On September 9, 2024, the House of Representatives passed H.R.2864 – Countering CCP Drones Act. The bill adds telecommunication and video equipment and related services from DJI Technologies to a list of communication equipment and services that pose a risk to the national security of the United States. This list is maintained by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019. This bill essentially bans UAS produced by DJI from operating on the communications infrastructure within the U.S.
It is important to remember that this bill has only passed one chamber and would require many additional steps before becoming law. AMA will provide updates regarding this bill if the Senate decides to take up this issue in the future. In addition, AMA will continue to meet with Congress and the Department of Defense regarding threats to the national airspace, aiming to find common sense solutions to hopefully reduce the legislative burden on our modeling community.
To remain current with the most recent government-related news, regularly visit the AMA Government Affairs blog. If you have any further questions or concerns, contact the Government Affairs department at (765) 287-1256 or amagov@modelaircraft.org.