Updates to rules regarding the commercial carriage of property

(a) Improving regulations Section 44808 of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (b)(5) as subsection (c), and indenting appropriately; (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of subsection (c), as redesignated by paragraph (1), as paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively, and indenting appropriately; (3) by redesignating subsection (b)(6) as subsection (d), and indenting appropriately; and (4) in subsection (b), as previously amended, by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (5) Ensure that the provision of section 41713 shall not apply to the carriage of property by operators of small unmanned aircraft systems. (6) Ensure that an operator of a small unmanned aircraft system is not required to comply with any rules approved under this section if the operator is operating solely under a State authorization for the intrastate carriage of property for compensation or hire. (7) Ensure that the costs necessary to receive such an authorization are minimal so as to protect competition between market participants. (8) A streamlined application process that only contains requirements minimally necessary for safe operation and substantially outweigh the compliance costs for an applicant.. (b) Clarification regarding preemption Section 41713(b) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (5) Not applicable to the operation of a civil unmanned aircraft system Paragraphs (1) and (4) shall not apply to the operation of a civil unmanned aircraft system.. (c) Exclusion from definition of air carrier Section 40102(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting (but does not include an operator of civil unmanned aircraft systems) before the period at the end. (d) State authorization for the intrastate carriage of property A State may not be prohibited from issuing an authorization (and the Federal Government may not require a Federal authorization) for the carriage of property by a commercial operator of a civil unmanned aircraft that is operating in intrastate commerce if the civil unmanned aircraft is only authorized by the State to operate— (1) within the immediate reaches of airspace; and (2) within the lateral boundaries of the State.