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Amidst tighter US regulatory scrutiny of products and services that could harm American national security, drones made by the Chinese firm DJI were once again in lawmakers' crosshairs after it initially appeared that they would avoid a ban. The Senate's Armed Services Committee released the latest version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) earlier today, and conspicuously missing from the bill was the Countering CCP Drones Act, which would have banned the sale of new drones by DJI in the US.
However, soon after the NDAA was uploaded to the Senate's website, an amendment was proposed by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), who suggested adding the Drones Act to the bill. Scott's amendment was co-sponsored by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), hinting that it could receive bipartisan support.
Senators Suggest Amendment To NDAA Bill To Add DJI Drone Ban Ahead Of Debate
The CCP Drones Act was first introduced in 2022, and it came to the limelight earlier this year when the House passed a version of the NDAA that included the bill. This passage was met with significant resistance across the US, as small private businesses and firefighters opposed it for several reasons. The business owners claimed that they would effectively go out of business since similar low-priced drones were unavailable in the market, while the firefighters shared that they rely on the DJI drones for their jobs.
This pressure appears to have made its way to the Senate as the latest version of the NDAA uploaded earlier today did not feature the Drone Act. However, any celebrations from the affected that might be taking place would be short-lived as soon after Democrat and Republic senators supported the S.Amdt.3098, which seeks to reintroduce the Drones Act to the NDAA.
The fact that the Drones Act didn't make it to the NDAA shared by the Senate but surfaced later in a proposed amendment could be more than a coincidence. Had it been a part of the bill, then the next step of the NDAA's journey through the Senate could have seen the issue ignored entirely by lawmakers. As the Senate Armed Services Committee has now finalized the bill and released it, it will now head to the Senate floor for a debate.
This can include a debate on the amendment, with the two Senators who proposed it defending it and any others who might be against it offering counterarguments. Depending on the voting, the Senators could decide to include the Drone Act into the NDAA before it makes its way to House Committees and then to the House and Senate for approval.
The final step for a bill's passage is the President's signature, and before it lands on President Biden's desk, the upper and lower houses of Congress will have to pass similar versions of the bill. Finally, even if it clears this arduous process, the President might not sign the law either. In fact, he has explicitly stated that if the NDAA (H.R. 8774) lands on his desk, then he will veto the bill. If this is the case, then the only way for the NDAA to pass will be the House and Senate, each passing the bill with a two-thirds majority.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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