Drone Safety Enhancement Act

Congress finds that research and development related to autonomous aviation is vital to ensure United States competitiveness as the National Airspace System evolves from trajectory-based operations to collaborative and highly automated operations.

The Administrator shall, in collaboration with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, and appropriate representatives of academia and industry, continue its research on unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility, including research related to UTM and autonomous capabilities, as practicable.

Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the progress of the research under subsection (b).

In this section:

The term Administrator means the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The term advanced air mobility means a transportation system that is comprised of urban air mobility and regional air mobility using manned or unmanned aircraft.

The term appropriate committees of Congress means—

(A) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives; and

(B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

The term regional air mobility means the movement of passengers or property by air between two points using an airworthy aircraft that—

(A) has advanced technologies, such as distributed propulsion, vertical takeoff and landing, powered lift, nontraditional power systems, or autonomous technologies;

(B) has a maximum takeoff weight of greater than 1,320 pounds; and

(C) is not urban air mobility.

The term unmanned aircraft system has the meaning given such term in section 44801 of title 49, United States Code.

The term urban air mobility means the movement of passengers or property by air between two points in different cities or two points within the same city using an airworthy aircraft that—

(A) has advanced technologies, such as distributed propulsion, vertical takeoff and landing, powered lift, nontraditional power systems, or autonomous technologies; and

(B) has a maximum takeoff weight of greater than 1,320 pounds.

The term UTM means an unmanned aircraft system traffic management system or service.