Project Timeline
The Initiative...
September 2016 – At a Washington, D.C. conference for community and technical college leaders, a Mississippi community college executive recommended a consortium initiative focused on UAS/drone technology centers of excellence – in particular, to develop community college capabilities for drones in precision agriculture.
April 2017– At the request of Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), legislation was drafted to authorize Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training.
June 2017– S. 1410, Safe DRONE Act of 2017, was introduced by Senator Mark Warner, with original co-sponsors Senators John Hoeven (R-ND), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Dean Heller (R-NV). Section 5 of S. 1410 authorizes Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training.
May 2018– S. 1405, 2018 Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017, was reported out of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee incorporating an amendment offered by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) authorizing Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training.
June 2018– S. 1405, 2018 Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017, was introduced in the Senate, authorizing Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training.
October 2018– H.R.302, FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, signed into law (Public Law 115-254), authorizing Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training.
October 2018– Community and technical colleges participated in a meeting at FAA headquarters to discuss implementation of the Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training.
April 2019 – April 5, 2019 was the statutory deadline under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 for the FAA to have established a process to designate consortia of public, 2-year institutions of higher education as Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training. (“Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment.”)
June 2019– The FAA UAS Symposium 2019, in Baltimore, MD, included a side meeting with the FAA’s UAS team, industry and community and technical college leaders to discuss Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training.
April 2020 – The FAA officially launched the new UAS program, which involves collaboration through a national consortium of community and technical colleges.
June 2020 – A four-part Zoom series (June 3, 10, 17 and 24) for community and technical colleges, entitled Preparing the Drone Workforce Professional Development Webinars, will be hosted by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) – https://www.nacce.com/ctcc.