LOCAL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT REGULATION                                             S.B. 129 (S-1):

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                     REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 129 (Substitute S-1 as reported)

Sponsor:  Senator Wayne Schmidt

Committee:  Transportation and Infrastructure

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act to specify that a provision prohibiting a political subdivision from enacting or enforcing an ordinance regulating the ownership or operation of an unmanned aircraft would not apply to a political subdivision that prohibited the operation of nonemergency motor vehicles in that political subdivision. The political subdivision could not prohibit ownership or operation of an unmanned aircraft by a newsgatherer licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, by an insurance company or adjuster for insurance purposes, for maintenance performed by a public utility, or for maintenance of critical infrastructure, if those uses were authorized by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or under a remote pilot certification issued by the FAA.

A political subdivision described above would have to petition the FAA for designation as a fixed site facility under the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act, within 12 months after the effective date of the FAA's rules governing the processing of petitions for designation as a fixed site facility. The proposed exemption granted to a political subdivision described above would not apply after the effective date of a fixed site designation issued by the FAA that applied to that political subdivision.

MCL 295.305                                                           Legislative Analyst:  Tyler VanHuyse

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

Date Completed:  3-21-19                                              Fiscal Analyst:  Michael Siracuse

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.