‘Drones made in Communist China pose a significant threat to our freedoms and security,’ Sen. Rick Scott says.
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.).
By Frank Fang
