On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing states and local governments to apply for waivers with the FAA that would allow for the creation of pilot programs for an expanded range of drone testing, including long-distance flights, night flights, and flights over populated areas.

The Washington (DC) Post Share to FacebookShare to Twitter (10/25, Laris) reports the order authorizes Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to create a program allowing state, local, and tribal governments to submit applications to create “innovation zones” to conduct the tests, with the first pilot program to be approved within one year. The Post says the innovation zones can be as large as an entire state. The Post reports the order instructs Chao, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, to take “necessary and appropriate” steps to “mitigate risks” to the public and national security when establishing the zones