The Federal Aviation Administration has made substantial progress on unmanned aircraft systems, said Greg McNeal, associate professor of law at Pepperdine University, a former FAA critic. But industry is reaching a critical point, said McNeal, speaking on a panel Tuesday hosted by CTA at South by Southwest and streamed from Austin.

The Federal Aviation Administration has made substantial progress on unmanned aircraft systems, said Greg McNeal, associate professor of law at Pepperdine University, a former FAA critic. But industry is reaching a critical point, said McNeal, speaking on a panel Tuesday hosted by CTA at South by Southwest and streamed from Austin.

The Federal Aviation Administration has made substantial progress on unmanned aircraft systems, said Greg McNeal, associate professor of law at Pepperdine University, a former FAA critic. But industry is reaching a critical point, said McNeal, speaking on a panel Tuesday hosted by CTA at South by Southwest and streamed from Austin.

Sprint said “flawed” FCC proposals to modernize Lifeline USF would harm provision of subsidized phone services to millions of low-income Americans. Commission plans to mandate unlimited mobile talk are unrealistic and plans to eventually withdraw Lifeline support for stand-alone mobile, but not fixed, voice service violate competitive neutrality principles, Sprint said. Separately, General Communications (GCI) said the FCC’s proposed minimum Lifeline standards could render parts of rural Alaska ineligible for the program. The agency had no comment. The FCC tentatively intends to vote March 31 on a draft order to extend Lifeline USF subsidies to broadband and make administrative changes (see 1603080024 and 1603080054).

The Senate Commerce Committee pulled the two-year FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) from its Wednesday markup agenda, despite persistent efforts to include the bill sponsored by Chairman John Thune, R-S.D. Democrats generally backed the reauthorization effort but said more time is needed to review the proposal, one staffer told us Tuesday. Amendments were already filed.

Sprint said “flawed” FCC proposals to modernize Lifeline USF would harm provision of subsidized phone services to millions of low-income Americans. Commission plans to mandate unlimited mobile talk are unrealistic and plans to eventually withdraw Lifeline support for stand-alone mobile, but not fixed, voice service violate competitive neutrality principles, Sprint said. Separately, General Communications (GCI) said the FCC’s proposed minimum Lifeline standards could render parts of rural Alaska ineligible for the program. The agency had no comment. The FCC tentatively intends to vote March 31 on a draft order to extend Lifeline USF subsidies to broadband and make administrative changes (see 1603080024 and 1603080054).

Less restrictive U.S. policies and further normalization of trade relations with Cuba would likely lead to a boost to U.S. agricultural trade, said a trade expert, a Texas rice farmer, as well as most GOP members at a House hearing on March 15. During a hearing of the House Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Trade (here), supporters of loosening existing restrictions on trade with Cuba said a more relaxed bilateral policy would help boost U.S. agricultural exports to the country, which tumbled from a peak of $709 million in 2008 to $149 million last year. Jason Marczak, director of the Atlantic Council’s Latin America Economic Growth Initiative, along with Texas rice farmer and U.S. Rice Producers Association board member Ray Stoesser, encouraged subcommittee members to advance legislation that is hoped to stimulate the waning competition of U.S. agricultural exports in the Cuban marketplace. According to Stoesser’s submitted testimony (here), U.S. exports occupied 10 percent of all Cuban rice market share in 2015, and were topped by the market shares of rice imported from the EU, Brazil, and Argentina.

The Senate Commerce Committee pulled the two-year FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) from its Wednesday markup agenda, despite persistent efforts to include the bill sponsored by Chairman John Thune, R-S.D. Democrats generally backed the reauthorization effort but said more time is needed to review the proposal, one staffer told us Tuesday. Amendments were already filed.

The Energy Department’s proposal to require the filing of additional data elements in ACE for products subject to energy efficiency standards is unnecessarily burdensome, and runs contrary to the federal government’s stated goal of simplifying the import process, said manufacturer and importer associations in comments submitted to the agency (here). The proposed rule results from a misunderstanding of the roles various parties play in the import process, seeking data from importers that is best and most easily – and already – submitted by manufacturers, they said.

U.S. shippers are already in compliance with amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention which will require shippers to provide the verified gross mass (VGM) of containers prior to being loaded onto carrier ships, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft said during a March 15 budget hearing of the House Transportation Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee (here). “What’s needed is a final weight,” Zukunft said. “By and large, most [cargo] manifests already have that weight built in.” Direct stakeholders, including shippers, carriers, marine terminal operators, the Federal Maritime Commission, and the Coast Guard implementing body, have over the past month discussed how to implement the VGM requirement set to take effect July 1. Rep. Dave Rouzer, R-N.C., first raised the issue during the hearing and asked Zukunft to address shipper concerns and “conflicting statements” made by the Coast Guard regarding VGM implementation.