The bill amends the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act by adding a new section that prohibits public entities in Michigan from purchasing or operating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) manufactured by companies listed on specific federal sanction lists. These lists include the U.S. Department of Defense's list under the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, the U.S. Department of Treasury's Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Sanction List, and the U.S. Department of Commerce's Entity List. The prohibition on purchasing these UAS will take effect two years after the bill's enactment, while the prohibition on operating them will take effect five years after enactment.

Additionally, the bill allows for exceptions in cases where the governor declares a state of emergency or disaster, permitting the operation of otherwise prohibited UAS to assist in the response. It also clarifies that the new restrictions do not apply to small unmanned aircraft systems that comply with existing regulations. The enactment of this bill is contingent upon the passage of House Bill No. 5330.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 259.301, 259.331