Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2023 (S. 1939) by a voice vote. The bipartisan legislation reauthorizes the FAA for the next five years. Passage of the bill follows the House’s passage of their FAA reauthorization bill, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (H.R. 3935), in July 2023.

On behalf of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), Chief Advocacy Officer Michael Robbins issued the following statement in support of the bill:

“This legislation will support U.S. global leadership and competitiveness in advanced aviation and autonomy, which will bolster domestic investment, workforce development, and fair competition in the global marketplace.

It provides a meaningful step forward in safely integrating drones operating beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and AAM aircraft into the airspace – which is critical to allowing commercial operations to scale to new heights.

AUVSI commends Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member Ted Cruz, Aviation Subcommittee Chair Tammy Duckworth, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerry Moran for their leadership. We call on Senate leaders to swifty schedule a full vote on the bill and provide U.S. companies with needed support and regulatory clarity.”

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