OMB Approves PHMSA Drone HAZMAT Delivery ANPRM

Yesterday the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) announced that it had approved an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) from the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on “Hazardous Materials: Modernizing Regulations to Facilitate Transportation of Hazmat Using Autonomous Systems”. This news comes just a week after the DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published their guidance document on “Hazardous Materials: Modernizing Regulations to Facilitate Transportation of Hazmat Using Autonomous Systems”.

According to the Spring 2025 Unified Agenda entry for this PHMSA rulemaking:

“In this rulemaking, PHMSA would amend the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to address the role of autonomous transportation systems (e.g., drones, etc.) in the transportation of hazardous materials. The rulemaking will consider necessary clarifications to the HMR regarding handling, transportation, and hazard communication unique to the movement of hazardous materials by autonomous transport systems. PHMSA would coordinate closely with its modal partners within the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard to ensure a comprehensive approach that allows for the seamless movement of goods across multiple modes of transport while allowing for the specific needs of each mode to be safely addressed.”

I expect that this ANPRM will be published in the Federal Register after the Thanksgiving holiday.