On March 15, U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. – chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation – will convene a full committee hearing entitled “Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Innovation, Integration, Successes and Challenges.”
According to the senate committee, the hearing will examine public policy issues related to the safe integration of drones in national airspace. It will explore practical applications for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), as well as developing economic, privacy and safety implications.
Witnesses are as follows:
- Earl Lawrence, director of the office of UAS for the Federal Aviation Administration;
- Diana Marina Cooper, vice president of legal and policy affairs for PrecisionHawk USA Inc.;
- Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO of Xcel Energy;
- Brendan Schulman, vice president of policy and legal affairs at DJI;
- Dr. John Villasenor, professor of engineering and public policy at UCLA; and
- Dr. Emilio Gonzalez, director and CEO of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department.
Witness testimony, opening statements and a live video of the hearing, taking place at 10:00 a.m. EST, will be available on this page.