Mississippi passes new law to quash undue restrictions on drones

Mississippi governor Tate Reeves has signed the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems’ Rights and Authorities Act into law, which codifies that the ultimate authority over the state airspace lies with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This law is crucial because it prevents additional burdensome regulations for drone operators. At the same time, it clarifies that violations of property-based legal regimes, such as trespass, do not occur when a drone simply flies overhead.

The Uncrewed Aircraft Systems’ Rights and Authorities Act (Senate Bill 1246) is designed to foster a regulatory environment that enables commercial drone operations without infringing upon existing airspace authorities.

It is modeled after Drone Prepared, an industry-backed legislation framework that ensures that communities can reap the benefits of embracing drones for uses such as infrastructure inspections, package delivery, wireless internet, agricultural surveying, search and…