Duval Times

Senator Rick Scott announced the introduction of the bipartisan Countering CCP Drones and Supporting Drones for Law Enforcement Act alongside Senator Mark Warner, Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. The legislation aims to blacklist Chinese drone companies Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) Technologies, Autel Robotics, and other entities linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). These companies would be cut off from U.S. telecommunication infrastructure by being included on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Covered List, which identifies telecommunication equipment posing an unacceptable risk to national security.

The bill also proposes a short-term Department of Transportation grant program designed for first responders to replace existing Chinese drones with American-made ones. Senators Scott and Warner have filed this legislation as an amendment to the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act.

Senator Scott has been at the forefront of efforts in the Senate to counter technology from the People’s Republic of China that could harm national security, particularly drones. He noted that technology funded by Communist China, such as DJI drones, has capabilities that could be used for espionage against Americans. Last year, Senator Scott successfully fought to include his and Senator Warner’s American Security Drone Act in the FY2024 NDAA, which bans U.S. government purchases of drones made by Chinese companies like DJI. This act was signed into law by President Biden.

“Drones made in Communist China pose a significant threat to our freedoms and security and cannot be allowed to continue operating in American skies,” said Senator Rick Scott. “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. 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.”

Senator Mark Warner added: “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. 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.”

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