Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1507 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R13044 JRR-F
2	2	By: Parker S.B. No. 1507
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to advanced air mobility.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Transportation Code,
12	12	is amended by adding Section 21.073 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 21.073. ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY. (a) In this section:
14	14	(1) "Advanced air mobility" means an air
15	15	transportation system primarily using electric aircraft, including
16	16	electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and electric
17	17	conventional takeoff and landing aircraft, with a gross takeoff
18	18	weight of 300 pounds or more to transport passengers or cargo or
19	19	provide services in an urban or regional setting.
20	20	(2) "Powered lift aircraft" means an aircraft capable
21	21	of vertical takeoff, vertical landing, and low-speed flight that
22	22	depends principally on:
23	23	(A) engine-driven lift devices or engine thrust
24	24	for lift during vertical takeoff or vertical landing; and
25	25	(B) nonrotating airfoil for lift during
26	26	horizontal flight.
27	27	(3) "Vertiport" means an area of land, an area of
28	28	water, or a structure, including associated buildings and
29	29	facilities, that is used or intended to be used for landing or
30	30	takeoff of powered lift aircraft.
31	31	(b) A provision of this section applicable to powered lift
32	32	aircraft or electric aircraft, including electric vertical takeoff
33	33	and landing aircraft and electric conventional takeoff and landing
34	34	aircraft, applies only to an aircraft that:
35	35	(1) has a gross takeoff weight of 300 pounds or more;
36	36	and
37	37	(2) is capable of transporting passengers or cargo.
38	38	(c) The department shall:
39	39	(1) establish an office within the aviation division
40	40	of the department to provide technical support for advanced air
41	41	mobility infrastructure at airports in this state, with a
42	42	particular focus on electric aircraft and autonomous aircraft;
43	43	(2) develop a statewide strategic plan for advanced
44	44	air mobility in collaboration with industry and community
45	45	representatives;
46	46	(3) identify methods to encourage the use of
47	47	consensus-based vertiport standards and support uniform planning
48	48	and zoning enabling provisions relating to powered lift aircraft,
49	49	autonomous aircraft, electric aviation, and other advances in
50	50	aviation technology across the state;
51	51	(4) in conjunction with the Public Utility Commission
52	52	of Texas and an independent organization certified under Section
53	53	39.151, Utilities Code, estimate the required electric generation
54	54	and transmission capacity for the different implementation phases
55	55	of advanced air mobility in this state and evaluate the use of other
56	56	fuel sources with respect to advanced air mobility;
57	57	(5) develop and provide to local governments, regional
58	58	councils of government, and other appropriate governmental
59	59	entities a guidebook and technical resources to support uniform
60	60	planning and zoning provisions across this state relating to
61	61	powered lift aircraft, electric aircraft and aviation, and other
62	62	advances in aviation technology;
63	63	(6) in collaboration with the office of the governor,
64	64	the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas Higher Education
65	65	Coordinating Board, develop and lead a statewide education campaign
66	66	for local and regional public officials on the benefits of electric
67	67	powered lift aircraft and advancements in aviation technology;
68	68	(7) develop and publish materials on the department's
69	69	Internet website to inform public officials, members of the public,
70	70	the aviation community, and recreational users of unmanned aircraft
71	71	of advanced air mobility and developments in that technology; and
72	72	(8) establish and administer a program under which the
73	73	department provides matching funds on behalf of public institutions
74	74	of higher education in this state in order to receive federal grants
75	75	relating to research and development of advanced air mobility in
76	76	this state.
77	77	(d) The department, the office of the governor, the Texas
78	78	Education Agency, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
79	79	shall jointly collaborate with school districts, institutions of
80	80	higher education, and interested public and private stakeholders on
81	81	educational opportunities relating to advanced air mobility
82	82	technology.
83	83	(e) The statewide strategic plan developed under Subsection
84	84	(c)(2) must:
85	85	(1) include short-term, medium-term, and long-term
86	86	goals for advanced air mobility in this state and the associated
87	87	economic impact of achieving those goals; and
88	88	(2) comprehensively address all aspects of advanced
89	89	air mobility in this state, including:
90	90	(A) advanced air mobility use cases;
91	91	(B) existing infrastructure and necessary
92	92	infrastructure upgrades, including upgrades enabling autonomous
93	93	operations;
94	94	(C) regulatory best practices; and
95	95	(D) updates to the Texas Airport System Plan to
96	96	include vertiports, electric aircraft charging, and the
97	97	infrastructure needs of other advances in aviation technology as
98	98	appropriate.
99	99	(f) The commission shall adopt rules to implement the
100	100	program established under Subsection (c)(8). The rules must
101	101	specify a minimum percentage of additional matching funds that must
102	102	be provided by the advanced air mobility industry or other persons
103	103	as a condition of receiving matching funds from the department
104	104	under the program.
105	105	(g) A political subdivision of this state may not enact,
106	106	adopt, or enforce a rule, ordinance, order, resolution, or other
107	107	regulation relating to advanced air mobility, the ownership of an
108	108	advanced air mobility aircraft, or the aerial operation of an
109	109	advanced air mobility aircraft unless:
110	110	(1) the political subdivision is an airport operator;
111	111	and
112	112	(2) the regulation governs:
113	113	(A) the operation of an advanced air mobility
114	114	aircraft within the geographic boundaries of the airport for which
115	115	the political subdivision is the airport operator; or
116	116	(B) the takeoff or landing of an advanced air
117	117	mobility aircraft at an airport described by Paragraph (A).
118	118	SECTION 2. Section 21.072, Transportation Code, is
119	119	repealed.
120	120	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.