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HR 3983 118th Congress House Transportation and Public Works Administrative law and regulatory procedures Aviation and airports Department of Transportation Transportation safety and security

Drone Safety and Efficiency Act

Introduced: June 9, 2023 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 118th Congress ended
It never became law before the 118th Congress (2023–2024) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 12, 2023
Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
Jun 9, 2023
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Jun 9, 2023
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Drone Safety and Efficiency Act

This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to adopt a performance-based and risk-based approach in reviewing specific waiver requests for the operation of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones. (A small unmanned aircraft weighs less than 55 pounds on takeoff.)

The FAA must improve the current established process to submit small UAS waiver requests. The bill prohibits the FAA from requiring the use of open-ended descriptive prompts that must be filled out by an applicant, with exceptions.

Further, the FAA must leverage data gathered from previous waiver requests. If the FAA determines that a waiver application is substantially similar to a previously approved application, the FAA may streamline approval of the waiver application; the new waiver application and the previously approved application must include substantially similar conditions and limitations.

In determining whether to issue a waiver certificate, the FAA must (1) consider whether the waiver applicant has control over access to all real property on the ground within the area of the UAS's operation, and (2) account for the safety enhancements of such access.

The FAA must also establish an expedited review process for a request to modify or renew a waiver.

The FAA must publish all issued waivers on the FAA website. 

What's happening now June 12, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 3935 Related bill FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Lobbying activity 1

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

 Cosponsors 7
All 7 Democratic 2 Republican 4
R
Lawler, Michael
New York · Oct 19, 2023
 R
Donalds, Byron
Florida · Oct 17, 2023
 D
Gottheimer, Josh
New Jersey · Jun 9, 2023
 R
Kean, Thomas H.
New Jersey · Jun 9, 2023
 R
Mann, Tracey
Kansas · Jun 9, 2023
 D
Menendez, Robert
New Jersey · Jun 9, 2023
Williams, Brandon
· Jun 9, 2023
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3983: Drone Safety and Efficiency Act. 118th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-3983/
MLA
"H.R. 3983: Drone Safety and Efficiency Act." 118th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-3983/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3983, 118th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-3983/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3983: Drone Safety and Efficiency Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-3983/)
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