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

The Drone Advocacy Alliance (DAA) recently launched two new advocacy campaigns, which can be found on the “Take Action” page of the DAA website. We encourage you to check them out, share with your networks, and spread the word. Here's a bit of information about each:

Upcoming Positive Campaign

The DAA are currently developing a campaign in support of a bill that would expand public safety drone use! This bipartisan bill, the Directing Resources for Officers Navigating Emergencies (DRONE) Act of 2025, would allow law enforcement to use COPS grants from the Department of Justice to purchase and use drones, allowing more departments to access this technology. We will let you know once it is up and running so you can weigh in and tell lawmakers about this positive step they can take for our industry.

Ongoing Campaigns

If you have not yet had a chance to check out the two campaigns that are currently active on the “Take Action” page of the DAA website, we encourage you to do so. The first calls on Congress to demand that that a national security agency undertake the security review of DJI and Autel products that last year's NDAA requires – if it is not done in time, the drones will be added to the FCC's Covered List. The second campaign asks Congress to request clarity from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on delays that have impacted DJI product shipments in order to resolve the situation. It's quick and easy to take action on both campaigns, so make sure you do so and share them with your networks!

State Updates

Arizona

The bill which prevents contracts with Chinese companies, which could be read to sweep up contracts for the purchase and use of drones (HB 2542) has passed out of committee as amended. Materials are in development and will be added to the DAA Google Drive once ready.

Connecticut

Unfortunately, Connecticut legislators recently jammed through several harmful drone-related measures in an emergency session held in late February. These include unconstitutional airspace restrictions, as well as procurement and use bans. The governor is expected to sign these into law in the coming days, although given the unconstitutional nature of some of the language, it may still be challenged in court.

Georgia

Two harmful bills in Georgia are moving very quickly, and two of them have already been reported favorably out of committee. However, the DAA does have good news to report. Thanks to incredible end user engagement over the last week, including numerous meetings with key lawmakers, yesterday SB 64 did not advance out of the full Senate. Ultimately, the Senate decided not to actually vote, which is a big win for us! Thursday was a deadline for bills to pass the original chamber of introduction and while the DAA need to do a bit more research on GA procedures to ensure there is not a path to revive SB 64, the DAA have made incredible progress in a very short period of time. This further proves the impact that grassroots engagement can have on the legislative process and the DAA want to say thank you to every partner for all your support! While this is positive news, there are still two harmful bills to contend with and the more voices the DAA can bring forward, the better. If you or your customers have any contacts in Georgia, now is the time to ask them to push back, the GA legislature is actually listening!

Kansas

A bill containing a country of origin ban, HB 2293, has passed the House of Representatives and the DAA understand that a big fight on this bill will take place in the Senate as soon as next week. If the DAA are able to generate robust end user opposition to this bill, the DAA are hopeful that this will lead to the bill's defeat, just as the DAA defeated this bill in 2024.

Missouri

Now for the good news, starting in Missouri. On Monday, a series of hearings were held on harmful drone bills and 25 organizations from the public safety and related community showed up in force to oppose the bills! Their strong opposition to the bills made legislators sit up and take notice, and questions and interactions during the hearing demonstrated that our message was breaking through. While the bills are not yet dead, it demonstrates that robust engagement does really make a difference. A BIG THANK YOU for the incredible work organizing opposition that DAA partners, especially Remote Tactical Solutions Group have done in MO!

North Dakota

And in North Dakota, the Senate passed an amended version of HB 1038 without the original drone restrictions. The revised bill has been sent to the governor for signature. The DAA still expect additional fights in this state to come, but this is another testament to what is possible when end users speak up and legislators understand the consequences of drone bans such as what was proposed.

Virginia

The DAA are also optimistic that they have won in Virginia, as the legislature adjourned for the session without the bill moving forward.

Washington

Finally, the DAA expect that the harmful bill in Washington will not move forward before the legislative deadline to do so! The last day for bills to be considered in their house of origin is March 12, so stay tuned for final word on this bill in the coming days. Stay Aware of the Latest: The above are just the biggest developments since our last update, but the DAA are awaiting new legislation to be introduced or have hearings in the coming weeks in states such as Michigan, Ohio and Oklahoma. To always stay aware of the latest, even between our partner updates, the DAA have a tracker of state legislative threats that is regularly updated in the Drone Advocacy Alliance Google Drive. You can always reach out to us as well with any questions.

Stay Aware of the Latest

The above are just the biggest developments since the DAA's last update, but several other procedural steps have occurred with ongoing bills, and the DAA are actively awaiting more new legislation to be introduced in the coming weeks. To always stay current with the latest, we encourage you to check the tracker of state legislative threats, which is regularly updated in the Drone Advocacy Alliance Google Drive. If you haven't seen it before, this document is a great way to stay informed and see everything we face in one place.

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