New Bill May Exempt Consumer Drones from FAA Regulations

From Motherboard:

A piece of legislation that would exempt small drones from almost all upcoming Federal Aviation Administration regulations has been attached to an FAA funding bill in Congress, a version of which must pass before the end of March.

The "Micro UAS" or "Micro Drone" amendment has been added to the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Authorization (AIRR) Act, a bill that funds the FAA and must be passed by March 31 in order to keep the agency that oversees all aviation in the country functioning as normal.

The rule would exempt drones under 4.4 pounds from upcoming FAA commercial drone regulations, meaning anyone could fly a drone for any purpose, so long as it’s under the weight limit. The drones would still have to be operated under 400 feet, at speeds of less than 46 MPH, within line of sight of the operator, during daylight, and at least 5 miles away from any airport.

The “micro UAS” distinction would subdivide the FAA’s “small UAS” distinction, which encompasses all drones between 0 and 55 pounds. Most small hobby drones weigh less than 4.4 pounds.