Because the federal authorities advances new restrictions on drones manufactured by international adversaries, Virginia has launched a grant program to assist regulation enforcement and first responders transition to compliant drone know-how. On this DRONELIFE unique visitor put up, Michele Satterlund, lawyer at MacAuley, Jamerson, Satterlund and Sessa and former govt director of the Unmanned Methods Affiliation of Virginia, offers an outline of the state’s new initiative and its context inside current federal coverage adjustments. DRONELIFE neither accepts nor makes cost for visitor posts.
Virginia: Senator Perry and Del. Krizek Work to Ease Legislation Enforcement’s Transition to Safe Drones because the Federal Authorities Seeks to Remove Insecure Drones
by Michele Satterlund
Virginia is the second U.S. state to fund a devoted grant program geared toward serving to native regulation enforcement and first responders’ transition away from drones manufactured by corporations in international locations designated as international adversaries
This initiative, spearheaded by State Senator Russet Perry and Delegate Paul Krizek, aligns with provisions within the 2025 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act (NDAA) and features a $1 million appropriation for the Virginia State Police and a separate $1 million grant program administered by the Virginia Division of Legal Justice Companies. The laws doesn’t ban any drones however offers funding as federal coverage underneath the FY25 NDAA and President Trump’s current Govt Orders advance.
With Governor’s Youngkin’s signing of Virginia’s biennial funds on Might 2, 2025, Virginia grew to become the second state within the nation to fund a grant program geared toward serving to native regulation enforcement, firefighters and different first responders change drones manufactured in international locations labeled as international adversaries.
The originating laws, which was carried by Virginia State Senator Russet Perry and Delegate Paul Krizek, was launched shortly after President Biden signed the 2025 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act (NDAA), which directs U.S. safety companies to find out whether or not drones made by Shenzhen DJI Innovation Know-how Co., Ltd, (generally known as DJI) and Autel Robotics (Autel) pose a menace to nationwide security. If even one company makes that dedication, DJI and Autel drones will likely be added to the Federal Communications Fee restricted checklist, making it unlawful to authorize new fashions to be used. If no dedication is made, the NDAA mandates an automated ban on new DJI and Autel drones starting January 23, 2026. Importantly, previous to the FY25 NDAA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Division of Homeland Safety, and the U.Ss Dept of Protection all decided such drones posed a threat to U.S. nationwide safety.
The FY25 NDAA’s drone necessities acquired an extra enhance, when on June 6, 2025, President Trump signed an Govt Order (EO), Unleashing American Drone Dominance, that bolsters the safety of America’s drone use by directing the Division of Commerce to difficulty a proposed rule (inside 90 days) on processes for transitioning away from current insecure drone methods.
“Having served as an officer within the Central Intelligence Company, I’m keenly conscious of the safety dangers america faces from applied sciences made by our international adversaries,” mentioned Senator Perry, when requested about her foresight in championing this difficulty. “The grant laws, in addition to Virginia’s separate direct appropriation of $1 million to Virginia State Police for the acquisition of safe drones, will assist our regulation enforcement make this necessary transition and can higher guarantee our nationwide safety.”
Whereas no arduous information exists relating to the variety of drones made by DJI or Autel and utilized by Virginia’s regulation enforcement group, anecdotally obtained data signifies that Chinese language drones are utilized by 85-90% of Virginia’s regulation enforcement. “It’s necessary that we help our native regulation enforcement in staying forward of the curve on this necessary public security initiative,” famous Del. Krizek, who’s Chair of the Home Appropriations Public Security Subcommittee. “I used to be proud to champion this effort alongside State Senator Perry and I’m happy we might help guarantee Virginia’s first responders can higher entry the instruments they should maintain us secure.”
Virginia’s $1 million grant program follows Florida’s $25 million effort launched in 2023 and was enacted previous to North Dakota’s $9 million grant alternative program signed into regulation in late Might. The Virginia grant will likely be administered by the Virginia Division of Legal Justice Companies, working along side a broad coalition of public security organizations. Grants will likely be capped at $25,000 per drone and will likely be restricted to fashions that meet U.S. safety requirements set by the American Safety Drone Act of 2023.
Michele Satterlund is an lawyer and lobbyist based mostly in Richmond, Virginia, and a former govt director of the Unmanned Methods Affiliation of Virginia, with intensive expertise representing purchasers within the unmanned methods sector and advocating for revolutionary drone coverage initiatives. She is a companion at Macaulay Jamerson Satterlund & Sessa, P.C., and has been acknowledged for her management in legislative and regulatory issues affecting the drone business. Michele’s work has helped form state and federal coverage, supporting the secure and safe integration of drones into public security and industrial operations.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, an expert drone providers market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone business and the regulatory surroundings for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles centered on the industrial drone house and is a world speaker and acknowledged determine within the business. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising and marketing for brand spanking new applied sciences.
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