Hank Johnson: “I oppose this amendment that would remove the requirement for the FAA to study the social impacts of unmanned aircraft…”

“I oppose this amendment that would remove the requirement for the FAA to study the social impacts of unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, in the expansion of FAA's BEYOND program. The BEYOND program is vital for evaluating the safe integration of beyond visual line of sight and other advanced UAS operations. There are many potential societal benefits of UAS that are already being tested by the BEYOND program. UAS technology can be used for remote sensing to make our power systems more resilient to deliver medical supplies to underserved communities or to assist first responders in disaster response and relief efforts. For example, Dominion Energy used drones to inspect more than 40 power generation facilities, allowing them to conduct more frequent and efficient inspections. The expansion of the BEYOND program in the underlying bill will allow for testing of other new and emerging aviation concepts and technologies, such as more autonomous aircraft. As part of this testing, the program should consider societal impacts such as potential emissions, noise, and other community priorities. Mr. Chair, for these reasons, I oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.”