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Lawmakers debate UAS appropriations, commercialization and return on investment
Summary
Appropriators debated whether to sustain, reduce or reshape multiple UAS appropriations, including a contested $20 million BVLOS commercialization request and a $5 million Grand Sky lease grant.
Members of the Appropriations subcommittee engaged in extended debate over funding for UAS programs, test sites and commercialization tools in the Commerce budget.
Staff noted the test site has a $3,000,000 base appropriation and the governor proposed adding $1,000,000 for program grants. Committee members raised concerns about the cumulative state investment in UAS projects, and one senator recommended not funding an additional $1,000,000 because a $3,000,000 base already exists. Other members defended continued investment, citing job creation, private investment at Grand Sky and the strategic value of state ownership of UAS infrastructure.
The largest contested line was a $20,000,000 proposal in the governor’s budget for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) network commercialization (identified with vendor references such as Vantas). Some members urged cutting the $20,000,000 to zero; others argued the state has already invested heavily (the department printout cited $140 million in state funding to date) and that the BVLOS radar feed and related FAA integration make future commercialization and revenue possible. Senator Sickler and other members described Grand Sky as producing hundreds of high‑paying jobs and anchoring the UAS ecosystem.
Committee members discussed a compromise of $10,000,000 for BVLOS where some members could live with partial funding; the chair expressed support for leaving funding in the long sheet to negotiate with the other chamber. Separate items discussed included a $5,000,000 enhanced‑use lease grant for Grand Sky and additional allocations for autonomous‑agriculture grants. Commerce and industry representatives (Don Larson representing Talus/Grand Sky) described potential revenue streams as commercialization proceeds, while cautioning that significant state investment preceded near‑term receipts. The hearing ended before final resolution of larger UAS lines; committee members anticipated further negotiation with the House.
