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Ryan English: Rick Scott’s, Marco Rubio’s Drone Bill Threatens Florida Small Businesses

After years of overlooking Florida’s growing drone economy,‭ ‬Senator Rick Scott and Senator Marco Rubio are finally taking notice.

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After years of overlooking Florida’s growing drone economy,‭ ‬Senator Rick Scott and Senator Marco Rubio are finally taking notice.

After years of overlooking Florida’s growing drone economy,‭ ‬Senator Rick Scott and Senator Marco Rubio are finally taking notice.‭ ‬Unfortunately,‭ ‬instead of providing a shot in the arm for Florida small business and public safety agencies,‭ ‬their plan titled the‭ “‬American Security Drone Act”‭ ‬would destroy Florida’s drone economy and deprive dozens of‭ ‬government agencies across‭ ‬our state the tools they need to safely and effectively perform their jobs.

The bill,‭ ‬which seeks to strengthen U.S.‭ ‬national security interests and protect intellectual property rights by banning government use of certain foreign-made drones,‭ ‬is uninformed and misguided.

As a military veteran and small business owner,‭ ‬I support strong security measures—but a plan based on country of origin does nothing to bolster security.‭ ‬The reality is that nearly all electronics companies rely on parts from the global supply chain.‭ ‬Instead of banning these critical components outright,‭ ‬our representatives need to work with U.S.‭ ‬businesses,‭ ‬public safety agencies,‭ ‬and drone and security experts to develop industry standards that increase safety,‭ ‬provide real security,‭ ‬and,‭ ‬most important,‭ ‬offer a practical solution that won’t cripple small U.S.‭ ‬businesses.

There is too much at stake to get this wrong,‭ ‬which is why I recently sent a letter to Senator Scott and Senator Rubio detailing my concerns.‭ ‬My company,‭ ‬FLYMOTION,‭ ‬is based in Tampa and has evolved into a thriving technology company that employs more than a dozen people in Florida alone,‭ ‬all of whom work tirelessly to keep our state’s public safety infrastructure strong and contribute to the local economy daily.‭ ‬Our success is a testament to our hard work and the importance of an open U.S.‭ ‬business environment that supports entrepreneurs and innovation.

Our customers,‭ ‬including many of Florida’s public safety agencies,‭ ‬depend on our services to execute vital missions and better serve our community.‭ ‬For example,‭ ‬FLYMOTION has helped many Florida fire departments collect valuable infrared data so firefighters can more safely navigate burning buildings.‭ ‬In the wake of Hurricane Irma,‭ ‬FLYMOTION helped large utility companies more efficiently restore power to affected areas,‭ ‬which ultimately saved lives and allowed businesses to return to normal operations more quickly.

More broadly,‭ ‬there are more than‭ ‬1‭ ‬million civilian Unmanned Aircraft Systems registered in the U.S.,‭ ‬and commercial‭ ‬drone use is expected to triple by‭ ‬2023,‭ ‬according to the U.S.‭ ‬Federal Aviation Administration’s‭ ‬(FAA‭) ‬most recent‭ ‬Aerospace Forecast.

This growth helps fuel the U.S.‭ ‬commercial drone economy,‭ ‬which is expected to surpass‭ ‬$82‭ ‬billion and create more than‭ ‬100,000‭ ‬jobs by‭ ‬2025,‭ ‬according to an‭ ‬economic report by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International‭ (‬AUVSI‭)‬.

This rise in drone popularity and use cases is great news for FLYMOTION and other Florida-based communities.‭ ‬However,‭ ‬Senator Scott’s and Senator Rubio’s plan‭ ‬will halt the growing commercial U.S.‭ ‬drone industry and Florida will miss out on the promise of drone technology.‭ ‬I choose to run‭ ‬my business on reliable‭ ‬products that lead the market in safety,‭ ‬security,‭ ‬quality,‭ ‬and ease-of-use.‭ ‬I only ask,‭ ‬on behalf of my business and my employees,‭ ‬that I am allowed to continue to do so.

 

Ryan‭ ‬English‭ ‬is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of FLYMOTION.‭ ‬He is‭ ‬responsible for the strategic growth and visionary leadership of FLYMOTION.‭ ‬In addition to his military service and‭ ‬public safety background,‭ ‬Ryan‭ ‬has over a decade of entrepreneurship experience.

 

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