Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act
Bill: S.4744 | Sponsor: Sen. Rosen, Jacky (D-NV)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act
This bill establishes programs within the Department of Transportation (DOT) to support the use of drones and other small, unmanned aircraft systems when inspecting, repairing, or constructing road infrastructure, electric grid infrastructure, water infrastructure, or other critical infrastructure.
Specifically, DOT must award grants to state, tribal, and local governments; metropolitan planning organizations; or groups of those entities to purchase or otherwise use drones to increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve worker and community safety, reduce carbon emissions, or meet other priorities when carrying out inspections, repairs, and construction. Grant recipients must use domestically manufactured drones that are made by companies not subject to influence or control from certain foreign entities, including China and Russia.
DOT must also award grants to certain institutions of higher education for training students for careers using drones and related technologies.

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish in the 
 Department of Transportation a drone infrastructure inspection grant 
program and a drone education and training grant program, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Drone Infrastructure Inspection 
Grant Act''.

SEC. 2. DRONE INFRASTRUCTURE INSPECTION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary of Transportation shall establish a 
drone infrastructure inspection grant program to make grants to 
governmental entities to facilitate the use of eligible small unmanned 
aircraft systems to increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve worker 
and community safety, reduce carbon emissions, or meet other priorities 
(as determined by the Secretary) related to critical infrastructure 
projects.
    (b) Use of Grant Amounts.--A governmental entity may use a grant 
provided under this section to--
            (1) purchase or lease eligible small unmanned aircraft 
        systems;
            (2) support operational capabilities of eligible small 
        unmanned aircraft systems by the governmental entity;
            (3) contract for services performed with an eligible small 
        unmanned aircraft system in circumstances in which the 
        governmental entity does not have the resources or expertise to 
        safely carry out or assist in carrying out the activities 
        described under subsection (a); and
            (4) support the program management capability of the 
        governmental entity to use an eligible small unmanned aircraft 
        system.
    (c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, a governmental entity shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such form, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require, including an assurance that the 
governmental entity or its contractor will comply with relevant Federal 
regulations.
    (d) Selection of Applicants.--In selecting an applicant for a grant 
under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize projects that 
propose to--
            (1) carry out a critical infrastructure project in a 
        historically disadvantaged community; or
            (2) address a safety risk in the inspection, operation, 
        maintenance, repair, modernization, or construction of an 
        element of critical infrastructure.
    (e) Limitation.--Nothing in this section shall be construed as to 
interfere with an agreement between a governmental entity and a labor 
union.
    (f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the first 
grant is provided under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives a report that evaluates the program carried out under 
this section, including--
            (1) a description of the number of grants awarded;
            (2) the amount of each grant;
            (3) the activities funded under this section; and
            (4) the effectiveness of such funded activities in meeting 
        the objectives described in subsection (a).
    (g) Funding.--
            (1) Federal share.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the Federal share of the cost of a project carried 
                out using a grant under this section shall not exceed 
                80 percent of the total project cost.
                    (B) Waiver.--The Secretary may increase the Federal 
                share requirement under subparagraph (A) to up to 100 
                percent for a project carried out using a grant under 
                this section by a governmental entity if such entity--
                            (i) submits a written application to the 
                        Secretary requesting an increase in the Federal 
                        share; and
                            (ii) demonstrates that the additional 
                        assistance is necessary to facilitate the 
                        acceptance and full use of a grant under this 
                        section, such as alleviating economic hardship, 
                        meeting additional workforce needs, or such 
                        other uses that the Secretary determines to be 
                        appropriate.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this section--
                    (A) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
                    (B) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.

SEC. 3. DRONE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary of Transportation shall establish a 
drone education and training grant program to make grants to 
educational institutions for workforce training for eligible small 
unmanned aircraft system technology.
    (b) Use of Grant Amounts.--Amounts from a grant under this section 
shall be used in furtherance of activities authorized under sections 
631 and 632 of the FAA Reauthorization Act 2018 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note).
    (c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an educational institution shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such form, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section--
            (1) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
            (2) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Covered foreign entity.--The term ``covered foreign 
        entity'' means an entity--
                    (A) included on the Consolidated Screening List or 
                Entity List as designated by the Secretary of Commerce;
                    (B) domiciled in the People's Republic of China or 
                the Russian Federation;
                    (C) subject to influence or control by the 
                government of the People's Republic of China or by the 
                Russian Federation; or
                    (D) is a subsidiary or affiliate of an entity 
                described in subparagraphs (A) through (C).
            (2) Critical infrastructure.--The term ``critical 
        infrastructure'' has the meaning given such term in section 
        1016(e) of the Critical Infrastructures Protection Act of 2001 
        (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)).
            (3) Critical infrastructure project.--The term ``critical 
        infrastructure project'' means a project for the inspection, 
        operation, maintenance, repair, modernization, or construction 
        of an element of critical infrastructure, including mitigating 
        environmental hazards to such infrastructure.
            (4) Educational institution.--The term ``educational 
        institution'' means an institution of higher education (as 
        defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001)) that participates in a program authorized under 
        sections 631 and 632 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 
        U.S.C. 40101 note).
            (5) Element of critical infrastructure.--The term ``element 
        of critical infrastructure'' means a critical infrastructure 
        facility or asset, including public bridges, tunnels, roads, 
        highways, dams, electric grid, water infrastructure, 
        communication systems, pipelines, or other related facilities 
        or assets, as defined by the Secretary.
            (6) Eligible small unmanned aircraft system.--The term 
        ``eligible small unmanned aircraft system'' means a small 
        unmanned aircraft system manufactured or assembled by a company 
        that is domiciled in the United States and is not a covered 
        foreign entity.
            (7) Governmental entity.--The term ``governmental entity'' 
        means--
                    (A) a State, the District of Columbia, the 
                Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United 
                States, or a political subdivision thereof;
                    (B) a unit of local government;
                    (C) a Tribal Government;
                    (D) a metropolitan planning organization; or
                    (E) a combination of the entities described in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (D).
            (8) Small unmanned aircraft; unmanned aircraft; unmanned 
        aircraft system.--The terms ``small unmanned aircraft'', 
        ``unmanned aircraft'', and ``unmanned aircraft system'' have 
        the meanings given such terms in section 44801 of title 49, 
        United States Code.
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