Sen. Feinstein Plans to Introduce Legislation to “Codify and Expand the Moratorium on Private Drone Use”
In a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) dated December 3, 2014, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) informed the agency of her concerns about the dangers posed by use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). She noted examples of unlawful UAS use and was troubled that very few incidents resulted in FAA enforcement actions. Sen. Feinstein urged the FAA to pursue enforcement actions and strong safety regulations.
Sen. Feinstein also announced her intent to introduce legislation to codify and expand the moratorium on private UAS use without specific authority from the FAA. The expanded moratorium would cover any UAS use that could threaten the airspace, require a safety certification for expansions of private UAS use, and be backed up by substantial criminal penalties if manned aircraft or people were put at risk.
