Legislation ensuring an agricultural voice in the development of drone regulation is slowly making progress in Washington. The Drone Advisory Committee for the 21st Century Act is an effort to ensure that agricultural interests are considered in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Drone Advisory Committee (DAC).
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee recently approved the bipartisan legislation which will include representation for agriculture, forestry and rural America in the development of drone policy. The DAC provides the FAA with advice on drone policies and best practices, however the Committee has yet to include a representative from the agriculture or forestry sector since it was created in 2016.
The legislation has the support of a number of organizations, including the American Dairy Coalition, the Rural and Agriculture Council of America, and the American Farm Bureau Federation. One of the bill’s co-sponsors, Senator John Thune is encouraging cooperation in the legislative process. “I urge my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to work together to get this legislation past the finish line to ensure our farmers and ranchers can fully utilize the unique applications of drone technology in their fields,” Thune noted in a news release.
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