I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3560 
To provide for coordinated Federal efforts to accelerate civilian unmanned 
aircraft systems and advanced air mobility research and development 
for economic and national security, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2023 
Mr. LUCAS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees 
on Oversight and Accountability, Homeland Security, and Transportation 
and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for coordinated Federal efforts to accelerate civil-
ian unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility 
research and development for economic and national se-
curity, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘National Drone and Advanced Air Mobility Research and 
Development Act’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. Purposes. 
TITLE I —INTERAGENCY ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 101. Interagency working group. 
Sec. 102. Strategic research plan. 
Sec. 103. Counter-UAS research plan. 
Sec. 104. National drone technology center. 
Sec. 105. GAO study on foreign drones. 
TITLE II—NATIONAL DRONE AND ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY 
RESEARCH INSTITUTES 
Sec. 201. National drone and advanced air mobility research institutes. 
TITLE III—NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND 
TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 301. National Institute of Standards and Technology activities. 
Sec. 302. National Institute of Standards and Technology manufacturing ac-
tivities. 
TITLE IV—NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 401. National Science Foundation activities. 
TITLE V—NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 
ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 501. National Aeronautics and Space Administration activities. 
Sec. 502. National student unmanned aircraft systems competition program. 
TITLE VI—DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 601. Department of Energy research program. 
TITLE VII—DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 701. Department of Homeland Security activities. 
TITLE VIII—NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC 
ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 801. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research and de-
velopment. 
TITLE IX—FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 901. Federal Aviation Administration research and development. 
Sec. 902. University unmanned aircraft systems and advance air mobility cen-
ters. 
Sec. 903. Allowance for the purposes of research and development. 
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Sec. 904. Authorization of appropriations. 
TITLE X—LIMITATION 
Sec. 1001. Limitation. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Unmanned aircraft systems have the poten-
tial to change and transform sectors of the United 
States economy. 
(2) Advanced air mobility aims to transform the 
way people and goods are transported through new 
capabilities and applications. 
(3) Current uses and applications of unmanned 
aircraft systems and advanced air mobility include 
agriculture, transportation, law enforcement, public 
safety, disaster evaluation and response, fire detec-
tion, border security, weather forecasting, construc-
tion, utility monitoring, and many other uses and 
applications. 
(3) Research, development, demonstration, test-
ing, and evaluation of counter-UAS systems and de-
tection systems activities are critical to fully under-
stand the capabilities of and threats posed by un-
manned aircraft systems. 
(4) Unmanned aircraft systems and advanced 
air mobility systems are subject to safety, privacy, 
cybersecurity, and supply chain risks, particularly as 
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most unmanned aircraft systems in the United 
States are manufactured or assembled from parts 
manufactured in foreign countries. 
(5) National and homeland security threats 
posed by unmanned aircraft systems and advanced 
air mobility systems include criminal and terrorist 
use for espionage, surveillance, and intelligence gath-
ering, smuggling drugs and contraband, and plat-
forms to deliver explosives or chemicals, biological, 
radiological or nuclear weapons, and other firearms. 
(6) The Federal Government has an important 
role in advancing research, development, voluntary 
consensus technical standards, and education activi-
ties in advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems technologies through coordination and col-
laboration between State, local, Federal, and Tribal 
governments, academia, and the private sector. 
(7) There is a lack of voluntary consensus tech-
nical standards for unmanned aircraft systems and 
advanced air mobility for academia and the public 
and private sectors. 
(8) The United States needs to invest in domes-
tic manufacturing and secure supply chains of un-
manned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility 
systems to meet the demand by the Government and 
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the commercial sectors, to reduce reliance on for-
eign-made systems. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY.—The term ‘‘ad-
vanced air mobility’’ means a transportation system 
that transports people and property by air between 
two points in the United States using aircraft with 
advanced technologies, including electric aircraft or 
electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, in both 
controlled and uncontrolled airspace. 
(2) 
COUNTER-UAS 
SYSTEM.—The 
term 
‘‘counter-UAS system’’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 44801(5) of title 49, United States 
Code. 
(3) INSTITUTE.—The term ‘‘Institute’’ means a 
Drone and Advanced Air Mobility Research Institute 
described in section 201(b). 
(4) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.—The term 
‘‘Interagency Working Group’’ means the Advanced 
Air Mobility and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Inter-
agency Working Group of the National Science and 
Technology Council. 
(5) NATIONAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘Na-
tional Laboratory’’ has the meaning given such term 
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in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 15801). 
(6) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 
government’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘tribal 
government’’ in section 421 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 ( 2 U.S.C. 658). 
(7) UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM.—The term 
‘‘unmanned aircraft system’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 44801(12) of title 49, United 
States Code. 
SEC. 4. PURPOSES. 
The purpose of this Act is to ensure United States 
leadership in advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems, and maximize benefits and mitigate risks of such 
systems by— 
(1) supporting research, development, dem-
onstration, testing, and transition to operations of 
secure advanced air mobility systems and unmanned 
aircraft systems, including research and development 
to accelerate integration of such systems into the 
National Airspace System; 
(2) improving the interagency planning and co-
ordination of Federal research and development of 
advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems and maximizing the effectiveness of the Fed-
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eral Government’s advanced air mobility and next 
generation unmanned aircraft systems research and 
development programs; 
(3) promoting research and development col-
laboration among the Federal Government, State, 
local, and Tribal governments, National Labora-
tories, industry, and academic institutions; 
(4) promoting domestic manufacturing of un-
manned aircraft systems and mitigating supply 
chain risks; 
(5) supporting activities to mitigate risks to 
public safety and national security and homeland se-
curity, including through response to disasters; 
(6) preparing the present and future United 
States workforce for the integration of advanced air 
mobility and unmanned aircraft systems across sec-
tors of the economy, including through support for 
curriculum development and research opportunities; 
(7) supporting research, development, dem-
onstration, and testing of civilian applications of un-
manned aerial systems, including improved safety 
and sustainability of ground transportation, environ-
mental monitoring, and disaster response; 
(8) promoting research and development col-
laboration among the Federal Government, State, 
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local, and Tribal governments, National Labora-
tories, industry, and academic institutions; 
(9) promoting the development of voluntary 
consensus technical standards and best practices for 
advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems; and 
(5) applying lessons learned from unmanned 
aircraft systems research, development, demonstra-
tion, and testing to advanced air mobility systems. 
TITLE I —INTERAGENCY 
ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 101. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP. 
(a) DESIGNATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The National Science and 
Technology Council shall establish an interagency 
working group on advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems to coordinate Federal re-
search, development, deployment, testing, and edu-
cation activities to enable the advancement of ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The interagency working 
group shall be comprised of senior representatives 
from the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
tration, the Department of Transportation, the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 
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National Science Foundation, the National Institute 
of Standards and Technology, and such other Fed-
eral agencies as appropriate. 
(b) DUTIES.—The interagency working group shall— 
(1) develop a strategic research plan to guide 
Federal research to enable advanced air mobility and 
unmanned aircraft systems and oversee implementa-
tion of the plan; 
(2) oversee the ongoing development of— 
(A) an assessment of the current state of 
United States competitiveness and leadership in 
advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems, including the scope and scale of 
United States investments in relevant research 
and development; and 
(B) strategies to strengthen and secure the 
domestic supply chain for advanced air mobility 
systems and unmanned aircraft systems. 
