Drones would get rules for deliveries, traffic management under House bill

Bart Jansen | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – Commercial drone operators would get federal deadlines for regulations governing deliveries, for flying the remote-controlled aircraft farther than the pilot can see, and for special rules for smaller drones, under legislation a House panel approved Tuesday.

The legislation governing the Federal Aviation Administration from Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., calls for:

♦A final Transportation Department regulation within a year that sets the rules for drone deliveries.

♦The FAA to allow flights farther than the pilot can see within six months at six testing regions nationwide. FAA has already been testing flights called beyond line of sight with BNSF Railway.

♦The development of rules for an air-traffic management system for drones. Remote-controlled aircraft won’t be guided by the same controllers as passenger planes, but they still need rules for pilots and drones to signal each other, to avoid collisions.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee also agreed by voice vote to add a provision to broader FAA legislation from Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., to develop drone regulations for aircraft weighing less than 4.4 pounds. In particular, his provision would exempt pilots from needing an FAA certificate to fly the drones, as is required for larger drones.

The industry has long sought special rules for smaller drones because they are considered less risky than larger aircraft. The comprehensive FAA rule in place now governs commercial drones up to 55 pounds.

But Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., argued against special rules for smaller drones because he said a 4-pound object could disable an airliner’s engine if it were ingested. FAA tests found that a 4-pound object falling from as little as 50 feet could potentially kill someone it hits, he said.

“These things need to be rigorously regulated,” DeFazio said.

Several lawmakers agreed with Davis that the U.S. needs to set rules for industry to develop. The FAA would have to organize a committee within 60 days to develop rules for drones up to 4.4 pounds, under the Davis provision.

“We can either be stagnant or we can innovate,” Davis said.

FAA has missed previous congressional deadlines for drone rules because of the complexity of issues at stake. But the legislation reflects keen interest among lawmakers for greater development of commercial drones.

Brian Wynne, CEO of the trade group Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, said the drone provisions “represent a strong and sustained commitment f or the growth” of the industry.

The provisions must still be considered by the full House and Senate. But Congress spurred FAA to create comprehensive rules for drones faster, with the rules taking effect in August 2016 for drones weighing up to 55 pounds.

Industry advocates bristled at President Trump’s goal of having any new regulation offset by the elimination of two previous regulations.

Development of some sort of air-traffic control system for drones is also key. NASA is exploring ways with FAA for drones and their pilots to communicate better with each other to avoid collisions, under what is called a traffic-management system.

The bill calls for the secretary of transportation to determine within 120 days whether it’s safe to have a traffic-management system for drones, with expedited consideration for rural areas such as croplands.

The bill also calls on FAA to propose within 18 months regulations for a traffic-management facilities to govern drone flights up to 400 feet above ground.

Wynne said that would be a “responsible and reasonable approach” to enhance safety for all aircraft.