House passes bill barring Homeland Security from purchasing Chinese drones

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Chinese drones overview: 

• Who: The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1501, preventing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from purchasing drones made in China or other adversarial countries.
• Why: The Unmanned Aerial Security Act prevents the purchase of drones from covered foreign countries viewed as a security threat to the U.S.
• Where: The House vote on Homeland Security drones came in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that prevents the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from purchasing drones from covered foreign countries that include China and other adversarial countries.

“We know that drones made by our foreign adversaries can be manipulated to undermine American security — a security risk that we cannot tolerate as the Chinese Communist Party presents a continuous threat against our nation and our allies,” said Rep. Michael Guest, R-Mississippi, the bill sponsor. “The Department of Homeland Security utilizes drones for critical missions, and it is imperative that we trust the technology we are using. It is well known that the Chinese Communist Party has stolen our technology and information in the past. That’s why this legislation is so important.” 

The Unmanned Security Act, H.R. 1501, passed the House as an attempt to block Chinese espionage via technology. The bill prevents the Homeland Security Department from providing financial assistance for, or entering into or renewing a contract for the procurement of drones from those countries.

The bill defines a covered country, such as China, as one that the intelligence community has identified as a foreign adversary in its most recent annual threat assessment or one that the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, have identified as a threat.

Chinese drones bill would require Homeland Security to issue a threat assessment on the technology

The bill would go into effect 120 days after it passed and then, within 180 days of its enactment, the Department of Homeland Security would be required to issue a threat assessment related to Homeland Security drones and operating systems related to Chinese drones.

The House recently voted to approve a five-year extension of safety and airport improvements from the Federal Aviation Administration that includes opening a pathway for the integration of drones and air taxis.

Do you have a drone that you operate? Let us know in the comments.

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