Tester Bill Would Crack Down on Chinese-Made Drones to Protect Americans’ Privacy and Support Law Enforcement

Senator recently introduced bipartisan Countering CCP Drones and Supporting Drones for Law Enforcement Act to crack down on drones in the U.S. that are manufactured by Chinese companies

U.S. Senator Jon Tester recently introduced bipartisan legislation to counter the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and protect Americans’ privacy by cracking down on Chinese-made drones operating in the United States and helping law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other first responders acquire secure drone technology. Tester’s Countering CCP Drones and Supporting Drones for Law Enforcement Act was formally introduced at the end of July.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has stated that Chinese drone manufacturer Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) drones pose potential threats to national security and has formally listed DJI as a Chinese military company operating in the United States. According to reports, DJI controls around 70 percent of the global commercial drone market and about 80 percent of the U.S. market.

“Defending Montana is my top priority and that means making sure foreign adversaries like China who want to do us harm don’t get a foothold in our country, whether that’s through buying up our farmland or operating in our airspace like we saw with the Chinese spy balloon,” said Tester. “Cheap Chinese drones are flooding the American market, costing American jobs and putting our privacy and national security at risk. My commonsense legislation will crack down on Chinese-made drones to protect Americans’ privacy, strengthen local law enforcement, and allow American businesses to compete with their foreign competitors.”

Tester’s Countering CCP Drones and Supporting Drones for Law Enforcement Act specifically would:

• Add Chinese drone manufacturers Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) and Autel Robotics to the Federal Communications Commission ‘Covered List’, which would prohibit the company’s drones from connecting to U.S. communications infrastructure.
• Require DoD to determine whether additional Chinese drone manufacturers should be added to the list of Chinese military companies operating in the United States.
• Establish a grant program to enable state and local law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other first responders to replace their existing DJI systems with secure drones.
• Applied only to future drone models and allows those already purchased to remain operational.

Tester has led the charge to combat Chinese aggression and protect America’s place as the world’s leading military and economic power.

As Chair of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, Tester has led oversight efforts around the Chinese spy balloon that flew over Montana. Tester has worked to boost the military’s budget to ensure the Pentagon has the tools it needs to better prevent these evolving threats, and secured a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to investigate U.S. technology that is currently being used in foreign espionage programs to prevent future spy balloon incursions. Tester is committed to securing a FY25 defense budget that will ensure the Department of Defense has the tools it needs to counter Chinese aggression.

Tester has introduced two bipartisan bills — the Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act and the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act — to prohibit America’s foreign adversaries including China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia from purchasing or leasing U.S. farmland or agribusiness. Tester secured his bipartisan PASS Act as an amendment to the NDAA but it was stripped out of the final version by Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans.