Ag Policy Blog

Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., John Thune, R-S.D., and Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, introduced bipartisan legislation last week to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s chief drone policy committee includes representation for agriculture, forestry and rural America.

The Drone Advisory Committee for the 21st Century Act would also ensure that the FAA provides representation for local government officials, including those from county and tribal governments, on the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC), the three senators said in a joint news release.

It's also worth noting the FAA uses "drone" in its committee name after the agency created the terms "unmanned aerial vehicles" (UAV) and "unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to avoid using the term "drone" in non-military uses.

The act would also establish a public nomination process to help facilitate increased participation and broader user representation on the DAC, and impose transparency requirements to ensure that the DAC’s work becomes part of the public record.

The legislation has the support of a number of organizations, including the Rural & Agriculture Council of America, American Forest Foundation, Michigan Forest Foundation, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, National Association of Corn Growers, United Egg Producers, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, American Dairy Coalition, Michigan Corn Growers Association, National Association of Counties and the Michigan Farm Bureau.

S. 2730 — Drone Advisory Committee for the 21st Century Act: https://www.congress.gov/…

Federal Aviation Administration — Drone Advisory Committee: https://www.faa.gov/…

DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton contributed to this report.

Jerry Hagstrom can be reached at jhagstrom@njdc.com

Follow him on Twitter @hagstromreport

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