Senators Introduce Bill to Blacklist Chinese Drones in the US

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) speaks during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol on July 11, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Two senators have introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent Chinese drone technologies from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who sits on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced the Countering CCP Drones and Supporting Drones for Law Enforcement Act (S.4792), according to a statement. The measure was introduced as an amendment to the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The lawmakers explained that Chinese drones pose a risk because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wields considerable influence over Chinese companies.

“Drones made in communist China pose a significant threat to our freedoms and security and cannot be allowed to continue operating in American skies. Companies based in Communist China are at the will of Xi’s evil regime, meaning one of the United States’ greatest adversaries has total access to every bit of data collected by devices,” Scott said in a statement.

“It should terrify every single American that the Chinese Communist Party, known for spying, stealing, and espionage, could have access to footage of Americans, their land, their businesses, and their families without their knowledge.”

The legislation would prohibit Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) Technologies, Autel Robotics, and other CCP-linked drone industry participants from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure by adding them to the Federal Communication Commission’s covered list.

The legislation would also set up a short-term grant program under the Department of Transportation to allow first respondents to replace existing Chinese drones and purchase U.S.-made alternatives.

According to the language of the bill, the program would be called the First Responder Secure Drone Program, with an appropriated fund of $15 million for fiscal year 2025.

Chinese Drones

DJI and Autel control about 90 percent of the global drone market; the two Chinese firms have commercial relationships with thousands of state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies in the United States, according to Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.).

In June, the two House lawmakers sent a letter asking the Departments of Homeland Security and Energy to declassify threats posed by Chinese drones.

“Drones have tremendous potential to support agriculture, make our communities safer, and grow our economy. Yet without further intervention, the drone industry could be susceptible to massive intervention from the Communist Party of China, directly threatening our national security and economy,” Warner said in a statement.

“I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to restore American leadership in the drone industry and ensure that the CCP can’t wreak havoc by spying on Americans or otherwise disrupting key functions of drone technology.”

To tackle the threats posed by Chinese drones, Scott and Warner introduced the American Security Drone Act of 2023, which President Joe Biden signed into law as part of the fiscal year 2024 NDAA. The law prohibits federal agencies from purchasing and operating drones made by Chinese companies.

“Now, we must pass the Countering CCP Drones and Supporting Drones for Law Enforcement Act as a necessary next step to eliminate the threats we face from Communist China and further protect the security of the United States and every American family,” Mr. Scott said.

In January, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a memo on cybersecurity vulnerabilities related to China-manufactured drones. The memo points out that different Chinese laws, including the nation’s National Intelligence Law that took effect in 2017, compel Chinese companies to hand over data collected within China and elsewhere to Beijing’s intelligence agencies.

Michael Robbins, chief advocacy officer for the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, a U.S.-based nonprofit, issued a statement sharing the concerns addressed in the memo.

“In the interest of national security, organizations collecting sensitive information, including critical infrastructure owners and operators, must shift away from unsecure PRC drones and reliance on foreign supply chains,” he said, referring to China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.

In 2022, the Pentagon added DJI to its list of “Chinese military companies” operating directly or indirectly in the United States.