House panel advances bill to fund autonomous-technology grants for state agencies

House Bill 1249, a one-time $750,000 general-fund appropriation to expand autonomous-technology grants across several state agencies, was amended and advanced by the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee on Oct. 12.

Representative Jared Haggert, the bill sponsor, told the committee the proposal would "provide appropriations of $750,000 from the general fund to 5 different areas" and include study language tied to the grants. Haggert said he filed amendments to replace the Department of Transportation with the Department of Emergency Services as a recipient and to strike language authorizing "the development of a drone racing course."

The bill would make one-time grants available to the attorney general’s office, the Department of Career and Technical Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, the agriculture commissioner’s office, and (as amended) the Department of Emergency Services for projects using autonomous technology, including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), to address…