Schumer seeks more funding for drone test sites in transportation-spending bill

ROME, N.Y. — U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) on Friday said he would push lawmakers to include new funding in a federal spending bill for programs benefiting drone testing in Rome.

The funding would help the New York unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome. The money would be included in the final Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations (THUD) bill for fiscal year (FY) 2019.

The Democrat spoke Friday at the Griffiss UAS test site operations center in Rome. Schumer explained that seven UAS test sites are operating across the country. The Federal Aviation Administration designated each site for operation.

“For the first time ever,” the U.S. Senate created a funding stream of $6 million for the test sites in its version of the FY19 THUD spending bill, according to a news release from Schumer’s office.

Now, Schumer wants his colleagues in Congress to include the “vital” funding in the final FY19 THUD appropriations bill, and for the FAA to then direct some of that money to the Griffiss test site and the NUAIR Alliance.

The Syracuse–based NUAIR Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of more than 200 private and public entities and academic institutions working together to operate and oversee unmanned aircraft system (UAS) testing in New York, Massachusetts, and Michigan. NUAIR supports the New York UAS test site at Griffiss.

The funding “would ensure” that the New York UAS test site at Griffiss International Airport “remains at the forefront” of public-policy development, commercialization, and safe integration of UAS into the global airspace, Schumer explained in the release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com