(3) facilitate communication and outreach op-
portunities with academia, industry, professional so-
cieties, the Federal Government, State, local, and 
Tribal governments, and other stakeholders; 
(4) facilitate partnerships to leverage knowledge 
and resources from industry, the Federal Govern-
ment, State, local, and Tribal governments, National 
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Laboratories, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test 
Sites, academic institutions, and others; 
(5) coordinate with the Advanced Air Mobility 
Working Group and heads of other Federal depart-
ments and agencies to avoid duplication of research 
and other activities to ensure the activities carried 
out by the interagency working group are com-
plementary to those being undertaken by other inter-
agency efforts; and 
(6) coordinate with the National Security Coun-
cil and other authorized agency coordinating bodies 
on the assessment of risks posed by the existing 
Federal unmanned aircraft systems fleet and out-
lining potential steps to mitigate such risks. 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
interagency working group shall transmit to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate a report that— 
(A) includes a summary of federally fund-
ed advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems research, development, deployment, and 
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testing activities, including the budget for each 
of these activities; and 
(B) describes the progress in developing 
the plan required under section 102 of this Act. 
(2) BIENNIAL
REPORT.—Not later than two 
years after the delivery of the initial report under 
paragraph (1) and biennially thereafter until Decem-
ber 31, 2033, the interagency working group shall 
transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate a report that includes— 
(A) a summary of federally funded ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems research, development, deployment, and 
testing activities, including the budget for each 
of such activities; and 
(B) an analysis of the progress made to-
wards achieving the goals and priorities for the 
interagency research plan developed by the 
interagency working group under sections 102 
and 103. 
(3) STRATEGIC
RESEARCH
PLAN.—Not later 
than two years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the interagency working group shall trans-
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mit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate the strategic research plan de-
veloped under section 102. 
SEC. 102. STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the interagency working 
group shall develop and periodically update, as appro-
priate, a strategic plan for Federal research, development, 
deployment, and testing of advanced air mobility systems 
and unmanned aircraft systems. In developing the plan, 
the interagency working group shall consider and use in-
formation, reports, and studies on advanced air mobility 
and unmanned aircraft systems that have identified re-
search, development, deployment, and testing needed, and 
recommendations made by the National Academy of 
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in the review of the 
plan under subsection (c). 
(b) CONTENTS OF THE PLAN.—The plan shall— 
(1) determine and prioritize areas of advanced 
air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems re-
search, development, demonstration, and testing re-
quiring Federal Government leadership and invest-
ment; 
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(2) establish, for the 10-year period beginning 
in the year the plan is submitted, the goals and pri-
orities for Federal research, development, deploy-
ment, and testing which will— 
(A) support the development of advanced 
air mobility technologies and the development of 
an advanced air mobility research, innovation, 
and manufacturing ecosystem; 
(B) provide sustained, consistent, and co-
ordinated support for advanced air mobility and 
unmanned aircraft systems research, develop-
ment, and demonstration, including through 
grants, cooperative agreements, testbeds, and 
testing facilities; 
(C) apply lessons learned from unmanned 
aircraft systems research, development, dem-
onstration, and testing to advanced air mobility 
systems; 
(D) support the development of voluntary 
consensus technical standards and best prac-
tices for the development and use of advanced 
air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems; 
(E) support education and training activi-
ties at all levels to prepare the United States 
workforce to use and interact with advanced air 
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mobility systems and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems; 
(F) 
support 
partnerships 
to 
leverage 
knowledge and resources from industry, the 
Federal Government, State, local, and Tribal 
governments, National Laboratories, Unmanned 
Aircraft Systems Test Ranges, academic insti-
tutions, and others to advance research activi-
ties; 
(G) leverage existing Federal investments; 
and 
(H) promote hardware inoperability, open- 
source systems, and standards-driven hardware; 
(3) support research and other activities on the 
impacts of advanced air mobility and unmanned air-
craft systems on national security, safety, economic, 
legal, workforce, and other appropriate societal 
issues; 
(4) reduce barriers to transferring research 
findings, capabilities, and new technologies related 
to advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems from the laboratory into operation for the ben-
efit of society and United States competitiveness; 
(5) in consultation with the Council of Eco-
nomic Advisers, measure and track the contributions 
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of unmanned aircraft systems to United States eco-
nomic growth and other societal indicators; 
(6) identify relevant programs and make rec-
ommendations for the coordination of relevant activi-
ties of the Federal agencies and set forth the role of 
each Federal agency in implementing the plan; and 
(7) consider and utilize, as appropriate, reports 
and studies conducted by Federal agencies, the Na-
tional Research Council, or other entities. 
(c) NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE, ENGINEER-
ING, AND MEDICINE REVIEW.—The interagency working 
group under section 101 shall enter into an agreement 
with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 
and Medicine to review the plan. 
(d) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—In developing the plan, 
the interagency working group shall consult with rep-
resentatives of academic, State, industry, local, Tribal, 
and other stakeholder groups. Not later than 90 days be-
fore the plan, or any revision thereof, is submitted to Con-
gress, the plan shall be published in the Federal Register 
for a public comment period of not fewer than 60 days. 
SEC. 103. COUNTER-UAS RESEARCH PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the interagency working 
group shall develop and periodically update, as appro-
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priate, a strategic plan for Federal research, development, 
evaluation, and testing of counter-UAS systems, as con-
sistent with current counter-UAS systems legal authori-
ties. 
(b) CONTENTS OF THE PLAN.—The plan shall— 
(1) determine and prioritize areas of counter- 
UAS systems research, development, evaluation, and 
testing requiring Federal Government leadership and 
investment; 
(2) establish, for the 10-year period beginning 
in the year the plan is submitted, the goals and pri-
orities for Federal research, development, evaluation, 
and testing which will— 
(A) support the development of counter- 
UAS technologies and the development of a 
counter-UAS systems research, innovation, and 
manufacturing ecosystem; 
(B) provide sustained, consistent, and co-
ordinated support for counter-UAS systems re-
search, development, and evaluation, including 
through 
grants, 
cooperative 
agreements, 
testbeds, and testing facilities; 
(C) support education and training activi-
ties to prepare the United States workforce to 
use and interact with counter-UAS systems; 
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(D) support partnerships to leverage 
knowledge and resources from industry, the 
Federal Government, State, local, and Tribal 
governments, National Laboratories, Counter- 
UAS Test Ranges, academic institutions, and 
others to advance research activities; 
(E) leverage existing Federal investments; 
and 
(F) promote hardware inoperability, open- 
source systems, and standards-driven hardware; 
(3) support research and other activities on the 
impacts of counter-UAS systems; 
(4) in consultation with the Council of Eco-
nomic Advisers, measure and track the contributions 
of counter-UAS systems to United States economic 
growth and other societal indicators; and 
(5) identify relevant programs and make rec-
ommendations for the coordination of relevant activi-
ties of the Federal agencies and set forth the role of 
each Federal agency in implementing the plan. 
