We wanted to share with you a bit of what the AMA Government Affairs team has been up to over the past few weeks, including recent outreach and at the federal, state and local level to advocate for and protect our hobby.
Federal Government Relations
This month, our team attended several meetings with legislators to help Congress strengthen and protect the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. On March 23, President Trump signed the omnibus spending bill into law, which includes a six-month extension of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) authorization. This extension provides vital continuity for the aviation community, including those who fly with AMA. We continue to work with Congress on a long-term reauthorization bill that will strengthen the Special Rule and affirm the role of community-based organizations.
State and Local Government Relations
At the local level, AMA continues to engage with legislators on 17 problematic bills in various states. Over the past few months, we have helped various local communities resolve legislative issues:
- New York: We have contacted council members in Nichols, NY to voice AMA’s opposition regarding a restrictive ordinance.
- California: The team has been particularly active in California, reaching out to community leaders in Lodi and Sausalito to offer guidance and resources on a proposed ordinance.
- New Jersey: AMA has contacted legislators in opposition to several proposed local bills.
Other Recent Activities
In early March, AMA, along with some of the nation’s leading UAS stakeholders, launched a new initiative to educate the public about the existing drone laws they must follow and the consequences if they ignore or break the law. The campaign – Even the Sky Has Limits: Learn the Drone Laws – was created through the existing Know Before You Fly campaign to educate new and seasoned drone pilots about the two options to fly legally and the civil and criminal fines they could face if they do not follow the drone laws. Since the start of the campaign, the campaign’s content has been shown nearly 400,000 times to those who recently bought or have an interest in drones across the United States. Click here to learn more about the campaign, and click here to view an educational video on the two ways to fly legally.
In February, members of AMA’s Government Affairs Team attended AMA Expo East in Secaucus, New Jersey and shared information with AMA members on flying model aircraft safely, developing flying sites and the latest on federal, state and local regulations.
In March, the FAA held its 3rd annual UAS Symposium at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. While there, the team engaged with industry stakeholders regarding the latest industry developments, regulations and collaborated on how to safely integrate UAS into our nation’s airspace.
In addition, the AMA Government Affairs team attended the Aerospace and Aviation Days in Sacramento, California to promote the model aviation hobby to the public and state legislators.
For the most current information on all of our government advocacy work, please visit our website www.modelaircraft.org/gov. As always, we thank you for all you do to support our longstanding hobby, and we look forward to continuing to work with you in 2018.
Sincerely,
AMA Government Affairs Team