CSHCR 6(EDT): Recognizing the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at the University of Alaska Fairbanks as a national leader in unmanned aircraft research and development; and relating to a Task Force on Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
00 CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 6(EDT) 01 Recognizing the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at the 02 University of Alaska Fairbanks as a national leader in unmanned aircraft research and 03 development; and relating to a Task Force on Unmanned Aircraft Systems. 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 WHEREAS the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program at the University of Alaska 06 Fairbanks has, since 2001, been designing payloads and upgrades for unmanned aircraft 07 systems, testing and evaluating their safety and effectiveness, developing and demonstrating 08 new uses for various potential users, working with the Federal Aviation Administration to 09 make the use of unmanned aircraft systems safe, and developing technology to improve safety 10 and is known across the nation for its leadership in advancing the state of the art and the safe 11 use of unmanned aircraft systems; and 12 WHEREAS the importance of the program's work to the state was recently 13 recognized by the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska when the regents established 14 the Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at the University of Alaska Fairbanks 15 to continue research and development of unmanned aircraft systems for the benefit of the
01 state; and 02 WHEREAS the legislature recognizes the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft 03 Systems Integration at University of Alaska Fairbanks as the state's leader in unmanned 04 aircraft systems research, meeting the goals of industry, the Federal Aviation Administration, 05 and government operations; and 06 WHEREAS the legislature has provided significant financial support to the Alaska 07 Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at University of Alaska Fairbanks to 08 further the center's research initiatives, and to increase its capabilities for use as a possible 09 Federal Aviation Administration test site; and 10 WHEREAS the State of Alaska, the University of Alaska, the Alaska Aerospace 11 Corporation, the Alaska Aviation Safety Project, and other public and private institutions have 12 developed cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal 13 Aviation Administration, the United States Department of the Interior, the United States 14 Department of Defense, and others to further advance the research, development, and use of 15 technology to benefit and support Alaskans and Americans with the safe use of unmanned 16 aircraft systems; and 17 WHEREAS Alaska state government and the state's business and research community 18 continue to work with the Federal Aviation Administration to promote the establishment of 19 safe unmanned aircraft system ranges onshore and offshore Alaska, which will help establish 20 procedures for the safe operation of unmanned aircraft systems in the National Airspace 21 System; and 22 WHEREAS the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, by virtue 23 of being located in Alaska, has access to an area of geographic and climatic diversity where 24 the air and surface population density is desirable for conducting research and development of 25 unmanned aircraft systems; and 26 WHEREAS the state has the highest per capita use of general aviation activity in the 27 nation, and Alaska aviation organizations have helped the Federal Aviation Administration 28 develop the next generation of air traffic control for the nation and the world, while making 29 major gains for the state's aviation safety in the process; and 30 WHEREAS unmanned aircraft systems may present a risk to privacy, but neither the 31 Federal Aviation Administration nor any other state or federal agency currently has specific
01 statutory authority to regulate privacy matters relating to unmanned aircraft systems; 02 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the Alaska Center 03 for Unmanned Aircraft at the University of Alaska Fairbanks as a leader in aviation 04 pioneering and further recognizes the significant benefit to the state and nation the center 05 provides in research and development of unmanned aircraft systems; and be it 06 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature fully supports the efforts 07 of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at the University of Alaska 08 Fairbanks to become one of the nation's six test sites for unmanned aircraft systems testing 09 and research; and be it 10 FURTHER RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that the Task Force on 11 Unmanned Aircraft Systems is created in the legislative branch and shall consist of 15 12 members, who, except for the member from the senate and the member from the house of 13 representatives, shall be appointed jointly by the president of the senate and the speaker of the 14 house of representatives, as follows: 15 (1) one senator selected by the president of the senate, who shall serve as co- 16 chair; 17 (2) one representative selected by the speaker of the house of representatives, 18 who shall serve as co-chair; 19 (3) the commissioner of transportation and public facilities or the 20 commissioner's designee; 21 (4) the commissioner of public safety or the commissioner's designee; 22 (5) the commissioner of natural resources or the commissioner's designee; 23 (6) one member representing municipal law enforcement; 24 (7) the attorney general or the attorney general's designee; 25 (8) the commissioner of fish and game or the commissioner's designee; 26 (9) the adjutant general of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs or 27 the adjutant general's designee; 28 (10) a member representing the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems 29 Integration at University of Alaska Fairbanks; 30 (11) a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics; 31 (12) a member from the Aviation Advisory Board;
01 (13) a member from the Medallion Foundation; 02 (14) one member of the Aerospace States Association; 03 (15) one member of the Alaska UAS Interest Group; and be it 04 FURTHER RESOLVED that a vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the 05 manner of the original appointment; and be it 06 FURTHER RESOLVED that the duties of the task force shall include 07 (1) reviewing regulations and guidance from the Federal Aviation 08 Administration regarding unmanned aircraft systems; 09 (2) providing written recommendations, together with suggested legislation, 10 for a comprehensive state policy for unmanned aircraft that protects privacy and allows the 11 use of unmanned aircraft systems for public and private applications; and 12 (3) submitting, not later than January 15, 2014, an initial report to the 13 legislature and, not later than January 15, 2015, submitting a final report to the legislature; 14 and be it 15 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may meet as frequently as necessary to 16 carry out its responsibilities; and be it 17 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may meet during and between legislative 18 sessions and may request administrative and technical support from the University of Alaska 19 Fairbanks; and be it 20 FURTHER RESOLVED that the public members of the task force serve without 21 compensation but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and 22 commissions under AS 39.20.180; and be it 23 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force terminates on January 15, 2015.