SEC. 104. NATIONAL DRONE TECHNOLOGY CENTER. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to the availability of 
appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary of Com-
merce, in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense, may 
establish a national drone technology center to conduct re-
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search and development of unmanned aircraft systems to 
strengthen the economic competitiveness and security of 
the domestic supply chain. Such center shall be operated 
as a public-private sector consortium with participation 
from the private sector and the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the center estab-
lished under subsection (a) shall be to conduct research 
and development related to unmanned aircraft systems 
manufacturing, design and components, and prototyping 
that strengthens the entire domestic ecosystem and places 
emphasis on the following: 
(1) Unmanned aircraft systems advanced test-
ing and assembly capability in the domestic eco-
system. 
(2) Materials characterization, instrumentation 
and testing for unmanned aircraft systems. 
(3) Virtualization and automation of mainte-
nance of unmanned aircraft systems machinery. 
(4) Metrology for security and supply chain 
verification. 
SEC. 105. GAO STUDY ON FOREIGN DRONES. 
(a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study on the use of foreign-made 
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unmanned aircraft systems in the Federal Government 
unmanned aircraft fleet. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study under subsection (a) 
shall include an assessment of the following: 
(1) The size of the Federal unmanned aircraft 
fleet and the extent to which any unmanned aircraft 
systems and components have been procured from a 
covered foreign entity on the list maintained in Sup-
plement No. 4 to part 744 of title 15, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations. 
(2) The operation of such systems across the 
Federal Government. 
(3) Policies and practices governing the pro-
curement of unmanned aircraft systems from cov-
ered foreign entities. 
(4) The availability of unmanned aircraft sys-
tems from any domestic sources for government use. 
(5) The risks associated with use of such sys-
tems by the Federal Government, including relating 
to physical safety, privacy, and cybersecurity. 
(c) GAO REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall report to Congress all findings 
and determinations made in carrying out the study under 
subsection (a). 
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TITLE II—NATIONAL DRONE AND 
ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY RE-
SEARCH INSTITUTES 
SEC. 201. NATIONAL DRONE AND ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY 
RESEARCH INSTITUTES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration shall estab-
lish a program to award financial assistance for the plan-
ning, establishment, and support of a network of Insti-
tutes (as described in subsection (b)(2)) in accordance 
with this section. 
(b) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ESTABLISH
AND 
SUPPORT NATIONAL DRONE AND ADVANCED AIR MOBIL-
ITY RESEARCH INSTITUTES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, the Director 
of the National Science Foundation, the Adminis-
trator of the National Aeronautics and Space Ad-
ministration, and any other agency head may award 
financial assistance to an eligible entity, or consortia 
thereof, as determined by an agency head, to estab-
lish and support an Institute. 
(2) DRONE AND ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY IN-
STITUTES.—An Institute described in this subsection 
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is an unmanned aircraft systems research institute 
that— 
(A) may focus on— 
(i) a particular economic or social sec-
tor, including education, manufacturing, 
transportation, agriculture, security, en-
ergy, environment, and public safety, and 
includes a component that addresses the 
ethical, societal, safety, and security impli-
cations relevant to the application of ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems in that sector; or 
(ii) a cross-cutting challenge for re-
search, development, testing, or use of ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems; 
(B) requires partnership among public and 
private organizations, including, as appropriate, 
Federal agencies, academic institutions, non-
profit research organizations, Federal labora-
tories, State, local, and Tribal governments, in-
dustry, and others (or consortia thereof); 
(C) has the potential to create an innova-
tion ecosystem, or enhance existing ecosystems, 
to translate Institute research into applications 
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and products, as appropriate to the topic of 
each Institute; 
(D) supports and coordinates interdiscipli-
nary research and development across multiple 
institutions and organizations involved in un-
manned aircraft systems research and related 
disciplines, which may include physics, engi-
neering, mathematical sciences, computer and 
information science, robotics, material science, 
cybersecurity, and technology ethics; 
(E) supports interdisciplinary education 
activities at all levels, including curriculum de-
velopment, research experiences, and faculty 
professional development across two-year, un-
dergraduates, masters, and doctoral level pro-
grams; 
(F) establishes a robust data management 
strategy that ensures digital access and ma-
chine-readability; that promotes findability, 
interoperability, analysis- and decision-readiness 
and reusability; and ensures applicable scientific 
data are managed for wide use by the Federal 
Government, State, local, and Tribal govern-
ments, academia, and the public; 
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(G) applies lessons learned from unmanned 
aircraft systems research, development, dem-
onstration, and testing to advanced air mobility 
systems; and 
(H) supports workforce development in ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems related disciplines in the United States, 
including broadening participation of underrep-
resented communities. 
(3) USE
OF
FUNDS.—Financial assistance 
awarded under paragraph (1) may be used by an In-
stitute for— 
(A) managing and making available to re-
searchers accessible, curated, standardized, se-
cure, and privacy protected data sets from the 
public and private sectors for the purposes of 
training and testing advanced air mobility sys-
tems and unmanned aircraft systems, and for 
research and development using advanced air 
mobility systems and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems; 
(B) developing and managing testbeds, 
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Ranges, for 
advanced air mobility or unmanned aircraft sys-
tems, including sector-specific test beds, de-
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signed to enable users to evaluate advanced air 
mobility systems and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems prior to deployment; 
(C) conducting research and education ac-
tivities involving advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems to solve challenges 
with economic, scientific, and national security 
implications; 
(D) conducting research and development 
on advanced air mobility and unmanned air-
craft systems platform development and innova-
tion; 
(E) providing or brokering access to com-
puting resources, networking, and data facilities 
for advanced air mobility and unmanned air-
craft systems research and development rel-
evant to the Institute’s research goals; 
(F) providing technical assistance to users, 
including software engineering support, for ad-
vanced air mobility systems and unmanned air-
craft systems research and development rel-
evant to the Institute’s research goals; 
(G) supporting the purchase of advanced 
air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems 
software; 
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(H) engaging in outreach and engagement 
to broaden participation in advanced air mobil-
ity and unmanned aircraft systems research, 
development and workforce; 
(I) supporting artificial intelligence and 
machine learning research related to advanced 
air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems; 
and 
(J) such other activities that an agency 
head whose agency’s missions contribute to or 
are affected by advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems determines is appro-
priate to fulfill the agency’s missions. 
(4) DURATION.— 
(A) INITIAL PERIODS.—An award of finan-
cial assistance under paragraph (1) shall be for 
an initial period of up to five years, subject to 
Office of Management and Budget uniform 
guidance for Federal assistance. 
(B) EXTENSION.—An established Institute 
may apply for, and the agency head may grant, 
extended funding for periods of up to five years 
on a merit-reviewed basis using the merit re-
view criteria of the sponsoring agency, subject 
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to Office of Management and Budget uniform 
guidance for Federal assistance. 
(5) APPLICATION
FOR
FINANCIAL
ASSIST-
ANCE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An entity seeking fi-
nancial assistance under paragraph (1) shall 
submit to an agency head an application at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the agency head may require. 
(B) REQUIREMENTS.—An application sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A) for an Institute 
shall, at a minimum, include the following: 
(i) A plan for the Institute, includ-
ing— 
(I) the proposed goals and activi-
ties of the Institute; 
(II) a description of how the In-
stitute will form partnerships with 
other research institutions, industry, 
nonprofits, academic institutions, and 
others to leverage expertise in ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned 
aircraft systems and access to data; 
(III) a description of how the in-
stitute will support long-term and 
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short-term education and workforce 
development in advanced air mobility 
and unmanned aircraft systems, in-
cluding broadening participation of 
underrepresented communities; and 
(IV) a description of how the In-
stitute will transition from planning 
into operations. 
