Bill Text: MI SB1164 | 2025-2026 | 103rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Aeronautics: unmanned aircraft systems; counter-unmanned aircraft systems strategy and coordinating council; establish. Creates new act.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2026-09-10 - Referred To Committee On Transportation And Infrastructure [SB1164 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2025-SB1164-Introduced.html
SENATE BILL NO. 1164
A bill to create the airspace awareness coordinating council; to create a statewide airspace awareness strategy; and to provide for the powers and duties of state governmental officers and entities.
the people of the state of michigan enact:
Sec. 1. This act may be cited as the "airspace awareness coordinating council act".
(a) "Airspace awareness" means the lawful detection, identification, assessment, coordination, and, to the extent authorized by federal law, mitigation of unmanned aircraft systems that pose a risk to public safety, aviation safety, emergency response, critical infrastructure, or protected facilities.
(b) "Council" means the airspace awareness coordinating council created in section 4.
(c) "Department" means the department of state police.
(d) "Strategy" means the statewide airspace awareness strategy required under section 3.
Sec. 3. (1) The department, acting through the department's emergency management and homeland security division, in coordination with the state transportation department and the state transportation department office of aeronautics, shall develop and maintain a statewide airspace awareness strategy.
(2) The strategy must do all of the following:
(a) Establish a coordinated statewide framework for airspace awareness planning, preparedness, response, and recovery.
(b) Delineate roles and responsibilities among state departments, local governments, emergency responders, aviation stakeholders, and federal partners.
(c) Prioritize aviation safety, wildfire response, disaster operations, correctional security, and continuity of emergency operations.
(d) Identify critical infrastructure, emergency response environments, entertainment venues, stadiums, and correctional facilities requiring airspace awareness planning.
(e) Establish standardized concepts of operations, notification procedures, deconfliction protocols, and coordination procedures to support safe operations in the national airspace system.
(f) Address data sharing, interoperability, cybersecurity, privacy protections, and civil liberties safeguards consistent with state and federal law.
(g) Align with applicable federal law, including federal training, certification, equipment authorization, and technology approval requirements.
(h) Include a process for periodic review and updating not less than once every 2 years.
(i) Develop a plan to use airspace awareness equipment to both enable safe commercial unmanned aircraft system flights across this state and support public safety airspace awareness initiatives.
(3) The initial strategy must be completed and submitted to the senate and house of representatives standing committees with primary jurisdiction over homeland security and transportation not later than 12 months after the effective date of this act.
Sec. 4. (1) The airspace awareness coordinating council is created in the department.
(2) The governor shall appoint the members of the commission. The commission must consist of the following members:
(a) The following 4 members, who shall serve as co-chairpersons:
(i) The director of the department, or the director's designee.
(ii) The director of the state transportation department, or the director's designee.
(iii) The director of the Michigan public safety communications system, or the director's designee.
(iv) The adjutant general of this state or the adjutant general's designee.
(b) A representative of each of the following:
(i) The department.
(ii) The department of corrections.
(iii) The department of natural resources.
(iv) The state transportation department office of aeronautics.
(v) The state fire marshal.
(c) A representative nominated by the Michigan Drone Association.
(d) A representative from law enforcement with unmanned aircraft systems experience, nominated by the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.
(e) A representative from law enforcement with unmanned aircraft systems experience, nominated by the Michigan Sheriffs' Association.
(3) The governor shall appoint the first members of the board within 60 days after the effective date of this act.
(4) The term of a member of the council is 3 years or until a successor is appointed, whichever is later.
(5) If a vacancy occurs on the council, the governor shall appoint an individual to fill the vacancy for the balance of the term.
(6) The governor may remove a member of the council for incompetence, dereliction of duty, malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in office, or any other good cause.
(7) The director of the department shall call the first meeting of the council. At the first meeting, the council shall elect officers that it considers necessary or appropriate. The council shall meet at least quarterly, or more frequently at the call of a co-chairperson or at the request of a majority of the members.
(8) A majority of the members of the council constitute a quorum for transacting business. A vote in favor by a majority of the members of the council serving is required for any action of the council.
(9) The council shall conduct its business in compliance with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275.
(10) A writing that is prepared, owned, used, possessed, or retained by the council in performing an official function is subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.
(11) A member of the council is not entitled to compensation for service on the council, but the council may reimburse a member for actual and necessary expenses incurred in serving.
(12) The council may invite participation from federal agencies, airport operators, tribal governments, local units of government, private sector infrastructure owners, and subject matter experts as advisory, nonvoting participants.
(13) The council shall do all of the following:
(a) Advise on the development and implementation of the strategy.
(b) Identify statewide airspace awareness risks, capability gaps, and priority investment areas.
(c) Recommend standardized policies, training standards, credentialing requirements, and operational practices.
(d) Support interagency coordination during airspace awareness incidents and planned events.
(e) Review incidents, exercises, and after-action reports to support continuous improvement.
(f) Support alignment of state activities with federal airspace awareness programs, testing, and evaluation initiatives.
Sec. 5. The department, in coordination with the state transportation department, shall provide a written briefing to the legislature on the strategy when the strategy is initially completed and when the strategy is significantly updated.
