Overview
The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is pleased to partner with our Members of the U.S. House of Representatives on the Congressional Unmanned Systems Caucus (Caucus). The Caucus has been in existence for several Congresses and has been very successful in advancing and discussing key topics facing the industry, Congress, and the Executive Branch.
Mission Statement
The Congressional Unmanned Systems Caucus’s goal is to educate members of Congress on every facet of the uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) industry. We are this industry’s voice on Capitol Hill and will work closely with industry to ensure we continue to expand this sector through efficient government regulation and oversight.
Roster
AUVSI works consistently with the two Co-Chairs of the Caucus, Representative Dina Titus (D-NV-01) and Representative Garret Graves (R-LA-06), in addition to all current Caucus members, who include:
- Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL-05)
- Representative Larry Bucshon (R-IN-08)
- Representative Ted Budd (R-NC-13)
- Representative Ken Calvert (R-CA-43)
- Representative Michael Cloud (R-TX-27)
- Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11)
- Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT-02)
- Representative Drew Ferguson (R-GA-03)
- Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04)
- Representative Michael Guest (R-MS-03)
- Representative Andy Harris (R-MD-01)
- Representative Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-04)
- Representative William Keating (D-MA-06)
- Representative Doug Lamborn (R-CO-05)
- Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK-03)
- Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23)
- Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX-10)
- Representative Jay Obernolte (R-CA-08)
- Representative Scott Perry (R-PA-10)
- Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID-02)
- Representative Mike Turner (R-OH-10)
- Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24)
- Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC-02)
Key Caucus Topics and Areas of Discussion
In our work thus far with the Caucus, we have covered various topics related to the industry, with all eyes currently on the 2023 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill, including:
- Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS)
- Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)
- Regional Air Mobility (RAM)
- Urban Air Mobility (UAM)
- Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Vehicles
- Shielded Operations
- Infrastructure Inspections
- Counter-UAS
- Drone as First Responder (DFR) Issues
- National Airspace System Issues Impacting UAS and the Traditional Aviation Community
Events
During the 2022 calendar year, we held four successful events, which focused on various topics and featured participation from the Caucus Co-Chairs, other Members of Congress, and key stakeholders in the space:
The first event, which was held virtually in March, relaunched the Unmanned Systems Caucus, where we convened to hear from the UAS/AAM and traditional aviation communities about needs before the 2023 FAA Reauthorization. Discussion also centered around how the Caucus’ work can be bridged and utilized in the context of Reauthorization and was an open-ended conversation, covering topics related to future events and forthcoming legislation.
This event featured participation from the Caucus Co-Chairs and presentations from AUVSI, CDA, HAI, and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
The second event, which was an in-person/Zoom hybrid event at AUVSI XPONENTIAL in Orlando in April, focused more on traditional UAS issues, and specifically the recent BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) report and the path forward.
This event featured participation from the Caucus Co-Chairs and representatives from Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), Spright, Amazon, BNSF, Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA), Helicopters Association International (HAI), Skydio, Wing, and Zipline.
The third event, which was held virtually in June, focused on certification and operational issues, including speeding up certification, FAA staffing issues and subject matter expertise, the BVLOS ARC report and associated recommendations, extending and expanding Section 44807 and implementing Section 44808, UAS equipage issues, environmental reviews, DFR issues, and much more.
This event featured participation from the Caucus Co-Chairs, Representative Scott Perry (R-PA-10), and representatives from General Atomics, Skydio, Skyfire Consulting, Brookhaven Georgia Police Department, Wing, and Zipline.
The fourth event, which was held virtually in October, focused specifically on AAM, UAM, and RAM issues, and the regulatory and legislative landscape.
This event featured participation from the Caucus Co-Chairs and representatives from Honeywell, Reliable Robotics, Wisk, Lilium, and Joby.
Accomplishments
- Held four successful Caucus events in 2022
- Recruited and retained Congressional membership
- Involved key industry stakeholders in our important work, including the traditional aviation community
- Worked closely with the newly formed Congressional AAM Caucus
- Raised the profile on key issues facing the industry
- Pushed for the enactment of commonsense legislation related to the industry, including the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act
- Worked closely with the Committees of Jurisdiction over our issues, including the House Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and Science Committees and the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Set the stage for our issues in the context of the 2023 FAA Reauthorization
- Pushed our Senate counterparts to stand up a similar Senate Caucus in the near term
For more information and to join our Caucus, please reach out to AUVSI contact Max Rosen (mrosen@auvsi.org), Representative Dina Titus contact Mitchell Moonier (mitchell.moonier@mail.house.gov), and Representative Garret Graves contact Maggie Ayrea (maggie.ayrea@mail.house.gov).
PLEASE JOIN THE CAUCUS TODAY!