CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 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. 9:19:54 AM Senator Bishop MOVED to ADOPT the proposed committee substitute for HCR 6, Work Draft 28-LS0655\P, (4/12/13, Gardner) as a working document. 9:20:07 AM Vice-Chair Fairclough OBJECTED for the purpose of discussion. CHRISTINE MARASIGAN, STAFF, SENATOR KEVIN MEYER, discussed the changes in the current bill. She stated that the two major changes could be found on Pages 3 and 4 of the legislation. She explained that on Page 3, line 11, the 15 person task force was changed to a 7 person task force. She said that Page 4 reflected that the termination date of the committee had been moved to July 1, 2014. 9:21:06 AM Senator Olson queried the ultimate goal of the taskforce. Ms. Marasigan deferred the question to the bill sponsor. Senator Olson understood that the CS had changed the number of people on the taskforce and the termination date, but had not altered the original purpose of the taskforce. Ms. Marasigan replied in the affirmative. 9:21:57 AM Vice-Chair Fairclough WITHDREW her OBJECTION. There being NO further OBJECTION, Work Draft 28-LS0655\P was ADOPTED. 9:22:13 AM REPRESENTATIVE SHELLEY HUGHES, appreciated the changes proposed in the CS. She said that the legislative taskforce would be responsible for providing policy recommendations for the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration. She said that with emerging technology certain laws had to be revisited in order to ensure that the safety and privacy of Alaskans. She stated that constituents had expressed concern about the use of military drones. She relayed that she had researched drones and had discovered that the technology could be used for good; she believed it was important to embrace the technology for the purpose of doing good. She thought that the aircraft could be used to save lives and cited an instance where a drone was used to locate a downed aircraft near Bethel. She stated that as the unmanned aircraft were integrated into national airspace the field would grow from 70,000 to 100,000 jobs nationwide in the next three years. She stressed that because Alaska was go far ahead in this field than the rest of the country, the economic rewards to the state could be substantial. She said that the taskforce would examine privacy concerns as well as the application and use of the unmanned aircraft and potential unmanned aircraft use in the private sector. 9:26:03 AM AT EASE 9:26:52 AM RECONVENED Vice-Chair Fairclough discussed the fiscal note. Senator Dunleavy pointed out to the committee that the fiscal note still reflected a 13 member taskforce. Vice-Chair Fairclough noted that fiscal note 2 had replaced fiscal note 1. She stated that there had been concern that the committee would cost money; the legislation stated that taskforce members would be allowed travel and per diem. She understood that the costs would be absorbed and no additional funds would be needed. Representative Shelly Hughes agreed. Vice-Chair Fairclough OPENED public testimony. 9:28:37 AM STEVE COLLIGAN, E-TERRA, LLC, MAT-SU (via teleconference), testified in support of HCR 6. He believed that the technology would revolutionize data gathering. He said that the evolution of the industry should be integrated into Alaska law in order to craft meaningful legislation that protected the public. 9:33:19 AM Senator Olson queried the maximum altitude that the drones could reach. Mr. Colligan replied that the ceiling was restricted at 400 feet. He added that certain aircraft had a weight limit as well. 9:35:30 AM RO BAILEY, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), explained that the range and altitude consult for unmanned aircraft system was the same as any manned aircraft system. She said that the ones that the university had been working with were generally much smaller, less than 55 pounds, but capable of significant altitudes. She stated that the drones used by the military could go up to an excess of 60,000 feet. She stressed that no unmanned aircraft system could enter the national airspace system without extensive study by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). She said that test sites were designed to completely develop the processes and procedures to ensure that manned aviation was safe at all times when the operation of unmanned aircraft systems was expanded beyond public entities to private and commercial entities. 9:37:44 AM Senator Olson wondered about the plans for dealing with out of control drones. Ms. Bailey replied that jam proof communication systems were being discussed to reduce the probability of a drone being taken over. She added that the aircraft would undergo significant testing and extensive, well protected software would be used in the drone, which would cause the autopilot to make specific and known actions. She shared that the drones would ultimately have a system onboard with a separate and secure communication like that would allow the drone to be forcibly crashed. 9:41:36 AM Senator Olson assumed that the taskforce would address the issue of drones colliding with manned aircraft. Representative Hughes replied in the affirmative. Vice-Chair Fairclough returned the gavel to Senator Meyer. 9:43:17 AM Co-Chair Meyer CLOSED public testimony. Vice-Chair Fairclough MOVED to REPORT HCR 6 out of committee with individual recommendations and a forthcoming amended fiscal note. SCS CSHCR 6(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with a "do pass" recommendation and with a new indeterminate fiscal note from the Legislature. Co-Chair Meyer discussed housekeeping. 9:44:58 AM