WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2022 regular session
Committee Substitute
for
House Bill 4667
By Delegates Howell, Hanshaw (Mr. Speaker), Summers and Fast
[Introduced February 14, 2022; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §61-16-3, relating generally to creating a prohibition on county, municipality, city or town restrictions on advanced air mobility aircraft and advanced air mobility systems and defining terms.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 16. USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.
§61-16-3. Counties, municipalities, cities and towns prohibited from enacting restrictions upon advanced air mobility aircraft.
(a) Except as authorized by law, a county, city, village, or township shall not enact or adopt an ordinance, policy, or rule that relates to the ownership or operation of an advanced air mobility aircraft or advanced air mobility system and shall not otherwise engage in the regulation or ownership of an advanced air mobility aircraft or advanced air mobility system. Any ordinance, policy, or rule that violates this subsection, whether enacted or adopted by the county, municipality, city or town before or after the effective date of this section, is void.
(b) As used in this section:
(1) “advanced air mobility aircraft” is an aircraft used by an advanced air mobility system.
(2) “advanced air mobility system” means a system that transports people and property by air between points in the United States using aircraft, including electric aircraft and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, in both controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
NOTE: This bill prohibits counties, municipalities, cities and towns from enacting restrictions upon advanced air mobility aircraft.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.