(ii) A description of the anticipated 
sources and nature of any non-Federal 
contributions or other Federal agency 
funding. 
(iii) A data management plan that ad-
dresses the collection, use, retention, pro-
tection, dissemination, and management of 
data collected, consistent with the purposes 
of this Act. 
(iv) A description of the anticipated 
long-term impact of such Institute. 
(6) COMPETITIVE MERIT REVIEW.—In awarding 
financial assistance under paragraph (1), the agency 
shall— 
(A) use a competitive merit review process 
that includes peer review by a diverse group of 
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individuals with relevant expertise from both 
the private and public sectors; and 
(B) ensure the focus areas of the Institute 
do not substantially duplicate the efforts of any 
other Institute. 
(7) COLLABORATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In awarding financial 
assistance under paragraph (1), an agency head 
may collaborate with Federal departments and 
agencies the missions of which contribute to or 
are affected by advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems. 
(B) NONDUPLICATION.—In carrying out 
the program under this section, the Adminis-
trator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration shall coordinate with the heads 
of other Federal departments and agencies to 
avoid duplication of research and other activi-
ties to ensure that the activities carried out by 
Institutes are complementary to those being un-
dertaken by other agencies. 
(C) COORDINATING
NETWORK.—The Ad-
ministrator of the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration shall establish a network 
of Institutes receiving financial assistance under 
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this subsection, to be known as the ‘‘Drone 
Leadership Network’’, to coordinate cross-cut-
ting research and other activities carried out by 
the Institutes. 
(D) FUNDING.—The head of an agency 
may request, accept, and provide funds from 
other Federal departments and agencies, State, 
United States territory, local, or Tribal govern-
ment agencies, private sector for-profit entities, 
and nonprofit entities, to be available to the ex-
tent provided by appropriations Acts, to support 
an Institute’s activities. The head of an agency 
may not give any special consideration to any 
agency or entity in return for a donation. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2028 to carry out the activities au-
thorized in section 201(a). 
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TITLE III—NATIONAL INSTITUTE 
OF STANDARDS AND TECH-
NOLOGY ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 301. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECH-
NOLOGY ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National In-
stitute of Standards and Technology shall— 
(1) support measurement research and develop-
ment of best practices and voluntary consensus tech-
nical standards for advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems, including for— 
(A) privacy, security, and cybersecurity of 
advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems; 
(B) safety and operational performance of 
advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems; 
(C) hardware and components designed for 
advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems; 
(D) data management and techniques to 
increase the usability of data for advanced air 
mobility and unmanned aircraft systems; 
(E) supply chain risks for advanced air 
mobility and unmanned aircraft systems; and 
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(F) all other areas deemed by the Director 
to be critical to the development and deploy-
ment of advanced air mobility and unmanned 
aircraft systems; 
(2) support one or more Institutes as described 
in section 201(a) of this Act for the purpose of ad-
vancing advanced air mobility and unmanned air-
craft systems; 
(3) produce curated, standardized, representa-
tive, secure, and privacy-protected data sets for ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems 
research, development, and use, prioritizing data for 
high-value, high-risk research; 
(4) support and strategically engage in the de-
velopment of voluntary consensus technical stand-
ards, including international standards, through 
open, transparent, and consensus-based processes; 
(5) enter into and perform such contracts, in-
cluding cooperative research and development ar-
rangements and grants and cooperative agreements 
or other transactions, as may be necessary in the 
conduct of the work of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology and on such terms as the 
Director considers appropriate, in furtherance of the 
purposes of this Act; 
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(6) applies lessons learned from unmanned air-
craft systems research, development, demonstration, 
and testing to advanced air mobility systems; and 
(7) coordinate the development of voluntary and 
consensus technical standards and best practices 
with other Federal agencies as appropriate. 
(b) SOLICITATION OF INPUT.—In carrying out the 
activities under subsection (a), the Director of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology shall— 
(1) solicit input from university researchers, 
private sector experts, relevant Federal agencies, 
Federal laboratories, State, local, and Tribal govern-
ments, civil society groups, and other relevant stake-
holders; and 
(2) provide opportunity for public comment on 
guidelines and best practices, as appropriate. 
(c) DRONE RESEARCH CHALLENGES.— 
(1) PRIZE COMPETITION.—Pursuant to section 
24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation 
Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), the Director of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology 
shall carry out a program to award prizes competi-
tively to stimulate research and development of inno-
vative advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
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systems technologies to expand upon and improve 
emergency response operations. 
(2) PLAN FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE OPER-
ATIONS.—Each prize competition entry submitted 
pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include a plan for 
advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems implementation in emergency response oper-
ations. 
(3) PRIZE AMOUNT.—In carrying out the pro-
gram under paragraph (1), the Director of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology may 
award not more than a total of $2,250,000 to one 
or more winners of the prize competition. 
(4) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date on which a prize is awarded under the prize 
competition, the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate a report that describes the winning entry of the 
prize competition. 
(5) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the pro-
gram under paragraph (1), the Director of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology may 
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consult with the heads of relevant departments and 
agencies of the Federal Government. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute 
of Standards and Technology to carry out this section— 
(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
(2) $21,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; 
(3) $22,050,000 for fiscal year 2026; 
(4) $23,152,500 for fiscal year 2027; and 
(5) $24,310,125 for fiscal year 2028. 
SEC. 302. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECH-
NOLOGY MANUFACTURING ACTIVITIES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY 
AND UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS PILOT PROGRAM AS 
A PART OF THE MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNER-
SHIP.—The National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act is amended by inserting after section 25B (15 
U.S.C. 278k–2) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 25C. EXPANSION AWARDS FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT 
SYSTEMS PILOT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—The terms used in this section 
have the meanings given the terms in section 25. 
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall establish 
as a part of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Part-
nership a pilot program of expansion awards among par-
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ticipants referred to in subsection (c) for the purposes de-
scribed in subsection (e). 
‘‘(c) PARTICIPANTS.—Participants receiving awards 
under this section shall be Centers, or a consortium of 
Centers. 
‘‘(d) AWARD AMOUNTS.—An award for a recipient 
under this section shall be in an amount equal to the sum 
of the following: 
‘‘(1) Such amount as the Director considers ap-
propriate as a minimum base funding level for each 
award under this section. 
‘‘(2) Such additional amount as the Director 
considers in proportion to the manufacturing density 
of the region of the recipient. 
‘‘(3) Such supplemental amounts as the Direc-
tor considers appropriate. 
‘‘(e) PURPOSE OF AWARDS.—An award under this 
section shall be made for one or more of the following pur-
poses: 
‘‘(1) To provide coordinating services on— 
‘‘(A) the development of working concepts 
for new advanced air mobility and unmanned 
aircraft systems products, including review and 
design analysis; 
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‘‘(B) the review and optimization of cur-
rent advanced air mobility and unmanned air-
craft systems designs and components, includ-
ing industrial engineering and manufacturing 
design upgrades; 
‘‘(C) rapid advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems prototyping services, 
including three-dimensional modeling; 
‘‘(D) software development for advanced 
air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems ap-
plication; 
‘‘(E) commercialization of new products 
and technology to improve performance of ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems; and 
‘‘(F) supporting existing advanced air mo-
bility and unmanned aircraft systems and com-
ponents manufacturing operations and the de-
velopment of unmanned aircraft systems and 
components manufacturing operations. 
