory committee that
provides the Federal Aviation Administration with advice on key drone
integration issues.
S. 2730 directs the FAA to ensure that there is broad participation
on this committee that develops policies for unmanned aircraft systems,
or drones, and their growing uses.
S. 2730 also directs the FAA to consider public opinion when
nominating anyone to serve on the Drone Advisory Committee.
Imagine that, a government agency asking the public, who is
intricately involved in issues related to drone technology and the
ability to use drones in and around our public airspace--imagine having
public opinion determine who should be best to serve.
This is another example where Republicans and Democrats have come
together to offer solutions. It is sad we have to put them on paper, to
put them into legislation sometimes; but here we are today, and I am
glad it is happening.
Having committee participation from those in rural areas, especially,
will
[[Page H7271]]
help those in agribusiness, like in the 13th District of Illinois, my
district, where agriculture is king and is so much a part of our local
economy. They depend on drones.
The growing use of drones and unmanned aircraft in this field are
affecting wide swaths of the country. When you look at my district, we
have to start talking about some of the other drone issues that I and
my colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have
worked on over the last few years that I have been blessed to serve in
this institution.
It was an amendment I offered to a previous FAA reauthorization that
allowed for microdrones to have a category in and of itself. We don't
need this committee actively trying to influence what we would consider
the hobby aircraft industry. If a drone is below 4.4 pounds, we believe
anyone who wants to utilize this technology should have the opportunity
to do so.
Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support S. 2730,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to say in
closing, I encourage all Members to support this bill.
I also want to say thank you to the colleagues that don't get a
chance to come back here on January 3, like Mr. Cunningham and so many
of my other friends. These are good people who served in a great
institution where we worked together to make sure we made this country
a better place. I thank them for their service.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, as is often the case, it is difficult for
Congress to stay ahead of the technology that it must regulate.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, S. 2730.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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