To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to publish guidance and implementation procedures for unmanned aircraft systems with respect to environmental reviews, and for other purposes.

12/12/2023, 2:00 PM

Summary of Bill HR 3958

Bill 118 hr 3958, also known as the "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Environmental Review Guidance Act," aims to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to create and publish guidance and implementation procedures for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in relation to environmental reviews.

The bill seeks to address the growing use of UAS, commonly known as drones, and the potential environmental impact they may have. By establishing clear guidelines and procedures for conducting environmental reviews related to UAS operations, the bill aims to ensure that these systems are used in a responsible and environmentally sustainable manner.

The guidance and implementation procedures outlined in the bill will help to streamline the process of conducting environmental reviews for UAS operations, making it easier for operators to comply with existing regulations and guidelines. Additionally, the bill aims to promote transparency and accountability in the use of UAS by requiring the FAA to publish the guidance and procedures for public access. Overall, Bill 118 hr 3958 seeks to strike a balance between promoting the use of UAS for various applications while also ensuring that environmental considerations are taken into account. By providing clear guidance and procedures for conducting environmental reviews, the bill aims to support the responsible and sustainable use of UAS in the United States.

Congressional Summary of HR 3958

This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to publish guidance and implementation procedures for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones, that specifically address environmental assessments and reviews.

For instance, the FAA guidance and implementation procedures must

provide guidance for nationwide programmatic approaches for large-scale distributed UAS operations to leverage environmental assessments or environmental impact statements for subsequent related actions,
contain intra-agency process improvements to avoid providing conflicting safety and environmental feedback to operators, and
prioritize proposed projects or activities that can be shown to contain specific factors that benefit the environment (e.g., offsets or limits the impacts of non-zero emission activities).

The bill also directs the FAA, to the maximum extent practicable, to concurrently conduct reviews and analyses for an environmental assessment required as part of the review of a UAS's design, construction, maintenance and operational sustainability, airworthiness approval, or operational approval.

Further, the FAA must develop and establish substantive criteria and standards metrics to determine the airworthiness of an unmanned aircraft based on specific noise standards.

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Current Status of Bill HR 3958

Bill HR 3958 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since June 9, 2023. Bill HR 3958 was introduced during Congress 118 and was introduced to the House on June 9, 2023. Bill HR 3958's most recent activity was Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation. as of June 12, 2023

Bipartisan Support of Bill HR 3958

Total Number of Sponsors

Democrat Sponsors

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Unaffiliated Sponsors

Total Number of Cosponsors

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Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill HR 3958

Primary Policy Focus

Transportation and Public Works

Potential Impact Areas

Administrative law and regulatory proceduresAviation and airportsCongressional oversightDepartment of TransportationEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchTransportation safety and security

Alternate Title(s) of Bill HR 3958

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to publish guidance and implementation procedures for unmanned aircraft systems with respect to environmental reviews, and for other purposes.To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to publish guidance and implementation procedures for unmanned aircraft systems with respect to environmental reviews, and for other purposes.

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