California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Joint Resolution No. 6

Introduced by Assembly Member Fox

January 28, 2013

Assembly Joint Resolution No. 6—Relative to unmanned aircraft systems.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AJR 6, as introduced, Fox. Unmanned aircraft systems.

Existing federal law, the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, provides for the integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system by September 30, 2015. Existing federal law requires the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to develop and implement operational and certification requirements for the operation of public unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace system by December 31, 2015.

This measure would request the Federal Aviation Administration to consider California as one of the 6 planned test sites for unmanned aircraft systems and integration of those systems into the next generation air transportation system.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, For more than five decades, the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) has compiled a proven track record of safely
introducing new technology and aircraft into the national airspace
system; and

WHEREAS, Most recently, the FAA has been working to ensure
the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems, commonly
known as drones, into the national airspace system, with the focus
being on safety for the nation’s communities; and

WHEREAS, On February 14, 2012, President Obama signed
into law the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and
Reform Act of 2012, which, among other things, requires the FAA
to designate six sites throughout the United States as unmanned
aircraft system test sites in order to safely integrate unmanned
aircraft systems into the national airspace system; and

WHEREAS, Unmanned aircraft systems are not currently
authorized in Class B airspace, which is airspace over most major
urban areas, and which contains the highest density of manned
aircraft in the national airspace system; and

WHEREAS, Unmanned aircraft systems perform port
surveillance for the United States Department of Homeland
Security, assist with scientific research and environmental
monitoring for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and perform valuable roles in conducting research,
firefighting efforts, disaster relief, humanitarian efforts, search and
rescue, law enforcement, military training, testing, and evaluation,
and in other areas; and

WHEREAS, Unmanned aircraft represent one of the fastest
growing segments of the aerospace industry, which is a vital part
of California’s economy; and

WHEREAS, A study conducted by the Association for
Unmanned Vehicle Systems International indicates that the industry
has the potential to create 100,000 manufacturing jobs in the
provision of unmanned aircraft in the top two largest markets,
namely agriculture and public safety; and

WHEREAS, The designation and operation of test sites will be
a tool for testing all aspects of unmanned aircraft systems and will
allow for the intergration into the next generation air transportation
system; and

WHEREAS, Test sites will determine the safe designation of
airspace for integrated manned and unmanned flight operation in
the national airspace system, coordinate and leverage the resources
of NASA and the Department of Defense, address civil and public
unmanned aircraft systems, ensure the safety of unmanned aircraft
systems and related navigation procedures before those systems
are integrated into the national airspace system, and create
certification standards and air traffic requirements for unmanned
flight operations; and

WHEREAS, Once enabled, commercial unmanned aircraft
system markets will develop new markets and more efficient
applications, with a prediction by the FAA of roughly 10,000 active
commercial unmanned aircraft systems to be developed in five
years; and

WHEREAS, California has a long and successful history with
the aerospace community, from the development of the space
shuttle to the Mars rover, with hundreds of small-, medium-, and
larger-sized companies, such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin,
Northrup Grumman, Raytheon, and General Atomics, involved
with the technology that millions of individuals benefit from daily,
while fostering a rich environment of technology and hardware
for the aerospace industry; and

WHEREAS, California has the infrastructure already in place
as an appropriate unmanned aircraft vehicle test site, including the
airspace necessary for testing, using existing and proven test
ranges, world class educational institutions, a highly educated
workforce, and associated technology; and

WHEREAS, California is also home to the largest expected
release of deployed military personnel who could seamlessly
transition from their military deployment into many of the civilian
and defense-related jobs created by the unmanned aircraft test
industry; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the FAA is urged to consider California
as one of the six test sites for unmanned aircraft systems and
integration of those systems into the next generation air
transportation system; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly submit copies
of this resolution to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration, the United States Secretary of Transportation,
each member of the United States Senate and House of
Representatives from California, and the author for appropriate
distribution.