The new drone laws introduced by the two US Senators to establish temporary rules for regulating the nascent drone industry seems to favor Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN). The bill introduced by New Jersey’s Democrat, Cory Booker and North Dakota’s Republican, John Hoeven is looking to introduce temporary rules for managing and regulating the drone industry that is at present in its budding stage. According to the congressional sources, the Commercial UAS Modernization Act will be setting guidelines for using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or UAVs).
The Federal Aviation Administration has banned the widespread commercial use of these aircraft systems. Currently, the use of these systems is allowed by the FAA on exemptions to businesses for operating drones based on cases. Although the new bill has been introduced, it may take a few more years for the governing body to come up with permanent rules and implement them.
Forbes had earlier reported that Booker was thinking of presenting the bill in the legislation in the last week of March. However, the sources close to the office of the senator in New Jersey have said that more time was needed to refine the language and specifics of the document. According to Booker, the bill has been introduced so that America do not fall behind the other countries when it comes to safe use of commercial UAS technology.
Google and Amazon Can Experiment Drones in the US
This new development will help the companies like Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) andAmazon who have to create test facilities overseas in Canada, United Kingdom and Canada, as they were not allowed to experiment with the drones in the US states. Booker, the member of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security, has always been a critic of the FAA rules. He has always criticized the sluggishness with which the department addressed the highly evolving drone industry.
At a meeting of the subcommittee in March, Booker had said that he could not believe the slowness at which the United States is moving.