Louisiana Drone Laws

HB587

1 AN ACT

2 To amend and reenact R.S. 2:2(A)(2) and to enact R.S. 2:2.1, relative to unmanned aerial

3 and aircrafts systems; to provide for the regulation of all unmanned aircraft systems

4 and all unmanned aerial systems; to create the Louisiana Drone Advisory

5 Committee; and to provide for related matters.

6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:

7 Section 1. R.S. 2:2(A)(2) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 2:2.1 is hereby

8 enacted to read as follows:

9 §2. Regulation of unmanned aerial systems and unmanned aircraft systems;

10 preemption

11 A. Subject to the provisions of Subsection C of this Section and except as

12 otherwise provided by law:

13 * * *

14 (2) State law shall supersede and preempt any rule, regulation, code, or

15 ordinance of any political subdivision or other unit of local government. Nothing in

16 this Section shall preempt the exclusive sovereignty of airspace of the United States

17 as set forth in 49 U.S.C. 40103. Any interpretation or application of any provision

18 of this Section that contradicts the exclusive authority of the United States

19 government to regulate unmanned aircraft systems and all unmanned aerial systems

20 shall be null.

21 * * *

22 §2.1. Louisiana Drone Advisory Committee

23 A. There is hereby created within the Louisiana Department of

24 Transportation and Development the Louisiana Drone Advisory Committee.

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1 B.(1) The secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development

2 shall create the Louisiana Drone Advisory Committee and it shall be comprised of

3 fifteen members. The members shall be selected by the following individuals as a

4 means of representing a diverse set of stakeholders involved in the deployment and

5 advancement of drone technologies in the state. The committee shall provide

6 recommendations to the secretary of the Department Transportation and

7 Development as well as both the House Committee on Transportation, Highways,

8 and Public Works and the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways, and

9 Public Works on policy and regulatory issues related to the adoption of drone

10 technologies.

11 (2) The members shall be appointed by the following groups or individuals:

12 (a) One member selected by the governor.

13 (b) One member selected by the chairman of the Senate Committee on

14 Transportation, Highways and Public Works.

15 (c) One member selected by the chairman of the House Committee on

16 Transportation, Highways and Public Works.

17 (d) One member selected by the secretary of the Department of

18 Transportation and Development.

19 (e) One member from the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation appointed by

20 the president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.

21 (f) One member from the DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Alliance

22 appointed by the director of the DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Alliance.

23 (g) One member from Louisiana Society of Professional Surveyors

24 appointed by the president of the Louisiana Society of Professional Surveyors.

25 (h) One member from Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association

26 appointed by the board of directors of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas

27 Association.

28 (i) One member selected by the president of the Louisiana Senate.

29 (j) One member selected by the speaker of the Louisiana House of

30 Representatives.

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1 (k) One member from the Pelican Chapter of the Association of Unmanned

2 Vehicle Systems International appointed by the chairman of the Pelican Chapter of

3 the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

4 (l) One member from the Fletcher Technical Community College appointed

5 by the chancellor of the Fletcher Technical Community College.

6 (m) One member from the Nicholls State University appointed by the

7 president of Nicholls State University.

8 (n) One member from the Louisiana Airport Managers and Associates

9 appointed by the board of the Louisiana Airport Managers and Associates.

10 (o) One member from the Houma-Terrebonne Airport Commission

11 appointed by the commission.

12 C. The Louisiana Drone Advisory Committee shall meet at least four times

13 a year starting in August of 2021. Appointments to the committee shall be made no

14 later than July 31, 2021. The term of the appointments shall cease at the end of the

15 2022 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, at which time new appointments

16 shall be made and end after the next two regular sessions. If a member resigns from

17 the committee, the member shall be replaced by the individual responsible for their

18 nomination.

19 D. The members of the Louisiana Drone Advisory Committee shall serve

20 without compensation. The department shall provide staff support and resources to

21 the committee solely for the preparation of committee agendas and minutes.

22 E.(1) At least thirty days prior to the start of each legislative session, the

23 committee shall issue a report about the state of the unmanned aircraft system and

24 unmanned aerial system industry in Louisiana that includes all of the following:

25 (a) Any legal barriers operators face.

26 (b) Approximately how many operators are operating in the state.

27 (c) Any companies using unmanned aircraft systems and unmanned aerial

28 systems for commercial purposes.

29 (d) The economic value of the industry in the state.

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1 (e) The ranking of Louisiana in comparison to other states in terms of the

2 development of its own industry.

3 (f) The actions taken by the Federal Aviation Administration over the

4 previous year relative to unmanned aircraft systems and unmanned aerial systems.

5 (2) The committee shall examine the potential impact of drone highways for

6 the first report.

7 F. The Louisiana Drone Advisory Committee shall by majority vote of a

8 quorum of members present at a meeting appoint one member of the committee to

9 serve as a liaison with the Federal Aviation Administration to address any issues

10 with federal, state, and local laws governing unmanned aircraft systems and

11 unmanned aerial systems.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA

APPROVED:

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