Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act

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.

Use of grant amounts— A governmental entity may use a grant provided under this section to—

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.

Selection of applicants— In selecting an applicant for a grant under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize projects that propose to—

Limitation— Nothing in this section shall be construed as to interfere with an agreement between a governmental entity and a labor union.

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—

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.

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).

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.

Authorization of appropriations— There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section—

Covered foreign entity— The term covered foreign entity means an entity—

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)).

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.

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).

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.

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.

Governmental entity— The term governmental entity means—

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.