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

New Federal Campaigns

You might recall from the last Drone Advocacy Alliance (DAA) update that they were planning to launch a positive campaign in support of the Directing Resources for Officers Navigating Emergencies (DRONE) Act of 2025. That is now up and running, so please visit the “Take Action” page of the DAA website and submit your letter of support. As always, customized letters are best, so feel free to make it your own!

Of course, there are several other ongoing campaigns on the “Take Action” page of the DAA website as well, including those to demand that a national security agency undertake the mandated security review of DJI and Autel products (more on this front below), and to request clarity from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on delays that have impacted DJI product shipments. We encourage you if you have not done so already, to share with your networks to spread the word and increase the DAA's impact!

State Updates

Connecticut

As the DAA expected, the Connecticut governor decided not to veto the harmful airspace restrictions and DJI procurement/use bans in the bill passed during a recent emergency session. However, there is another bill currently moving, SB 3, which has had an amendment offered that would require standard drone security benchmarks and which the DAA believe DJI could meet. The DAA are awaiting word on whether the amendment has been included in the bill.

Georgia

One of the three harmful bills in Georgia (HB 205) had a hearing on Wednesday morning in the Senate Transportation Committee, and it went very well! There was robust end user engagement and testimony and the committee chair is not inclined to advance the bill. This is a very positive development and further proof that DAA voices are making a big difference in the state – as a reminder, the DAA have already killed another harmful bill in Georgia too!

Kansas

A bill containing a country of origin ban had an informational hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, and, as expected, it passed out of committee. It now goes to a conference committee (House and Senate members make that up), just like the bill did last year. The House Majority Leader is pushing the conferees to meet on the DAA bill, potentially as soon as today or tomorrow. The DAA are doing all they can to delay that meeting, focusing DAA efforts on the Senate side which has been more open to discussion. If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to encourage end users in Kansas to contact their Senators. The DAA have materials to help push back on the bill in the DAA Google Drive here.

Maryland

You may have heard rumors that a bad bill was going to be introduced in Maryland this session, but Monday marked a key deadline for legislation, and no bill has been introduced – meaning that we should be out of the woods in Maryland for the year!

Massachusetts

A potentially harmful bill in Massachusetts was assigned to a committee, but given the partisan makeup of the bill, the DAA do not expect movement on it anytime soon.

Michigan

A new bill was introduced in Michigan that would prevent local government entities, including public safety and public schools, from contracting for Chinese-made drones. A hearing may be held in the near future, and after initial pushback the DAA have heard that the bill’s sponsors may be regrouping to make changes to increase the odds of passage. The DAA have prepared materials and public safety drone use examples to help push back on this bill, which are in the DAA Google Drive here.

Nevada

A bill has been introduced in Nevada (AB 439) which attempts to undo the impact of a bill passed in a previous session (SB 11) and would allow public safety agencies to once again procure and use drones manufactured in China if they meet certain data security criteria. There is a hearing on the bill this afternoon, and now is the time to get voices engaged in support of the bill and make clear that this would benefit the public safety community in the state! The DAA are developing materials in support of the bill and will add to the Google Drive once ready.

New York

Late last week, the DAA learned that a harmful bill in New York is on a Senate agenda for this week and received a hearing in the Senate Procurement and Contracts Committee on Tuesday. There are still several steps to go, however, and the DAA will keep you informed about how best to engage.

Ohio

The DAA have been told to expect a harmful bill to be introduced in Ohio in the next two weeks and are monitoring for its introduction. Once it is introduced, the DAA will make sure to provide materials to help push back.

Texas

A bill containing a country of origin procurement and use ban (HB 41) was introduced in Texas and its low number indicates that it could move quickly or become a priority. The DAA Google Drive contains materials to push back on this bill, as well as a list of target legislators that will be crucial in this fight, at this link.

West Virginia

A bill was introduced in West Virginia and has already been opposed by the state Department of Forestry. The DAA are currently preparing materials for this bill and will upload them to the DAA Google Drive once ready.

Stay Aware of the Latest

To always stay aware of the latest, even between DAA partner updates, we encourage you to check the DAA 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.

Section 1709 Update

DAA partner DJI recently sent a letter to the national security agencies tasked with carrying out the security review of its products under Section 1709 of the NDAA for 2025. They have shared it with DAA in case it is of use to any partners in your own outreach at the federal or state level, and it is available at this link.

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