On September 13, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5315 with bipartisan support.

The vote follows a letter sent to House leadership last week by an industry coalition in support of the bill and urging for a swift vote. AUVSI joined the coalition letter and advocated to Members of the House in support of bill passage. 

What it is:  

• The bill invests $200 million in a drone infrastructure inspection grant program and a drone education and workforce training grant program at the U.S. Department of Transportation. 
• This will support safer and more efficient infrastructure inspection, maintenance, and repair of the nation’s critical infrastructure, and better equip the U.S. workforce to use drone technology. 

Why it matters: 

• Current infrastructure inspection can be inefficient and even dangerous to workers.  
• AUVSI member companies are providing or using drones to fill gaps in comprehensive infrastructure inspections, reducing burdens on state DOTs and saving time while lowering costs. 
• One example of success so far comes from NCDOT, which has been using Skydio drones to inspect their 13,500 bridges on a regular basis. 

By the numbers: 

• There are more than 600,000 bridges in the U.S. which must be inspected regularly under federal and state laws – and currently, 1 in 4 bridges is categorized as “deficient.” 
• According to DroneUp, using drones for bridge inspections requires about 1/6 of the labor hours as compared to manual inspections. 

What they’re saying: 

• Bill sponsor Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ): “There’s a nationwide backlog for critical infrastructure inspections—and it’s because traditional methods are often time consuming and expensive, and can even be dangerous. Using a drone to inspect infrastructure in hard-to-reach places—such as underneath bridges—can speed up the inspection process, is safer for workers, and can help save states and local transit agencies money.” 
• House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR): “I applaud the House for passing the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act today, which will support the use of small drones to help state and local governments better inspect and repair critical infrastructure. As we make historic investments in our transportation systems and infrastructure, the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act will help states, localities, and other stakeholders better inspect and maintain critical assets such as bridges and roads while training the workforce necessary to do so safely and effectively.” 

What’s next: 

• A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate, S. 4744, by Senators Jacky Rosen (NV) and John Boozman (AR)  
• AUVSI urges Senate leadership to schedule the bill for consideration without delay, and we will advocate in favor of the bill’s passage.  

Watch Rep. Stanton's floor debate remarks in support of the bill: