HB 481 cleared the House on 3rd March and then the Senate on 28th March. It prohibits local groups and communities from enacting their own drone laws, and takes effect on 1st April. Local governments are understandably rushing drone ordinances through the system before this deadline.
The bill claims state-level preemption for drone laws, which the FAA has not yet been able to establish.
The multitude of local ordinances enacted in the past year has led to a complex environment for the drone industry to operate in, and those in the drone industry will no doubt see this bill as positive.
Local communities are rushing through ordinances before the April deadline which could cause problems for operators in bypassing the usual comment periods. For example, the City Council of Warner Robins’ restriction on drones flying over certain busy roads and over any incident in which public safety personnel are present.
Commercial applications could be significantly curtailed by the ordinance. An unintended consequence may also be that some life saving applications, such as drone delivery of cardiac equipment, could be limited by the rule.
References: Dronelife
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