The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has joined with the Consumer Technology Association and the U.S. Chamber’s Technology Engagement Center to encourage the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to hold fast to the intended December 2020 release of the rulemaking on Remote Identification (ID) for unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
The industry groups called on U.S. DOT Secretary Elaine Chao and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson to continue with a timely rulemaking process, given the rule’s critical step in future UAS regulation and broader industry growth. The letter went on to note that the rule should be performance based, stating, “Given our broad scope of stakeholders across many sectors of our economy, we understand the importance of allowing UAS technology to evolve and grow, and not to have growth hindered by prescriptive regulatory requirements. As such, we also urge the Department to support a final rule that sets performance requirements, rather than specifying particular solutions for Remote ID compliance.”
AUVSI said the unmanned vehicle industry already plays an increasingly essential role in American life, supporting infrastructure inspection, in agriculture, disaster relief, and public safety. And this has especially been true in the last seven months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies have begun transporting medical specimens and supplies via drone; people in remote locations are receiving prescriptions via unmanned aerial system; and the sector is poised for continued growth and job creation.
In addition, AUVSI said timely action from the DOT is necessary for the UAS industry to continue innovating and growing, and industry is looking towards Secretary Chao and Administrator Dickson for their leadership in delivering a final, performance based rule in December of 2020.
Read the full letter to Secretary Chao at AUVSI
