Senator Peters introduces bill to protect communities from unmanned aircraft systems

Peters Presses to Ensure Funding Volition Not Go Towards Drone Manufacturers – Including Those with Ties to the Chinese Government – That May Pose a Threat to U.Southward. National Security

DETROIT, MI  – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) led his colleagues in a bipartisan effort to ensure federal funding through the bipartisan infrastructure law will not go towards drones manufactured past foreign companies – including those with ties to the Chinese authorities – that nowadays a security risk to the United States and our critical infrastructure. In the letter, Peters and his colleagues urged the U.Southward. Department of Transportation (DOT) to forestall Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grants from being used to purchase drones from strange manufacturers that are subject to the influence or control of governments that threaten national security. The SMART grant plan is a new initiative authorized by the bipartisanInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Actthat volition provide competitive grants to communities to deploy innovative transportation technologies, such as drones that inspect infrastructure or monitor traffic. The take chances from foreign-made drones has been the subject of numerous reports, including a contempo Washington Post article cited in the letter, which revealed that DJI has "obscured its Chinese government funding while claiming that Beijing had non invested in the business firm.

"Equally you lot know, the IIJA created the SMART grant program to enable state, local, and tribal governments to leverage innovative technology, such as drones, to support transportation safety and efficiency,"wrote Peters and his colleagues."But the risks associated with drones made by companies subject to the laws of the People's Commonwealth of Red china, for example, are clear. That is why Congress has acted to accost them."

"We urge USDOT to take action. In implementing the SMART grant program, the Department should prevent funding from being used on drones manufactured by companies that pose a security risk,"Peters and his colleagues continued. "This is essential to advancing our national security objectives and protecting our land'due south infrastructure."

The text of the letter is copied below and available here .

Honey Secretary Buttigieg,

As the U.South. Department of Transportation (USDOT) works to implement the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), we request that yous to take action to protect U.S. taxpayer dollars and the security of U.S. infrastructure. Specifically, in implementing the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant program, we urge you to prohibit these grants from beingness used to fund uncrewed shipping systems ("drones") manufactured by companies that are bailiwick to the influence or control of governments—including the People's Democracy of China (PRC)—that present a security adventure to the United States and our critical infrastructure.

As you know, the IIJA created the SMART grant program to enable state, local and tribal governments to leverage innovative applied science, such as drones, to back up transportation safety and efficiency. Simply the risks associated with drones made past companies subject field to the laws of the PRC, for example, are articulate. That is why Congress has acted to address them.

Department 848 of the National Defense force Say-so Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 prohibited the Section of Defense (DOD) from purchasing or operating drones fabricated in the PRC.  More recently, the bipartisan, Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) included provisions based on the American Security Drone Act of 2021 extending that prohibition to all federal agencies, including USDOT.  USICA would also prohibit the use of federal grant money to buy drones fabricated by Chinese entities and other manufacturers that present a security risk, starting two years following enactment. That timeline by no means limits USDOT'due south inherent authority to impose reasonable constraints on federal taxpayer dollars in the acting.

The Administration has as well highlighted these risks. In July, DOD issued a argument final that "systems produced by Da Jiang Innovations (DJI)"—the world'southward largest drone manufacturer which has long dominated the U.S. and global markets—"pose potential threats to national security."  Nosotros also understand that the Administration is in the procedure of implementing Executive Order 13981,  which makes it U.S. policy "to prevent the use of taxpayer dollars to procure UAS that present unacceptable risks and are manufactured by, or contain software or disquisitional electronic components from, strange adversaries, and to encourage the use of domestically produced UAS." Numerous news reports have also highlighted related concerns, including a contempo Washington Postal service article, which revealed that DJI has "obscured its Chinese authorities funding while challenge that Beijing had non invested in the firm."

We urge USDOT to have activeness. In implementing the SMART grant program, the Department should prevent funding from existence used on drones manufactured by companies that pose a security take a chance. This is essential to advancing our national security objectives and protecting our land's infrastructure.

Thank you for because our asking.

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Source: https://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/blog/peters-leads-bipartisan-group-of-senators-urging-the-u.s.-department-of-transportation-to-protect-u.s.-taxpayer-dollars-security-of-u.s.-infrastructure

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