Drone Advocacy Alliance - May '25 State-Level Updates on US DJI Drone Ban Legislation

New Federal Campaigns

The latest partner update from the Drone Advocacy Alliance (DAA), which contains information about the latest state legislative developments, as well as a reminder about some of the DAA's other ongoing campaigns

State Updates

Alabama

Last week, the Alabama State House and Senate passed a resolution creating a study committee on the risks of drones manufactured in China. The committee would include several stakeholders from across the drone industry, including (potentially) DAA partner(s). The exact makeup of the committee is not yet known, as different officials from throughout the state will have the ability to appoint members. The DAA will keep partners informed as the committee is appointed and begins its work in the coming months.

Arizona

SB 1350, a bill that would place certain software requirements on agency drone use, failed a vote of the Arizona State House last week. There has been a motion to reconsider its third reading and bring it back up for a vote in the future, but the longer that the process drags out, the more likely it is that it will not become law, since there are many other issues for the legislature to get through as well. The DAA will continue to monitor the bill and keep you all in the loop as it progresses.

Kansas

Unfortunately, a bill containing a country of origin ban did fully pass in Kansas this session, despite pushback from end users and the public safety community. The DAA thank all of you for your work to oppose this bill this session and will be in touch if the situation evolves.

Louisiana

One new bill in Louisiana, which would impose a ban on nearly all electronics manufactured in China for state agencies (not just drones), had a committee hearing in the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs Committee on Wednesday. There is a lot of time left in the session, so the threat of this moving forward is very real. The DAA are working with end users in the state to educate lawmakers about the bill's consequences, and prepared materials to help you engage, which can be found in the DAA Google Drive here, and would appreciate you sharing with your network in Louisiana.

Michigan

With the help of some fantastic end users, the DAA continue to push back on bills in Michigan that would prevent local government entities, including public safety and public schools, from using the most popular drones in the state. Unfortunately, a study committee of public safety voices in Michigan to examine this issue has become politicized and was billed as a broader “Foreign Adversary Influence Reduction Symposium” to examine many other potentially harmful bill ideas too. Several supporters of bans, including AUVSI and the Chair of the U.S. House China Committee, participated as well, which means it will be even more important to have the voices of those who oppose the bill in the conversation. The DAA have prepared materials and public safety drone use examples to help push back in Michigan, which are in the DAA Google Drive here.

Nevada

The helpful bill in Nevada, which would allow public safety agencies to once again procure and use drones manufactured in China if they meet certain data security criteria, has met some unexpected opposition in the Senate after passing the Nevada Assembly unanimously recently, although it did have a hearing this week in the Senate Growth and Infrastructure Committee. As the bill continues to make its way to the Senate floor for a vote, the DAA encourage partners to continue making their voices heard in support of the bill – materials to help you do so are in the DAA Google Drive here.

North Carolina

The harmful bill in North Carolina was pulled from a planned House Rules Committee hearing last week, delaying efforts to advance the bill. The bill has now been pulled from the Rules calendar entirely, and the Senate companion has also been stalled in that chamber's Rules Committee. This means that the bills would die, but there is still a chance that the bill's sponsor or advocates may try to insert language into the budget bill or another anti-China bill that is still moving forward. The DAA are working to make sure that doesn't happen, so opposition to the bill – particularly from public safety and small business voices – remains very important. Any engagement that DAA partners can drive would therefore be very helpful. The DAA have materials to push back on this bill, in the DAA Google Drive here.

Ohio

A new bill was recently introduced in Ohio that would restrict the purchase and use of certain drones. While the bill is still in the early stages of consideration, the DAA have prepared materials to help you push back, which can be found in the DAA Google Drive here. Several partners have already had productive discussions with OH lawmakers, and the more conversations like that the DAA have, the better their chances. Thank you to all the partners who have already engaged and please keep it up!

South Carolina

A new bill in South Carolina would place restrictions on certain Chinese companies and could be interpreted to cover drone use as well. The sponsor has indicated that he is willing to amend the bill to address end-user concerns and continue allowing public safety drone use, and the DAA encourages end users in the state to speak up against the bill as it is currently written. There is not much time for the bill to advance in 2025, with the legislature set to adjourn on May 8th, but South Carolina is a 2 year legislative session and the DAA's understanding is that bills carry over to next year. The DAA have prepared materials to oppose this bill, which can be found in the DAA Google Drive here.

Texas

The DAA continues to work to oppose HB 41 in Texas, particularly for members of the Calendars Committee, where the bill will next be considered. It remains very important to push back on this bill, and strong end-user opposition can make a difference. There is a campaign to push back on the bill on the DAA Action Center, and the DAA encourages you to share it with any interested parties in Texas. The DAA Google Drive also contains materials to push back, as well as a list of target legislators that will be crucial in this fight, at this link.

Stay Aware of the Latest

The DAA are also tracking looming threats in states such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, so if you or your contacts hear anything, please let the DAA know. To always stay aware of the latest, even between the DAA's partner updates, the encourages you to check the DAA's tracker of state legislative threats, which is regularly updated in the Drone Advocacy Alliance Google Drive. You can always reach out to the DAA as well with any questions.

Reminder – Federal Campaigns

With Congress in session for most of May, now is a great time to consider taking action on the DAA's federal campaigns if you haven't yet done so! Submit your letters (as always, customized is best!) at the “Take Action” page of the DAA website. More information about each active campaign is below:

• Calling for the Completion of the Mandated Security Audit of DJI & Autel. This campaign calls for Congress to urge the appropriate national security agencies to undertake the mandated security review from last year's NDAA. If this is not done in a timely manner, DJI and Autel drones could find themselves banned by default – harming end users across America.
• Supporting the DRONE Act. This bill would expand certain existing federal grant programs for law enforcement to allow the grants to be used for the purchase and use of drones for the public safety community, expanding access to life-saving technology.
• Calling for Customs Investigation. This campaign calls on Congress to request more information from U.S. Customs and Border Protection about shipment delays for DJI products and seek a quick resolution to allow people to access their drones that are currently stuck in the process.

If you have any thoughts you would like to share about these initiatives, please reach out to the DAA at info@droneadvocacyalliance.com