Public Safety UAS Readiness Act

Grants for public safety drone training

If enacted, this bill would create an FAA grant program to fund drone pilot training for public safety organizations. The program would be authorized $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029. Eligible recipients would include government and nonprofit fire departments, EMS, law enforcement, regional training academies, interagency UAS collaboratives, and national nonprofit public safety trainers. Grants would pay to build training programs and curricula, train certified remote pilots and instructors, buy safety‑approved drones for training, and cover reasonable administrative costs tied to training delivery. Funded programs would have to follow FAA rules and meet listed consensus standards, and curricula must be maintained or licensed by a national nonprofit training organization with approval required for changes. Applicants would need to submit a plan showing oversight, risk management, airspace and safety protocols, certified personnel, equipment upkeep, data and privacy protections, and legal compliance. The FAA would prioritize applicants in high‑risk or underserved areas and those showing multiagency coordination. Recipients would report annually on trainees, instructors, deployments, and program challenges, and the Secretary would report to Congress each year.