‘‘(2) To provide services to improve the resil-
iency of domestic advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft system supply chains. 
‘‘(3) To expand advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems technology services to small 
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and medium-sized manufacturers and software de-
velopers, which may include— 
‘‘(A) facilitating the adoption of tech-
nologies, including smart manufacturing tech-
nologies and practices; and 
‘‘(B) establishing partnerships, for the de-
velopment, demonstration, and deployment of 
unmanned aircraft systems technologies, with— 
‘‘(i) National Laboratories (as defined 
in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801)); 
‘‘(ii) Federal laboratories; 
‘‘(iii) Manufacturing USA institutes; 
‘‘(iv) Unmanned Aircraft Systems In-
dustry; and 
‘‘(v) institutions of higher education. 
‘‘(f) APPLICATIONS.—Applications for awards under 
this section shall be submitted in such manner, at such 
time, and containing such information as the Director 
shall require in consultation with the Manufacturing Ex-
tension Partnership Advisory Board. 
‘‘(g) SELECTION.— 
‘‘(1) REVIEWED AND MERIT-BASED.—The Di-
rector shall ensure that awards under this section 
are reviewed and merit-based. 
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‘‘(2) GEOGRAPHIC
DIVERSITY.—The Director 
shall endeavor to have broad geographic diversity 
among selected proposals. 
‘‘(3) CRITERIA.—The Director shall select ap-
plications consistent with the purposes identified 
pursuant to subsection (e) to receive awards the Di-
rector determines will achieve one or more of the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) Improvement of the competitiveness 
of domestic advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems industries in the re-
gion in which the Center or Centers are located. 
‘‘(B) Creation of jobs or training of newly 
hired employees. 
‘‘(C) Promotion of the transfer and com-
mercialization of research and technology from 
institutions of higher education, national lab-
oratories, or other federally funded research 
programs, and nonprofit research institutes. 
‘‘(D) Any other result the Director deter-
mines will advance the objective set forth in 
section 25(c) or 26. 
‘‘(h) GLOBAL MARKETPLACE PROJECTS.—In making 
an award under this section, the Director, in consultation 
with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory 
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Board and the Secretary, may take into consideration 
whether an application has significant potential for en-
hancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized 
United States manufacturers in the global marketplace for 
advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems 
technologies. 
‘‘(i) DURATION.—The Director shall ensure that the 
duration of an award under this section is aligned and 
consistent with a Center’s cooperative agreement estab-
lished in section 25(e). 
‘‘(j) REPORT.—After the completion of the pilot pro-
gram under subsection (b) and not later than October 1, 
2025, the Director shall submit to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate a report that includes— 
‘‘(1) a summary description of what activities 
were funded and the measurable outcomes of such 
activities; 
‘‘(2) a description of which types of activities 
under paragraph (1) could be integrated into, and 
supported under, the program under section 25; 
‘‘(3) a description of which types of activities 
under paragraph (1) could be integrated into, and 
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supported under, the competitive awards program 
under section 25A; and 
‘‘(4) a recommendation, supported by a clear 
explanation, as to whether the pilot program should 
be continued. 
‘‘(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the pilot pro-
gram under this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2026.’’. 
(b) MANUFACTURING
EXTENSION
PARTNERSHIP 
SURVEY.— 
(1) SURVEY.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
shall carry out a survey of the Manufacturing Ex-
tension Partnership Centers (referred to in this sec-
tion as the ‘‘Centers’’) to understand the manufac-
turing capabilities of the United States manufactur-
ers to support robust advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems industries in the United 
States. 
(2) CONTENTS.—In conducting the survey re-
quired under subsection (a), the Director of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology shall 
solicit feedback regarding the following: 
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(A) Familiarity and current manufacturing 
work by small and mid-sized manufacturers on 
advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems, including components, software, sen-
sors, or other technology associated with ad-
vanced air mobility systems and unmanned air-
craft systems. 
(B) A list of the basic manufacturing pro-
cedures that can be easily converted to conduct 
the manufacturing of advanced air mobility sys-
tems and unmanned aircraft systems projects. 
(C) Potential for small-and mid-sized man-
ufacturing to work with industry and academia 
to support the manufacturers of advanced air 
mobility systems and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems prototypes. 
(D) Potential for commercialization of on-
going manufacturing development research re-
lated to advanced air mobility and unmanned 
aircraft systems projects. 
(E) A description of supply chain and tech-
nological challenges that small and mid-sized 
manufacturers face in building up advanced air 
mobility and unmanned aircraft systems capac-
ity, and the prevalence of such challenges. 
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(F) Regulatory and legal barriers faced by 
small and mid-sized manufacturers and devel-
opers. 
(G) Any challenges that small and mid- 
sized manufacturers experience in recruiting 
skilled workers familiar with advanced air mo-
bility and unmanned aircraft systems manufac-
turing. 
(H) Any other information that the Direc-
tor or the Manufacturing Extension Partner-
ship Advisory Board determine is appropriate. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after 
completing the survey required under paragraph (1), 
the Director of the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, in consultation with the Manufac-
turing Extension Partnership Advisory Board, shall 
provide to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate a report summarizing the re-
sults of the survey. 
(c) MANUFACTURING USA PROGRAM.—The Director 
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
acting through the Manufacturing USA Program, shall 
prioritize research, development, and demonstration activi-
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ties to enhance and grow the domestic manufacturing ca-
pacity of advanced air mobility systems and unmanned 
aircraft systems and components. Such activities may in-
clude— 
(1) rapid-prototyping and reproduction of ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems 
structures; 
(2) additive manufacturing to improve capabili-
ties to produce large tools, dies, and molds for ad-
vanced air mobility systems and unmanned aircraft 
systems and components; 
(3) testing innovative manufacturing processes 
and manufactured components to improve safety, en-
durance, and quality of advanced air mobility sys-
tems and unmanned aircraft systems; 
(4) development of software to streamline fab-
rication and integration of manufacturing compo-
nents, such as sensors for use in advanced air mobil-
ity systems and unmanned aircraft systems; and 
(5) any other activities that the Director con-
siders appropriate. 
