HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 6

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2012

INTRODUCED BY

Roberto "Bobby" J. Gonzales

FOR THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION TO DESIGNATE NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY'S PHYSICAL SCIENCE LABORATORY'S UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS FLIGHT TEST CENTER AS A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.

     WHEREAS, unmanned aircraft systems are aircraft flown by pilots through ground control systems or flown autonomously through on-board computers and include all associated support, control, data, navigational and communication equipment necessary to safely and efficiently operate the aircraft; and

     WHEREAS, the unmanned aircraft systems industry, with established, worldwide military applications and emerging non-military government and commercial applications, demonstrates potential for significant growth in coming decades; and

     WHEREAS, in the next fifteen years, a fully realized unmanned aircraft systems industry could provide twenty-three thousand new jobs and one billion six hundred million dollars ($1,600,000,000) in wages in sectors such as high-technology manufacturing, academia, federal government agencies and civilian and end-user communities; and

     WHEREAS, a number of challenges in unmanned aircraft systems research, development, testing, evaluation and operating applications are leading to federal government investment projects; and

     WHEREAS, one of these projects will be a federal aviation administration unmanned aircraft systems center of excellence, through which partners will enhance the safety, security and efficiency of the national airspace system, generally, and the unmanned aircraft systems industry, specifically; and

     WHEREAS, a number of states are vying for unmanned aircraft systems development opportunities and funds; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has a number of exceptional environmental, research, development and infrastructure resources that may be leveraged to position the state as a leader in the developing unmanned aircraft systems industry, generally, and as a prime candidate for a federal aviation administration unmanned aircraft systems center of excellence, specifically;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the federal aviation administration be requested to designate New Mexico an "unmanned-aircraft-systems-friendly state" and that New Mexico state university's physical science laboratory's unmanned aircraft systems flight test center be designated as a center of excellence; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature support the unmanned aircraft systems statewide coalition, a group of representatives from academia, industry, the military and government, to attract to New Mexico businesses, revenues and jobs in the industry; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to members of the New Mexico congressional delegation, the administrator of the federal aviation administration and the secretary of transportation.

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