Rep. Kiggans’ Bill Clears Flight Path for Civilian Drone Use

Read the Fox exclusive by Morgan Phillips

WASHINGTON, DC — This week, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the Local Innovation for Flight Technologies (LIFT) Act, alongside Rep. Bradley Finstad (MN-01), to codify President Trump’s Executive Order on “Unleashing American Drone Dominance.”

Rep. Kiggans said, “Technology is evolving rapidly—it’s time for our laws and regulations to keep up. Under current law, civilian drone use is inhibited by a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) regulation. This is keeping industries from being able to fully embrace the breadth of possibilities surrounding drone usage. My LIFT Act aims to change that. 

My bill would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a proposed rule on BVLOS drone operations for civilian use and requires the DOT to allow AI to grant drone usage waivers to take care of the backlog plaguing businesses. This important provision will cut red tape for safety conscious and law-abiding drone users.” 

“Importantly, this bill also establishes an Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) pilot program, which will provide grants to state and local governments to advance their drone operations, whether that be for law enforcement purposes, search and rescue, or infrastructure maintenance,” she continued.  

Kiggans concluded, “Drones are the way of the future—we need to make sure we’re empowering American industries to meet the challenges of tomorrow—my LIFT Act does just that.” 

“Drones have reshaped many private sector industries, like retail, healthcare, and agriculture, while also becoming indispensable tools for our military and law enforcement. As drones become increasingly common in our daily lives, we must continue to innovate in a safe, secure manner. This is why I’ve joined Rep. Kiggans in introducing the LIFT Act,to ensure the Department of Transportation can move forward in way that preserves the balance between the safety of our airspace and the growth that’s reshaping our country’s aviation, transportation, and commerce,” said Rep. Finstad. 

Read the bill text here. 

Read the one pager here. 

Background: 

• Under current law, many drones can’t fly BVLOS without a waiver. This bill directs the Secretary to establish performance and safety standards for BVLOS operations, which is critical to enabling commercial drone use for logistics, agriculture, infrastructure inspection, and emergency response.

• Existing aviation regulations were designed for manned aircraft and present significant barriers to routine and scalable UAS operations. This bill prompts a comprehensive review of those legacy rules.

• By deploying Al to assist with waiver applications under Part 107, the legislation reduces bureaucratic delays and streamlines access for safe and compliant VAS operators.
  The eVTOL pilot program and grant structure ensure that local, tribal, state, and territorial governments can participate in shaping future air mobility systems, not just large private entities.