OklahomaState aviation department would coordinate drone and air-taxi development
Beginning November 1, 2026, Oklahoma’s aerospace department would coordinate drone and air-taxi programs and could work with public partners on related infrastructure.
What it does
Starting November 1, 2026, the state aerospace department would coordinate drone and air-taxi development, testing, training, grants, safety systems, and related infrastructure.
The department would be allowed to work with governments and public trusts on aviation infrastructure, including detection, radar, command, and control systems.
The aerospace department would be allowed to adopt rules needed to carry out the state law governing unmanned-aircraft development, beginning November 1, 2026.
Argument forCentral coordination could help agencies and aviation businesses organize testing, grant applications, training, and safety planning more efficiently.
Argument againstBuilding public infrastructure and detection or command systems could require public spending, although the text does not set a funding amount.
More detail
The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics would serve as the state clearinghouse for unmanned aircraft and advanced air mobility, including air-taxi technology. The work covers unmanned aircraft, advanced air mobility, related infrastructure, state agencies, local governments, tribal entities, businesses, and other partners. The department may use existing program processes or contract with qualified organizations only when funds are available. The department’s work includes research, grant and test-site coordination, state-agency aircraft registries, training-program registries, infrastructure planning, detection systems, command systems, and public infrastructure. Some aircraft used in university research programs are excluded from the state-agency aircraft registry. These provisions would take effect November 1, 2026.
The department would be allowed to partner with governments and public trusts to invest in and operate infrastructure and other items needed for aviation technology. Partnerships may include Oklahoma cities, towns, counties, political subdivisions, districts, public trusts, and federal entities. The partnerships must support the safe and effective integration, testing, or development of unmanned aircraft and advanced air mobility. The department would be allowed to create statewide or regional command, control, and radar systems alone or with government, tribal, local, or nonprofit partners. This authority would take effect November 1, 2026.
The department would be allowed to adopt rules needed to carry out the state’s unmanned-aircraft development law. The authority applies to rules implementing the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Development Act of 2021. The rulemaking provision would take effect November 1, 2026.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 29Approved by Governor Kevin Stitt 05/21/2026Became Law
- May 14Sent to GovernorTo Governor
- Vote recorded Fourth Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- May 14Signed, returned to Senate
- May 14Enrolled, to House
- May 14Referred for enrollment
- May 14Measure passed: Ayes: 35 Nays: 11Major
- May 14HAs adoptedMajor
- Apr 30HAs read
- Apr 30Engrossed, signed, to SenateMajor
- Apr 29Referred for engrossment
- Vote recorded Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 29Third Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 78 Nays: 5Major
- Apr 29General Order
- Apr 15Title restored
- Apr 15Coauthored by Representative(s) Hill
- Apr 15CR; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Commerce and Economic Development Oversight CommitteeMinor
- Apr 14
- Vote recorded Commerce And Economic Development Oversight Committee: Do Pass As Amended By Cs. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 8Policy recommendation to the Commerce and Economic Development Oversight committee; Do Pass TransportationMinor
- Vote recorded Transportation Committee: Do Pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 30Referred to TransportationMinor
- Mar 30Second Reading referred to Commerce and Economic Development OversightMinor
- Mar 9First ReadingMinor
- Mar 9Engrossed to HousePassed House
- Mar 5Referred for engrossment
- Vote recorded Third Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 5Measure passed: Ayes: 33 Nays: 12Passed Senate
- Mar 5General Order, Considered
- Feb 16Placed on General Order
- Feb 16Withdrawn from Appropriations committee
- Feb 9Referred to AppropriationsMinor
- Vote recorded Aeronautics & Transportation. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 9Title stricken
- Feb 9Reported Do Pass as amended Aeronautics and Transportation committee; CR filedMinor
- Feb 4Coauthored by Representative Miller (principal House author)
- Feb 3Second Reading referred to Aeronautics and Transportation Committee then to Appropriations CommitteeMinor
- Feb 2Authored by Senator Haste
- Feb 2First ReadingIntroduced
TransportationTechnologyPublic Safety