• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • DroneRacingLife
  • DroneFlyers
  • Newsletter
DroneLife

DRONELIFE

Stay up to date on all the latest Drone News

  • News
  • Products
  • Industries
    • Agriculture
    • Construction
    • Delivery
    • Dual Use
    • Inspection
    • Public Safety
    • Surveying
  • Enthusiasts
  • Regulations
  • Business
  • Video
  • Podcasts

Congressman Lewis Introduces Drone Innovation Act

June 20, 2017 by Frank Schroth 3 Comments

Congressman Jason Lewis
Congressman Jason Lewis

Congressman Jason Lewis, Republican of Minnesota, has introduced the Drone Innovation Act (H.R. 2930). Lewis, who leads the legislation, was joined by Representatives Brownley, Democrat of California, Rokita, Republican of Indiana, and Garamendi, Democrat from California. The bill seeks to  addresses civil UAS flying up to 200 feet above ground level within a state, local, or tribal government’s jurisdiction. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) retains control over the national airspace. The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to work with state and local officials to develop a framework for local operation, around a set of principles Lewis outlines to encourage innovation and protect privacy. The bill also establishes a pilot program for federal partnerships to assess best practices.

Congressman Lewis stated, “America continues to lead the world in technological advances. It’s clear to me that drones have a growing role to play in interstate commerce, and that’s vital to maintaining our economic strength at home and competitiveness on the world stage. The Drone Innovation Act will promote that spirit of invention by establishing a clear framework for the operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Importantly, my legislation also lays out clear protections for your right to privacy, and gives local governments the primary responsibility in forming guidelines for how drones can be used in our communities. I look forward to working with the FAA to maintain an environment that works for all stakeholders, and thank my colleagues for their support.”

Congresswoman Brownley remarked: “Congress needs to do more to spur innovation in this exciting new field of aviation, while at the same time promoting the safe integration of unmanned systems into the national airspace. As this process moves forward, it’s important that we explore the proper role of state and local governments in helping to foster innovation. The pilot program created by the bill would be one step that can help lead us forward. I look forward to working with the Drone Advisory Committee, and other industry stakeholders, as Congress considers these issues, and thank my colleague, Jason Lewis, for leading this effort.”

You can find the full text of the act here.

Frank Schroth
Frank Schroth

Frank Schroth is editor in chief of DroneLife, the authoritative source for news and analysis on the drone industry: it’s people, products, trends, and events.
Email Frank
TWITTER:@fschroth

Filed Under: Drone News Feeds, Legal Tagged With: Congressman Lewis, Drone Innovation Act, drone legislation, Drone Policy, H.R. 2930

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. mini drone with camera remote control drone flying drones | Rep. Jason Lewis: UAS Integration Pilot Program “Doesn’t Go Far Enough” to protect states’ rights says:
    October 27, 2017 at 11:01 am

    […] have granted states sweeping powers to regulate drones.  Representative Lewis introduced the “Drone Innovation Act” in the House.  That Act would have granted states the right to regulate drones up to 200 feet […]

    Reply
  2. 4 Drone Execs Are Meeting POTUS - What Should Their Message Be? - Drone Flights R Us says:
    June 25, 2017 at 11:11 pm

    […] Drone Federalism Act. Thanks but no thanks. Ditto for the recent proposal coming from the House, The Drone Innovation Act from Congressman Lewis. Putting innovation in the title of the act does not make it so. And lastly […]

    Reply
  3. FAA Daily.com » Congressman Lewis Introduces Drone Innovation Act says:
    June 20, 2017 at 10:22 am

    […] Read more from dronelife.com… […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

LATEST

XTEND Secures $30M Extension to Complete $70M Series B Funding

New investment supports U.S. expansion and advanced AI robotic systems XTEND, a company known for its AI-powered tactical autonomous robotic…

Continue Reading XTEND Secures $30M Extension to Complete $70M Series B Funding

Pentagon Transfers Blue sUAS Program to DCMA, Opens Door to More Drone Companies

Major Changes Coming to the Pentagon’s Blue sUAS Drone Program The Pentagon is making sweeping changes to its Blue sUAS…

Continue Reading Pentagon Transfers Blue sUAS Program to DCMA, Opens Door to More Drone Companies

Department of Defense Accelerates Drone Procurement: A Game-Changer for Military Operations

The Department of Defense has taken major steps to speed up the purchase of uncrewed systems. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth…

Continue Reading Department of Defense Accelerates Drone Procurement: A Game-Changer for Military Operations

What the U.S. Section 232 Drone Probe Means for the Industry

U.S. Initiates Section 232 Investigation Into Imported Drones: Implications for Industry and Security On July 15, 2025, the U.S. Department…

Continue Reading What the U.S. Section 232 Drone Probe Means for the Industry

Radar for Reliability: UTA Researchers Develop Low-Cost Drone Maintenance System

Researchers developing low-cost preventive maintenance system for UAVs By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill As more and more commercial drone…

Continue Reading Radar for Reliability: UTA Researchers Develop Low-Cost Drone Maintenance System

What’s Flying Above California’s Wildfires? The Drone Revolution Explained

Drones Take Center Stage in California’s 2025 Wildfire Response Advanced technology helps agencies fight fires faster and safer California’s 2025…

Continue Reading What’s Flying Above California’s Wildfires? The Drone Revolution Explained

DEXA Receives National FAA Waiver for BVLOS Drone Deliveries

New approval enables large-scale, address-free drone delivery across the U.S. Dayton-based drone delivery company DEXA has announced it has secured…

Continue Reading DEXA Receives National FAA Waiver for BVLOS Drone Deliveries

Prosper P.D. Takes Public Safety to the Next Level with Drone-First Responder 2.0

Prosper P.D. launches DFR 2.0 program with Flock Safety technology By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill As police departments across…

Continue Reading Prosper P.D. Takes Public Safety to the Next Level with Drone-First Responder 2.0

Wingtra Unveils WingtraRAY: A New Drone to Transform Aerial Surveying

The new platform offers faster workflows, safer urban operations, and broad payload flexibility for surveyors worldwide. Wingtra’s new drone, WingtraRAY, designed…

Continue Reading Wingtra Unveils WingtraRAY: A New Drone to Transform Aerial Surveying

Trump’s Tariffs on Brazil: A Supply Chain Shock for the Drone Industry

When President Trump announced a sweeping 50% tariff on all Brazilian imports, most people probably thought about coffee, beef, or…

Continue Reading Trump’s Tariffs on Brazil: A Supply Chain Shock for the Drone Industry

Secondary Sidebar

Footer

SPONSORED

Inspired Flight Gremsy IF800 VIO F1 drones geo week

What Will It Take to Strengthen U.S. Drone Manufacturing? A Conversation with Inspired Flight’s CEO

Global Mapper Mobile data collection

Collection Ground Control Points with Global Mapper Mobile

Military Drone Mapping Solutions

How SimActive’s Correlator3D™ is Revolutionizing Military Mapping: An Exclusive Interview with CEO Philippe Simard

Photogrammetry Accuracy Standards

SimActive Photogrammetry Software: Enabling Users to Meet Accuracy Standards for Over 20 Years

NACT Engineering Parrot ANAFI tether indoor shot

Smart Tether for Parrot ANAFI USA from NACT Engineering

Blue Marble, features global mapper, features Blue Marble

Check Out These New Features in Global Mapper v25 from Blue Marble

About Us | Contact Us | Advertise With Us | Write for Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service

The Trusted Source for the Business of Drones.

This website uses cookies and third party services. By clicking OK, you are agreeing to our privacy policy. ACCEPT

Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT