CSHCR 15(L&C): Relating to the Task Force on Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
00 CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 15(L&C) 01 Relating to the Task Force on Unmanned Aircraft Systems. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 WHEREAS the University of Alaska has been selected by the Federal Aviation 04 Administration to become a test site for unmanned aircraft systems; and 05 WHEREAS the legislature has provided significant financial support to the Alaska 06 Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to 07 further the center's research initiatives and to increase its capabilities for use as a Federal 08 Aviation Administration test site; and 09 WHEREAS the State of Alaska, the University of Alaska, the Alaska Aerospace 10 Corporation, the Alaska Aviation Safety Project, and other public and private institutions have 11 developed cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal 12 Aviation Administration, the United States Department of the Interior, the United States 13 Department of Defense, and others to further advance the research, development, and use of 14 technology to benefit and support Alaskans and Americans with the safe use of unmanned 15 aircraft systems; and 16 WHEREAS Alaska state government and the state's business and research community
01 continue to work with the Federal Aviation Administration to promote the establishment of 02 safe unmanned aircraft system ranges onshore and offshore Alaska, which will help establish 03 procedures for the safe operation of unmanned aircraft systems in the National Airspace 04 System; and 05 WHEREAS the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, by virtue 06 of being located in Alaska, has access to an area of geographic and climatic diversity where 07 the air and surface population density is desirable for conducting research and development of 08 unmanned aircraft systems; and 09 WHEREAS the state has the highest per capita use of general aviation activity in the 10 nation, and Alaska aviation organizations have helped the Federal Aviation Administration 11 develop the next generation of air traffic control for the nation and the world, while making 12 major gains for the state's aviation safety in the process; and 13 WHEREAS the Task Force on Unmanned Aircraft Systems created by Legislative 14 Resolve 17, Twenty-Eighth Alaska State Legislature, has performed the tasks required of it 15 but finds that further hearings and research are required to carry out its mission; 16 BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that the Task Force on 17 Unmanned Aircraft Systems created in the legislative branch in 2013 by Legislative Resolve 18 17, Twenty-Eighth Alaska State Legislature, shall be continued; and be it 19 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall consist of the original seven 20 members and 21 (1) the commissioner of transportation and public facilities or the 22 commissioner's designee; 23 (2) the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic development 24 or the commissioner's designee; 25 (3) three public members who shall be appointed jointly by the president of 26 the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, two of whom shall be participants 27 in the unmanned aircraft system industry who have experience operating unmanned aircraft 28 systems; and be it 29 FURTHER RESOLVED that a vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the 30 manner of the original appointment; and be it 31 FURTHER RESOLVED that the duties of the task force shall include
01 (1) reviewing regulations and guidance from the Federal Aviation 02 Administration regarding unmanned aircraft systems; 03 (2) providing written recommendations, together with suggested legislation, 04 for a comprehensive state policy for unmanned aircraft that protects privacy and allows the 05 use of unmanned aircraft systems for public and private applications; 06 (3) evaluating complaints and concerns expressed to the task force; 07 (4) identifying potential privacy problems associated with unmanned aircraft 08 systems and determining whether legislation is necessary to address them; 09 (5) considering recommendations for public education related to unmanned 10 aircraft systems; 11 (6) studying the Federal Aviation Administration's "Integration of Civil 12 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System Roadmap," issued 13 November 7, 2013 (1st ed. 2013) and its application to the development of unmanned aircraft 14 systems in the state; 15 (7) conducting a public hearing concerning privacy and the capture of data by 16 unmanned aircraft systems at the University of Alaska's test site; 17 (8) further studying the nonpublic use of unmanned aircraft systems to 18 encourage development of the private sector unmanned aircraft system industry; and 19 (9) further studying and making recommendations with respect to ensuring 20 unmanned aircraft users comply with applicable laws; and be it 21 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may meet as frequently as necessary to 22 carry out its responsibilities; and be it 23 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may meet during and between legislative 24 sessions and may request administrative and technical support from the University of Alaska 25 Fairbanks; and be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the public members of the task force serve without 27 compensation but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and 28 commissions under AS 39.20.180; and be it 29 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force terminates on June 30, 2017.