1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

Please oppose the Drones for First Responders Act, a misleading name for a bill that would hurt drone users like me across the country. This bill would create new taxes on the most popular drones in the U.S. and by 2030, ban those drones entirely. The drones that would be banned are popular for a reason. I chose to buy them because they’re the best tool for the job and can be counted on to work when I need them. If you’ve ever flown a drone before, whether it be for work, for public safety, for research or just for fun, you’d know that reliability, capability and cost are critically important and this bill would force me into paying more for a drone that does less. Additionally, the bill claims to address national security concerns about my drone, but that does not make sense to me. If there were proof that my drone was a national security risk, then why, if I am willing to pay a higher price can I still buy it and any new products manufactured in China until 2030? These new taxes would also be crippling to small businesses in our district and beyond which really are the backbone of the US drone industry. Most people don’t know it, but there are hundreds of thousands of drone users who own their own small business and higher costs will force many to close and some to never get off the ground. While the DFR Act promises to offset the taxes through a new grant program, those are only available to SOME drone users and if I am not one of the lucky few who receive a grant, I will be paying more until the products that I already know and trust are banned. It is very important to me that you understand the negative consequences that this bill would have on an industry I care about so please do contact me if I can provide any additional information. Again, please oppose the misnamed Drones for First Responders Act.