OMB Says Senate's Reauthorization Bill Could Impede FAA Drone Rulemaking

The White House budget office said drone safety is one area that needs to be improved within the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization package that a Senate panel approved in mid-March. The Office of Management and Budget in a statement Thursday said the administration wants "fast and efficient integration" of drones or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace, but the FAA needs regulatory flexibility. OMB said, for example, the Senate's FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016 (S-2658) "would direct the Department of Transportation to develop certification standards for small UAS so that companies could engage in the widespread transportation of property two years from passage. This kind of overly prescriptive means of integrating UAS using legislation would disrupt the ongoing rulemaking process." FAA was said (see 1604060069) to have begun drafting rules for allowing small drones or microdrones to fly over populated areas, which eventually could lead to commercial applications such as package delivery, news gathering and inspections. The Senate Commerce Committee approved the legislation in mid-March (see 1603160028), but a full Senate vote hasn't been scheduled.