Drone Advocacy Alliance - Important Update on US DJI Drone Ban Legislation

The US legislative session is in full gear not just in Washington DC, but in states across the country. This update from the Drone Advocacy Alliance (DAA) has important information about the latest threats emerging, and how you can help push back.

Read on to learn more about some new campaigns that the DAA will be launching soon.

State-level Updates on proposed DJI drone ban legislation

Connecticut DJI drone ban legislation

A bill known as SB 0003 has been reintroduced for the 2025-2026 legislative session. The full bill text has not yet been made public, but the DAA has been informed that drone restrictions will be included, as they were in a similar bill last year.

The DAA will continue to monitor this bill and prepare fact sheets and flyers, which the DAA will share with you once they are ready. As a reminder, a similar bill (same bill number) was defeated late in the CT legislative session last year. End user voices were critical to defeating the bill and we need to be ready to do the same in 2025.

Kansas DJI drone ban legislation

The DAA has seen proposed text and a bill will soon be introduced in the legislature that would prohibit the acquisition of drone technology from countries of concern. There are rumors are that this bill could be imminent, as soon as next week.

The voices of fire and emergency response services were critical to upholding Kansas Governor Laura Kelly's veto of a similar bill in the last legislative session, and if we are able to bring the law enforcement voice to the argument, we are confident we can defeat the bill once again..

The DAA has prepared fact sheets and flyers and once the bill is assigned a number, the DAA will share it in the DAA Google Drive. If you'd like to get engaged in KS now, please reply to this email and we can share them with you.

Massachusetts DJI drone ban legislation

A bill in Massachusetts, HD 79, would impose restrictions on procuring and using certain drones based on their country of manufacture or assembly.

The DAA has prepared a fact sheet and flyer to help oppose this bill, which can be found in the DAA Google Drive here.

Missouri DJI drone ban legislation

A bill known as HB 210, the “Unmanned Aerial Systems Security Act of 2025,” is identical to a bill that was defeated in the state last session and would impose significant restrictions on drone use in the state.

No action has been taken on this bill, but the DAA will continue to monitor it closely. Additionally, two other bills with identical text, HB 930 and HB 751, the "Foreign Unmanned Aircraft Law,” would impose restrictions on the purchase, and ultimately the use, of drones based on where they are made rather than the needs of state agencies.

Sources say that HB 210 will have a House hearing on February 10th. the DAA will be sure to notify the group as soon as the DAA has confirmation. The DAA has prepared a fact sheet and flyer to help oppose these three bills, which can be found in the DAA Google Drive here.

New Jersey DJI drone ban legislation

Two bills were introduced last year that still pose a threat in 2025. A2570 would prevent public agency use of DJI drones, while S3483 is a broad public safety drone ban and sets up rules that could eventually encompass additional restrictions.

The DAA has prepared fact sheets and flyers to help oppose these bills, which can be found in the DAA Google Drive here.

Nebraska DJI drone ban legislation

A bill known as the “Secure Drone Purchasing Act,” LB 660, seeks to impose restrictions on the procurement or acquisition of certain drones unless they are included on a newly created “List of Secure Drones Authorized for Purchase,” which is based partly on cybersecurity standards that have not yet been developed.

A fact sheet and flyer to help oppose this bill can be found in the DAA Google Drive here.

North Dakota DJI drone ban legislation

A bill in North Dakota, HB 1038, in addition to funding research at a UAS testing site, the bill would set up a grant program to “rip-and-replace” state agency drones and replace current drones with more expensive alternatives.

The bill put on a legislative fast track and passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday, January 14. It is actively being considered in the state Senate, with a hearing taking place this week. At that hearing multiple end user groups and lobbyists testified about the problems the state would face if they implemented this bill and the Committee Chair took these concerns seriously. The Chair elected not to put the bill for a vote so the Committee and Senate leadership can consider proposed amendments that would make the bill less harmful to ND drone operations.

There is still a long way to go, but this is a great first step and has greatly slowed the momentum of the bill. . The DAA has prepared a fact sheet and flyer to help oppose this bill, which can be found in the DAA Google Drive here.

Oklahoma DJI drone ban legislation

A bill known as SB488 would prevent drone purchases by state agencies unless they are on an approved “list.”

This is similar to a bill that was defeated thanks in large part to public safety opposition. If we can generate that kind of engagement once more, the DAA has a good chance of success.

The DAA has prepared a fact sheet and flyer to help oppose this bill, which can be found in the DAA Google Drive here.

Virginia DJI drone ban legislation

HB 2038 would mandate the creation of a list of “approved” drones for public agency use based on an unspecified cybersecurity risk assessment and also suggests that drones from certain countries, including China, may not be included on this list.

It is very similar to a bill that was defeated in 2024. This bill was also originally placed on a legislative fast track, but thanks to end users opposition, particularly from VA universities and public safety officials, the bill was tabled in Committee. Virginia law allows the Chairman to “take the bill off the table” and bring it back for consideration and a potential vote, so the DAA has not won yet.

But, there are very positive signs. Continued engagement would help us ensure this bill is defeated again. This ban could go into effect as soon as July 1 of this year.

The DAA has prepared a fact sheet and flyer to help oppose this bill, which can be found in the DAA Google Drive here.

Washington DJI drone ban legislation

A bill known as SB5302 would prevent the purchase, acquisition, and ultimately use of certain drones based on where they are manufactured.

The DAA has prepared a fact sheet and flyer to help oppose this bill, which can be found in the DAA Google Drive here.

Threats on the Horizon

In addition to the above states, the DAA has heard that a bill to impose drone restrictions in Montana is actively in development. We are awaiting the text of this bill to determine the next steps and response and will let you know when the DAA has more information.

We are also monitoring Ohio, Colorado, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York and North Carolina for potential market restricting legislation. The DAA will actively monitor these state’s legislatures for potentially threatening bills and will alert DAA partners ASAP with any developments.

For those that are not aware, IL, NY and WI have considered similar legislation before and the DAA has been able to defeat those bills through end user engagement. If you have contacts in those states, now might be the time to start preparing and thinking about who in those states may be willing to oppose market restrictions.

To stay current, 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.

New DAA Campaigns

The DAA would like to launch three new campaigns at the federal level to help people submit comments in response to a proposed Department of Commerce rule regarding drones, and to contact their members of Congress about the implementation of Sec. 1709 of last year’s NDAA – which called for a security assessment of certain drones – to make sure it is carried out appropriately.

The DAA would also like to launch a campaign encouraging Congress to take action to address the current situation with Customs and Border Patrol holding drone shipments. This has had an extremely detrimental impact to a number of DAA partners and we believe with enough end user engagement, that some members of Congress may be willing to make contact with CBP to address this serious issue.

The DAA will have more to share on these soon, but if you have any initial thoughts you would like to share about these initiatives, please reach out to them at info@droneadvocacyalliance.com