UAS Policy Work Group (UPWG)
A group of 17 California GIS Council members, who represent a variety of interests and expertise regarding drone usage for mapping, have volunteered to create a UAS Policy Work Group. We have completed a charter document proposing the work group’s mission at [https://cgia.org/cagiscouncil/workgroups/uasdrone-policy-workgroup/charter-for-the-usadrone-workgroup/], pending approval at the July 22 GIS Council meeting.
Three bills concerning Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are currently before the California legislature:
AB 56 [http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB56] proposes regulation for law-enforcement data collection with drones (UAS). It looks like mapping activities are excluded from the restrictions (that’s a good thing!). We are developing questions to ask the bill’s sponsor, Assemblymember Quirk, that will clarify the bill’s intention. We will then meet with him, or his legislative staff, so we can get clarification, and perhaps offer him some better language.
AB 14 [http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB14] proposes to establish an advisory committee (task force) for reviewing or proposing drone policy. That’s a good thing, but the start date would not be until 2016, and the members may not have the kind of expertise and concerns around mapping and GIS that our UAS Policy Work Group has.
SB 142 [http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB142] seeks to define privacy restrictions for the use of UAS. We are comparing it to existing privacy protection laws to assess whether drone usage requires additional regulation.
GIS Council members who are interested in participating in the UAS Policy Work Group should contact Bruce Joffe, UPWG Chair, at GIS.consultants [at] joffes.com.