04/16/2014 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 15(FIN)                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Relating to the Task Force on Unmanned Aircraft                                                                            
     Systems.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:33:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Fairclough directed  the committee's attention to                                                                    
the fiscal note in the amount of $8,900.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
GINGER  BLAISDELL,  STAFF   REPRESENTATIVE  SHELLEY  HUGHES,                                                                    
relayed that most  of the questions from  the committee were                                                                    
answered in  a previous hearing.  She presented a  couple of                                                                    
updates  in  order  for  the  committee  to  understand  how                                                                    
quickly  the industry  was changing.  She continued  stating                                                                    
the  difference between  unmanned  aircraft  and drones  and                                                                    
reported  that the  term, remotely  piloted aircraft  (RPA),                                                                    
was  being   used  internationally.  She  stated   that  the                                                                    
previous  day  Google  purchased Titan  Aerospace,  entering                                                                    
into  the  drone business.  Titan  Aerospace  owned a  drone                                                                    
aircraft  about the  size  of a  Boeing  767 carrying  solar                                                                    
panels to keep  it operating. She reported that  it was able                                                                    
to  remain  in  flight  for two  consecutive  years  without                                                                    
landing.  The intent  of its  use was  to help  project data                                                                    
interaction in places where telephone  cables or other types                                                                    
of data  transfer equipment was  not available. It  was able                                                                    
to deliver  data up to  one gigabyte per second  which would                                                                    
one  day  potentially allow  consumers  to  use cell  phones                                                                    
anywhere in the world.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Blaisdell  also mentioned the  use of  hobbyist aircraft                                                                    
as  compared to  commercial  quality  aircraft. The  phantom                                                                    
quad copter  was a small four-rotar  helicopter manufactured                                                                    
in  China and  being sold  through Amazon  at a  rate of  15                                                                    
thousand per  month - an  infiltration of just one  model of                                                                    
unmanned  aircraft into  the marketplace.  The previous  day                                                                    
she  learned   that  someone  she  knew   had  two  unmanned                                                                    
aircrafts  in  their  office.  She   pointed  out  that  the                                                                    
industry  discovered safety  concerns and  responded with  a                                                                    
new software  application for the phantom  quad copters that                                                                    
incorporated no fly zones in  their programming to keep them                                                                    
away from  350 airports.  She opined  that the  industry was                                                                    
taking a  proactive approach to  the new  technology. Again,                                                                    
she emphasized the quickly  changing industry and encouraged                                                                    
the continuation of the task force.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:35:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Bishop  asked for a  copy of Ms.  Blaisdell's update                                                                    
notes for his office.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  MOVED  to  REPORT   CSHCR  15(FIN)  out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal notes. There  being NO OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSHCR  15(FIN) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass" recommendation and with  a previously published fiscal                                                                    
impact note: FN2 (LEG).                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:36:28 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:43:39 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Fairclough handed  the  gavel  over to  Co-Chair                                                                    
Meyer.