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TITLE IV—NATIONAL SCIENCE 
FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 401. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall support research and STEM 
education and related activities in advanced air mobility 
and unmanned aircraft systems, components, and related 
technologies, including competitive awards or grants to in-
stitutions of higher education or eligible nonprofit organi-
zations (or consortia thereof). 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—In carrying out the activities 
under subsection (a), the Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall— 
(1) support fundamental research on the under-
lying technologies for advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems, components, and related 
technologies, which may include— 
(A) improving the safety and reliability of 
operation systems; 
(B) developing and improving autonomous 
control systems, including real-time control and 
autonomous decisionmaking; 
(C) incorporating the use of artificial intel-
ligence into systems; 
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(D) improving or developing materials for 
advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems; 
(E) understanding safety and sustain-
ability of advanced air mobility and unmanned 
aircraft systems as a part of a transportation 
system, including the impacts of advanced air 
mobility and unmanned aircraft systems on 
ground transportation; 
(F) developing and improving communica-
tions systems, including multivehicle coordina-
tion and task and path planning; and 
(G) understanding the human-drone inter-
face; 
(2) support research and development of ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft system 
enabled uses, which may include— 
(A) creating new sensing tools to improve 
understanding, prediction, and detection of se-
vere weather and natural hazards, including 
wildfires; 
(B) enabling advanced air mobility; 
(C) monitoring and surveying infrastruc-
ture; 
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(D) disaster reconnaissance, including the 
collection of data to model and simulate disas-
ters and assist responders; and 
(E) improving the reliable use of advanced 
sensing systems in rural and agricultural set-
tings; 
(3) support research on data modeling and vali-
dation of the use of advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems; 
(4) support research and development on secu-
rity, including the cybersecurity, of advanced air mo-
bility systems and unmanned aerial aircraft systems; 
(5) support research on the ethical use of ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems, 
including protection of individual privacy; 
(6) support middle school and high school level 
STEM education research and related activities re-
lated to advanced air mobility and unmanned air-
craft systems and related technologies, which may 
include— 
(A) supporting curriculum development re-
lating to advanced air mobility and unmanned 
aircraft system applications, including devel-
oping place-based learning curriculum, particu-
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larly for students in poor, rural, or Tribal com-
munities; 
(B) utilizing advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems technologies to ad-
vance the engagement of students, including 
students in poor, rural, or Tribal communities, 
in STEM through providing before school, 
after-school, out-of-school, or summer activities; 
(C) developing professional development re-
sources for STEM educators in utilizing ad-
vanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft sys-
tems technologies and applications in their cur-
riculum and classrooms, including through dis-
tance-delivered courses; 
(D) connecting relevant STEM curriculum 
to the design, construction and demonstration 
of advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft 
systems; and 
(E) designing advanced air mobility and 
unmanned aircraft system related activities de-
signed to help students make real-world connec-
tions to STEM content and educate students on 
the relevance and significance of STEM ca-
reers; 
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ity and unmanned aircraft system applications 
and technologies; and 
(D) in partnership with industry, employ-
ing activities to increase the visibility and utility 
of careers in advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft applications and technologies; 
(9) engage veterans and departing members of 
the Armed Forces in activities specified in para-
graphs (7) and (8); 
(10) support one or more Institutes as de-
scribed in section 201(a) for the purpose of advanc-
ing the field of advanced air mobility and unmanned 
aircraft systems; 
(11) support prize competitions pursuant to 
section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology In-
novation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719); 
(12) establish a robust data management strat-
egy that ensures digital access and machine-read-
ability; that promotes findability, interoperability, 
analysis- and decision-readiness and reusability; and 
ensures applicable scientific data are managed for 
wide use by the Federal Government, State, local 
and Tribal governments, academia, and the public; 
(13) applies lessons learned from unmanned 
aircraft systems research, development, demonstra-
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tion, and testing to advanced air mobility systems; 
and 
(14) any other activities the Director deter-
mines necessary to meet the goals specified in sub-
section (a). 
(c) PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.—As part of 
the activities under subsection (a), the Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall support public-private 
partnerships to support domestic development of advanced 
air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems in the United 
States and address pre-competitive industry challenges. 
(d) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—In carrying out 
the program under this section, the Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall coordinate with the heads 
of other Federal departments and agencies to avoid dupli-
cation of research and other activities to ensure that the 
activities carried out under this section are complementary 
to those being undertaken by such other agencies. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the National Science 
Foundation to carry out this section— 
(1) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
(2) $52,500,000 for fiscal year 2025; 
(3) $55,125,000 for fiscal year 2026; 
(4) $57,881,775 for fiscal year 2027; and 
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(5) $60,775,863 for fiscal year 2028. 
TITLE 
V—NATIONAL 
AERO-
NAUTICS AND SPACE ADMIN-
ISTRATION ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 501. NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINIS-
TRATION ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, in consulta-
tion with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration and other relevant Federal agencies, shall di-
rect research and technological development to facilitate 
the safe integration of advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems into the National Airspace Sys-
tem, including— 
(1) positioning and navigation systems; 
(2) sense and avoid capabilities; 
(3) secure data and communication links; 
(4) flight recovery systems; 
(5) human systems integration; and 
(6) hazardous weather condition avoidance. 
(b) COOPERATIVE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM 
ACTIVITIES.—Section 31504 of title 51, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
sentence: ‘‘Operational flight data derived from these co-
operative agreements shall be made available, in appro-
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priate and usable formats, to the Administration and the 
Federal Aviation Administration for the development of 
regulatory standards.’’. 
(c) POLICY.—The Administrator of the National Aer-
onautics and Space Administration shall work with indus-
try, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department 
of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and 
academia to mature and help operationalize advanced air 
mobility and unmanned aircraft system traffic manage-
ment related concepts, architecture, services, and strategic 
as well as tactical deconfliction to ensure safe integration 
of advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems 
in airspace in presence of other aircraft. As part of such 
activities, the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
tration shall consider commercial and public good use 
cases, such as wildfire and disaster monitoring and mitiga-
tion, with a primary focus on enabling many simultaneous 
drone operations beyond visual line of sight. 
(d) LESSONS LEARNED.—The Administrator of the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall 
apply lessons learned from unmanned aircraft systems re-
search, development, demonstration, and testing to ad-
vanced air mobility systems. 
(e) COORDINATION.—The Administrator of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration shall coordi-
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nate with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration, the Director of the National Institutes of 
Standards and Technology, State, local and Tribal govern-
ments, and industry to inform the development of vol-
untary consensus-based technical standards to facilitate 
the incorporation of advanced air mobility and unmanned 
aircraft systems into the National Airspace System and 
decrease the need for regulations. 
(f) ASSESSMENT.—The Administrator of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration shall coordi-
nate with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration to conduct an assessment to identify metrics 
and performance measures necessary to safely integrate 
unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility sys-
tems into the National Airspace System. 
(g) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the com-
pletion of the assessment under subsection (f), the Admin-
istrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
tration shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate a report on the progress toward meeting metric 
and performance measures referred to in such subsection. 
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SEC. 502. NATIONAL STUDENT UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYS-
TEMS COMPETITION PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration shall estab-
lish a national program to carry out unmanned aircraft 
systems technology competitions for students at the high 
school and undergraduate level (in this section referred to 
as ‘‘competitions’’) in which students shall compete to de-
sign, create, and demonstrate an unmanned aircraft sys-
tem. 
(b) COMPETITION ADMINISTRATION.—The Adminis-
trator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion shall select, on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis, 
an institution of higher education to administer the com-
petitions (in this section referred to as the ‘‘competition 
administrator’’). 
(c) CONSIDERATIONS FOR SELECTING COMPETITION 
ADMINISTRATOR.—In selecting an institution of higher 
education to administer the competition, the Adminis-
trator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion shall consider the institution of higher education’s 
prior experience in— 
(1) administering such competitions; 
(2) administering national STEM engagement 
programs; 
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(3) engaging eligible institutions from diverse 
geographic areas, including poor, rural, and Tribal 
communities; and 
(4) connecting STEM activities to Administra-
tion missions and centers. 
