83R8622 BPG-D
By: Hunter H.R. No. 866
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Federal Aviation Administration has announced
its intention to designate six test sites for unmanned aircraft
systems (UAS), and the Texas aviation industry stands to benefit
greatly if the state is selected for such a site; and
WHEREAS, The United States Congress has allocated $1 billion
for UAS pilot sites, where the FAA will test procedures to integrate
drones into the National Air Space; each of the sites is also
expected to become a hub for UAS research and manufacturing, with
orders projected to total $94 billion over the next decade; the
Pentagon alone has budgeted almost $37 billion to buy 730 medium and
large drones by 2020; and
WHEREAS, The Texas aviation industry enjoys numerous
advantages, including advanced research capacity and industrial
resources that are poised to utilize UAS technologies; moreover,
the state's geography, featuring vast airspace, a long coastline,
and ample uncluttered landscapes, is exceptionally well suited to
the requirements of the FAA program; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Aviation Administration's UAS testing
program holds tremendous potential for economic development, and
Texas should vigorously promote its outstanding qualifications to
serve as a UAS test site; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby express its strong support for a Federal
Aviation Administration unmanned aircraft systems test site in
Texas and urge the office of the governor, The Texas A&M University
System, Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi, the Texas
Engineering Experiment Station, and other state offices, agencies,
and institutions to join in the effort to pursue this FAA
designation; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward official copies of
this resolution to the governor, to the chancellor of The Texas A&M
University System, to the president of Texas A&M University--Corpus
Christi, and to the director of the Texas Engineering Experiment
Station.