GAO said in a July report that FAA is currently working with Mitre to develop an implementation plan for UAS integration, which is scheduled for enactment in December.
The agency has also released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the integration of small UAS as the number of approvals for UAS operations grows, the report stated.
According to the report, FAA has also provided a list of potential UAS research areas to guide the activities at the test sites and established the UAS Center of Excellence in May for research collaboration between academia, industry and government.
GAOÂ also noted that other countries such as Australia, Canada, France and the U.K. have established regulations on UAS operations compared to the U.S., which could see a final rule from FAA by early 2017.