(d) COMPETITION ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBIL-
ITIES.—The competition administrator shall be respon-
sible for— 
(1) awarding grants to institutions of higher 
education or nonprofit organizations (or a consor-
tium of such institutions or organizations) on a 
merit-reviewed, competitive basis to host individual 
competitions; 
(2) developing STEM curriculum to be utilized 
by the competition awardees to help students make 
the connection to the design, construction, and dem-
onstration of the unmanned aircraft systems; 
(3) developing curriculum to assist students in 
making real-world connections to STEM content and 
educate students on the relevance and significance of 
STEM careers; 
(4) ensuring awardees are supporting the activi-
ties laid out in subsection (f); 
(5) conducting performance evaluations of com-
petitions, including data collection on— 
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(A) the number of students engaged; 
(B) geographic and institutional diversity 
of participating schools and institutions of high-
er education; and 
(6) any other activities the Administrator finds 
necessary to ensure the competitions are successful. 
(e) ADDITIONAL
CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding 
grants authorized in subsection (d), the competition ad-
ministrator shall give priority to applications that include 
a partnership with that State’s space grant program under 
chapter 403 of title 51, United States Code. 
(f) PERMITTED ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the 
competitions authorized in subsection (a), the competition 
administrator shall ensure competitions occurring at both 
the high school and undergraduate levels— 
(1) allow students to design, construct, and 
demonstrate an unmanned aircraft system; 
(2) allow students to compete with other teams 
in the performance of the constructed unmanned air-
craft system; 
(3) connect to relevant missions and Center ac-
tivities of the Administration; 
(4) connect relevant STEM curriculum to the 
design, construction, and demonstration of un-
manned aircraft systems; 
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(5) support activities designed to help students 
make real-world connections to STEM content and 
educate students on the relevance and significance of 
STEM careers; and 
(6) are geographically dispersed in order to 
serve a broad student population, including those in 
rural and underserved communities. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the 
National 
Aeronautics 
and 
Space 
Administration 
$6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 
to carry out this section. Of the funds authorized for each 
such fiscal year— 
(1) $1,000,000 shall be for the competition ad-
ministrator as authorized in subsection (b); and 
(2) $5,000,000 shall be awarded for grants to 
carry out competitions as authorized by subsection 
(d). 
TITLE VI—DEPARTMENT OF 
ENERGY ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 601. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy shall 
carry out a cross-cutting research, development, and dem-
onstration program to advance unmanned aircraft system 
technologies, capabilities, and workforce needs and to im-
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prove the reliability of unmanned aircraft systems imple-
mentation methods relevant to the mission of the Depart-
ment of Energy. In carrying out such program, the Sec-
retary shall coordinate across all relevant offices and ac-
tivities at the Department, including the Office of Science, 
the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 
the Office of Nuclear Energy, the Office of Fossil Energy, 
the Office of Electricity, the Office of Cybersecurity, En-
ergy Security, and Emergency Response, the Advanced 
Research Projects Agency–Energy, the Office of Environ-
mental Management, the Office of Environment, Health, 
Safety and Security, the National Nuclear Security Ad-
ministration, the Artificial Intelligence Technology Office, 
the UAS Research and Engineering Center, and any other 
relevant office or activity as determined appropriate by the 
Secretary. 
(b) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—In carrying out the 
program under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy 
shall— 
(1) formulate goals for unmanned aircraft sys-
tems research activities to be supported by the De-
partment of Energy, including in the research areas 
under subsection (c); 
(2) leverage the collective body of knowledge 
from existing unmanned aircraft systems research 
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and development activities, including the work un-
derway by the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research 
and Engineering Center; 
(3) provide research experiences and training 
for undergraduate and graduate students in un-
manned aircraft systems research and development, 
including in the fields of— 
(A) artificial intelligence and machine 
learning; 
(B) applied mathematics and algorithm de-
velopment; 
(C) advanced imaging, sensing, and detec-
tion technologies; 
(D) materials science and engineering; and 
(E) advanced energy technologies and pro-
pulsion approaches; 
(4) establish a robust data management strat-
egy that— 
(A) ensures digital access and machine- 
readability; 
(B) promotes findability, interoperability, 
analysis- and decision-readiness and reusability; 
and 
(C) ensures applicable scientific data are 
managed for wide use by the Federal Govern-
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ment, State, local, and Tribal governments, aca-
demia, and the public; and 
(5) support one or more Institutes as described 
in section 201(a) for the purpose of advancing the 
fields of unmanned aircraft systems and the mission 
of the Department. 
(c) RESEARCH AREAS.—In carrying out the program 
under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy shall award 
financial assistance to eligible entities to carry out re-
search, development, and demonstration projects over a 
range of subject areas including— 
(1) fundamental science and technology areas, 
which may include— 
(A) advanced sensor technologies and proc-
esses, including— 
(i) optical capabilities, including Light 
Detection and Ranging, hyperspectral, 
thermographic, and visible imaging capa-
bilities; 
(ii) nonoptical electromagnetic capa-
bilities, including radar and radiofrequency 
capabilities; 
(iii) acoustic capabilities, including ul-
trasonic capabilities; and 
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(J) open architectures and advanced algo-
rithms to enable multi-sensor fusion and track-
ing of unmanned aircraft systems; and 
(K) swarm and cooperative drone data col-
lection and operation, and integration of drone 
control systems with dynamic sampling and 
real-time digital twin simulations; and 
(2) approaches for leveraging unmanned air-
craft systems for diverse applications, which may in-
clude— 
(A) advanced assessment, characterization, 
mapping, and recovery of energy resources, 
such as geothermal energy, biofuels, and critical 
minerals resources; 
(B) field testing and monitoring of energy 
systems, such as onshore and offshore wind en-
ergy, fossil energy, solar energy, marine energy, 
nuclear energy, and hydropower systems; 
(C) damage assessment of the electric grid 
and energy infrastructure following physical 
events such as wildland fires, including pre-
scribed burns containment and emissions meas-
urements, potential health and safety effects 
from contaminant releases and dispersals, and 
real-time analysis of impacted assets; 
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(D) leak detection of greenhouse gases re-
lated to energy production, including methane 
leak detection; 
(E) agriculture and aquaculture applica-
tions; 
(F) integrated data collection to inform 
and enhance Department of Energy modeling 
capabilities, including the development of cli-
mate and earth systems models; 
(G) assistance in environmental manage-
ment and cleanup activities; 
(H) assistance in Department infrastruc-
ture management at National Laboratories and 
other relevant Department sites; 
(I) intrusion detection and facility moni-
toring for physical security applications; and 
(J) asset extraction of building envelope 
features and characteristics for rapid energy 
modeling purposes. 
(d) TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.—In carrying out the 
program under subsection (a), and in coordination with 
the Office of Technology Transitions, the Secretary of En-
ergy shall support technology transfer of unmanned air-
craft systems research by partnering with industry. 
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(e) FACILITY USE.—In carrying out the program 
under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy shall make 
available high-performance computing infrastructure and 
other relevant research facilities and test beds at the Na-
tional Laboratories. 
(f) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICA-
TION.—In carrying out the program under subsection (a), 
the Secretary of Energy shall coordinate with the heads 
of other Federal departments and agencies to avoid dupli-
cation of research and other activities and to ensure that 
the activities carried out under such program are com-
plementary to those currently being undertaken by such 
other departments and agencies. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 
Energy to carry out this section— 
(1) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
(2) $52,500,000 for fiscal year 2025; 
(3) $55,125,000 for fiscal year 2026; 
(4) $57,881,775 for fiscal year 2027; and 
(5) $60,775,863 for fiscal year 2028. 
