{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-asks-faa-to-update-unmanned-aircraft-rules", "Wyden Asks FAA to Update Unmanned Aircraft Rules", "2014-11-25", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "New standards can encourage innovation and ensure safety of unmanned aerial systems\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, November 25, 2014\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to speed up approvals for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) test permits, and to ensure the agency\u2019s plans to regulate these aircraft don\u2019t fall behind schedule, in a letter sent today.\r\nThe FAA created six test sites across the country to study unmanned aircraft in response to a request from Congress in 2012 to craft regulations that meet the unique safety challenges posed by UAS. The agency, which is responsible for overseeing the safety of U.S. airspace, has until September 2015 to create a strategy to integrate unmanned aircraft into U.S. airspace.\r\n\u201cIn light of recent reports, I am concerned that proposed regulations on small, commercial unmanned aircraft will be costly, needlessly restrictive and hinder research and development for the growing UAS industry,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cThe FAA needs to act quickly to alleviate these concerns and issue guidelines for developers and operators of unmanned aircraft that will give certainty to the UAS industry and ensure the safety and privacy of Americans.\u201d\r\nWyden, along with Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., asked the FAA to streamline its process for allowing UAS operators to test their aircraft at designated sites. Obtaining a Certificate or Waiver of Authorization can take from two months to a year, according to the FAA.\r\nOregon houses three UAS test ranges: the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and airspace outside Pendleton and Tillamook.\r\n\u201cWe remain concerned about the impacts that continued delays in the process are having on the American UAS industry and the national economy, and the safety risk posed by expanding unlicensed operations,\u201d the senators wrote in the letter.\r\nCommercial unmanned aircraft use is a growing industry with the potential to contribute significantly to the U.S. economy. The senators noted the possible chilling effect on creative developments in unmanned aircraft technologies without clarification from FAA on how to proceed.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThis industry cannot continue to grow without further direction and guidance from the FAA on its planned regulations,\u201d they wrote.\r\nRead the full letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-asks-faa-to-update-unmanned-aircraft-rules"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 9.539628867059946, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}