49 U.S.C. § 44802 — Integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into national airspace system

(a) Required Planning for Integration. (1) By November 10, 2012, the Secretary of Transportation, working with aviation industry, federal agencies using drones, and the drone industry, had to build a full plan to safely speed up bringing civilian drones into the national airspace system. (2) That plan had to include, at minimum, recommendations or projections on (A) the rulemaking required under (b), including how it would define acceptable operating and certification standards, ensure drones include a sense-and-avoid capability, and set registration and licensing standards for drone operators and pilots; (B) the best ways to improve the technology needed for safe, routine drone operations; (C) a phased approach to integrating drones; (D) a timeline for that phased approach; (E) creating a safe airspace category for combined manned and unmanned flights; (F) a process for certification, flight standards, and air traffic rules for drones tested at test ranges; (G) the best ways to keep civil and public drones operating safely together; and (H) folding the plan into the FAA's annual NextGen Implementation Plan. (3) The plan had to provide for safe drone integration as soon as practical, but no later than September 30, 2015. (4) By February 14, 2013, the Secretary had to send Congress a copy of the plan. (5) By February 14, 2013, the Secretary also had to publish a 5-year roadmap, coordinated by the Unmanned Aircraft Program Office, for bringing civilian drones into the airspace, and had to update it yearly with NASA and other stakeholders. The roadmap had to include, at minimum, (A) cost estimates, schedules, and benchmarks — including tasks, milestones, and timelines — identifying the role of the test ranges and the UAS Center of Excellence, performance goals for drones in the airspace, and research priorities to help air traffic controllers with drone integration; (B) how the FAA plans to use research, including NASA's UAS Traffic Management work, to fit drones into the airspace; (C) an assessment of the key abilities needed for integration and how to prove them; and (D) an update on the technology needed for integration, including automated decision-making and cyber-physical security. (b) Rulemaking. Within 18 months of the plan going to Congress, the Secretary had to publish in the Federal Register (1) a final rule letting small drones operate civilly in the national airspace, except to the extent they qualify for the faster approval process under section 44807; (2) a proposed rule carrying out the plan's recommendations, with the final version due within 16 months of the proposal's publication; and (3) an update to the FAA's most recent drone policy statement, in Docket No. FAA–2006–25714.