(h) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES DEFINED.—In this title, the 
term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 
(1) an institution of higher education; 
(2) a National Laboratory; 
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(3) a State, local, territorial, or Tribal govern-
ment research agency; 
(4) a nonprofit research organization; 
(5) a private sector entity; or 
(6) a consortium of two or more entities de-
scribed in any of paragraphs (1) through (5). 
TITLE 
VII—DEPARTMENT 
OF 
HOMELAND 
SECURITY 
AC-
TIVITIES 
SEC. 701. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ACTIVI-
TIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity, acting through the Under Secretary for Science and 
Technology of the Department of Homeland Security, 
shall— 
(1) support research, development, evaluation 
and testing for advanced air mobility, unmanned air-
craft systems, counter-UAS systems, and detection 
systems capabilities, including for— 
(A) air domain awareness and advanced 
air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems 
traffic monitoring; 
(B) privacy, security, and cybersecurity of 
advanced air mobility systems, unmanned air-
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craft systems, and counter-UAS systems capa-
bilities; 
(C) safety of advanced air mobility and un-
manned aircraft systems; 
(D) safety of operations in the National 
Airspace System; and 
(E) testing and evaluation of unmanned 
aircraft systems and counter-UAS systems ca-
pabilities, performance systems engineering, 
and operational analysis; 
(2) coordinate with all relevant offices and pro-
grams of the Department of Homeland Security, in-
cluding the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Secu-
rity Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the 
Federal Protective Service, the Transportation Secu-
rity Administration, the United States Coast Guard, 
and the United States Secret Service; 
(3) produce curated, standardized, representa-
tive, secure, and privacy protected data sets for ad-
vanced air mobility systems, unmanned aircraft sys-
tems, and counter-UAS systems, including detection 
systems, 
development, 
archiving, 
and 
use, 
prioritizing data for high-value, high-risk research; 
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(4) support one or more Institutes as described 
in section 201(a) for the purpose of advancing the 
field of advanced air mobility, unmanned aircraft 
systems, and counter-UAS systems, including detec-
tion systems capabilities; 
(5) apply lessons learned from unmanned air-
craft systems research, development, evaluation, and 
testing to advanced air mobility systems; and 
(6) enter into and perform such contracts, in-
cluding cooperative research and development ar-
rangements and grants and cooperative agreements 
or other transactions, as may be necessary in the 
conduct of the work of the Department and on such 
terms as the Secretary considers appropriate, in fur-
therance of the purposes of this Act. 
(b) COUNTER–UAS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall establish in the Department of Home-
land Security a center of excellence to carry out re-
search and development that advances counter-UAS 
systems capabilities. 
(2) SELECTION OF HOST INSTITUTION.— 
(A) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Secretary 
of 
Homeland Security shall make a grant to one 
institution of higher education, or a consortium 
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of institutions of higher education, to host and 
maintain the center of excellence established 
under this subsection. 
(B) SELECTION
CRITERIA.—In selecting 
such an institution or consortium, the Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall— 
(i) give preference to applicants with 
strong 
past 
performance 
related 
to 
counter-UAS systems research, education, 
and workforce development activities; 
(ii) give preference to applicants geo-
graphically collocated within 100 miles of 
Federal departments or agencies that cur-
rently possess or operate extant counter- 
UAS system facilities; 
(iii) give preference to applicants hav-
ing proven abilities and strong research en-
terprises in systems engineering, radio fre-
quency (RF) directed energy, radar and 
antenna research and development, atmos-
pheric monitoring that can support chem-
ical, biological, radiological and nuclear de-
tection to include trace gases and par-
ticular matter (PM), target tracking, re-
mote sensing, and the ability to leverage 
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artificial intelligence and machine learning 
to support the required data analytics; 
(iv) consider the extent to which the 
applicant would involve the public and pri-
vate sectors; and 
(v) consider the regional and national 
impacts of the applicant’s proposed re-
search and development activities. 
(3) USE OF FUNDS.—The institution of higher 
education or consortium may use funds provided 
under this subsection to carry out fundamental re-
search, evaluation, education, workforce develop-
ment, and training efforts related to counter-UAS 
systems subject areas, including safety, privacy, se-
curity, cybersecurity, detecting, identifying, moni-
toring, tracking, disrupting and seizing control, con-
fiscating, disabling, damaging, destruction, remote 
sensing, forensics, testing and evaluation of systems 
capabilities, performance, systems engineering, oper-
ational analysis, and advanced technologies. 
(4) FEDERAL
SHARE.—The Department of 
Homeland Security share of a grant under this sub-
section shall not exceed 75 percent of the costs of 
establishing and operating the center of excellence 
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and related research activities carried out by the 
grant recipient. 
(5) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(A) FISCAL YEAR 2024.—There is author-
ized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Homeland Security $10,000,000 for fiscal year 
2024 for making grants under this subsection. 
(B) FISCAL YEARS 2025 THROUGH 2028.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of Homeland Security $5,000,000 in 
each of fiscal years 2025 through 2028 for 
making grants under this subsection. 
(6) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—In 
this subsection, the term ‘‘institution of higher edu-
cation’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1001). 
(c) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—In carrying out 
the activities under subsection (a), the Secretary of Home-
land Security shall coordinate with the heads of other Fed-
eral departments and agencies to avoid duplication of re-
search and other activities and to ensure such activities 
are complimentary to those currently being undertaken by 
such other departments and agencies. 
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(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Homeland Security to carry out this section— 
(1) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
(2) $31,500,000 for fiscal year 2025; 
(3) $33,075,000 for fiscal year 2026; 
(4) $34,728,750 for fiscal year 2027; and 
(5) $36,465,187 for fiscal year 2028. 
TITLE VIII—NATIONAL OCEANIC 
AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINIS-
TRATION ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 801. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMIN-
ISTRATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall 
carry out and support research, development, and dem-
onstration activities to advance unmanned aircraft sys-
tems technologies, and capabilities, and to enhance the de-
ployment of, and data collected by, unmanned aircraft sys-
tems relevant to the mission of the Administration, incor-
porate such data into operations, and ensure data are 
managed, stewarded, and archived appropriately. In car-
rying out such activities, the Administrator shall coordi-
nate across all relevant offices and programs of the Ad-
ministration, including the Office of Oceanic and Atmos-
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(2) $15,750,000 for fiscal year 2025; 
(3) $16,537,500 for fiscal year 2026; 
(4) $17,364,375 for fiscal year 2027; and 
(5) $18,232,593 for fiscal year 2028. 
(i) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—In this title, the term ‘‘eli-
gible entities’’ means— 
(1) an institution of higher education; 
(2) a National Laboratory; 
(3) a NOAA Cooperative Institute; 
(4) a State, local, territorial, or Tribal govern-
ment agency; 
(5) a nonprofit organization; 
(6) a private sector entity; or 
(7) a consortium of 2 or more entities described 
in subparagraphs (A) through (F). 
TITLE IX—FEDERAL AVIATION 
ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 901. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH 
AND DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration, in coordination with the Admin-
istrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
tration and the heads of other Federal agencies, shall 
carry out and support research, development, testing, and 
demonstration activities to— 
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