South Dakota becomes ‘drone prepared’ following adoption of Senate Bill 169

South Dakota has signed Senate Bill 169 into law to codify the rights of commercial and recreational drone operators and reaffirm the authority of the FAA over air navigation and aviation safety issues. As a result, South Dakota is ‘Drone Prepared’ and ready to welcome the benefits that widespread commercial drone operations will bring to the state, according to the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). AUVSI is collaborating with state lawmakers to educate them on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

AUVSI also reports the passing of further legislation in the Alabama House to put the state on the road to being ‘Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) prepared. The legislation has five areas of recommendations: —State investment in AAM—Support workforce development—Establish a state AAM Coordinator—Conduct community outreach—Proactively invest in infrastructure development.

AUVSI’s AAM Prepared team is supporting Alabama to ensure the state’s department of transport can effectively carry out the recommendations.