AB 2724, as amended, Gatto. Unmanned aircraft.
Existing federal law, thebegin delete Federal Aviation Administrationend deletebegin insert FAAend insert Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (FMRA 2012), provides for the integration of civil and public unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, into the national airspace system. Existing federal law imposes various operational safety requirements and aircraft certification requirements on aircraft, including unmanned aircraft. Existing federal law also generally requires an aircraft to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and except as provided, prohibits a person from operating a United States registered aircraft unless that aircraft displays specified nationality and registration marks or from placing
on any aircraft a design, mark, or symbol that modifies or confuses those nationality and registration marks. Existing federal law establishes an online and paper-based registration process for specified types of unmanned aircraft systems.
This bill would require a person who manufactures an unmanned aircraft for sale in this state to include with the unmanned aircraft a copy of FAA safety regulations applicable to unmanned aircraft and, if the unmanned aircraft is required to be registered with the FAA, a notification of that requirement. The bill would require an unmanned aircraft equipped with global positioning satellite mapping capabilities to also be equipped with geofencing technological capabilities that prohibit the unmanned aircraft from flying withinbegin delete 5 miles of an airport.end deletebegin insert any area
prohibited by local, state, or federal law.end insert The bill would require the owner of an unmanned aircraft to procure adequate protection against liability imposed by law on owners of unmanned aircraft, including the payment of damages for personal bodily injuries and death, and for property damage, resulting from the operation of the unmanned aircraft.begin insert The bill would require the Department of Transportation to set the amount of liability protection that is adequate. The bill would make the provision requiring adequate protection against liability operative on January 1, 2020.end insert The bill would exempt from its provisions an unmanned aircraft operated pursuant to a current commercial operator exemption issued pursuant to FMRA 2012 or other commercial operator authorization granted by the FAA. The bill would provide that if any provision or its application is held invalid, that invalidity
shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.begin delete The bill would provide that its provisions would become operative on January 1, 2020.end delete
Vote: majority.
Appropriation: no.
Fiscal committee: begin deleteno end deletebegin insertyesend insert.
State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Part 7 (commencing with Section 9570) is added
2to Division 4 of the Civil Code, to read:
3
This part shall be known and may be cited as the Drone
7Registration Omnibus Negligence Prevention Enactment (DRONE)
8Act.
As used in this part, “unmanned aircraft” means an
10aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human
11intervention from within or on the aircraft.
(a) A person who manufactures an unmanned aircraft
2for sale in this state shall include with the unmanned aircraft both
3of the following:
4(1) A copy of Federal Aviation Administration safety regulations
5applicable to unmanned aircraft.
6(2) If the unmanned aircraft is required to be registered with the
7Federal Aviation Administration, a notification of that requirement.
8(b) An unmanned aircraft equipped with global positioning
9satellite mapping capabilities shall also be equipped with
10geofencing technological capabilities that prohibit the unmanned
11
aircraft from flying withinbegin delete five miles of an airport.end deletebegin insert any area
12prohibited by local, state, or federal law.end insert
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insert The owner of an unmanned aircraft shall procure
14adequate protection against liability imposed by law on owners of
15unmanned aircraft, including the payment of damages for personal
16bodily injuries and death, and for property damage, resulting from
17the operation of the unmanned aircraft.
18
(b) The Department of Transportation shall set the amount of
19liability protection that is adequate.
20
(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2020.
This part does not apply to an unmanned aircraft operated
22pursuant to a current commercial operator exemption issued
23pursuant to Section 333 of thebegin delete Federal Aviationend deletebegin insert FAAend insert Modernization
24and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-95 (Feb. 12, 2014) 126
25Stat. 11, 75-76) or other commercial operator authorization granted
26by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The provisions of this part are severable. If any provision
28of this part or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall
29not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect
30without the invalid provision or application.
This part shall become operative on January 1, 2020.
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