§576c — Title 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary must choose one person at the Corps of Engineers headquarters to lead and approve how the Corps uses and manages small unmanned aircraft systems (small drones) for civil works and emergency response, and to get any needed FAA approvals for those operations. Those drones must follow FAA rules as civil or public aircraft, at the Secretary’s choice, and are not governed by Department of Defense (including Army) rules. The Corps’ drones cannot be used by the Department of Defense or the Army except for the civil works or emergency missions named above.

Title 33, §576c

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall designate an individual, within the headquarters office of the Corps of Engineers, who shall serve as the coordinator and principal approving official for developing the process and procedures by which the Corps of Engineers—

(1)operates and maintains small unmanned aircraft (as defined in section 331 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 40101 11 See References in Text note below. note)) systems in support of civil works and emergency response missions of the Corps of Engineers; and

(2)acquires, applies for, and receives any necessary Federal Aviation Administration authorizations for such operations and systems.

(b)A small unmanned aircraft system acquired, operated, or maintained for carrying out the missions specified in subsection (a) shall be operated in accordance with regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration as a civil aircraft or public aircraft, at the discretion of the Secretary, and shall be exempt from regulations of the Department of Defense, including the Department of the Army, governing such system.

(c)A small unmanned aircraft system acquired, operated, or maintained by the Corps of Engineers is excluded from use by the Department of Defense, including the Department of the Army, for any mission of the Department of Defense other than a mission specified in subsection (a).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 331 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is section 331 of Pub. L. 112–95, which was set out in a note under section 40101 of Title 49, Transportation, and was transferred and is now set out in a note under section 44802 of Title 49.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

“Secretary” Defined Secretary means the Secretary of the Army, see section 1002 of Pub. L. 114–322, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.

§576c Corps of Engineers Operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems