The proposed bill aims to establish "The Act to Prohibit the Purchase of Small Unmanned Aircrafts Manufactured or Assembled by a Covered Foreign Entity" in West Virginia law. It defines a "Covered Foreign Entity" as any individual, foreign government, or party that is on the U.S. Consolidated Screening List or Entity List, domiciled in China or Russia, or under their influence. The bill prohibits public entities from purchasing or operating small unmanned aircraft systems manufactured or assembled by these entities, effective May 1, 2029. Additionally, it restricts the use of state funds for acquiring such aircraft and allows the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to waive these restrictions under certain exigent circumstances.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a drone replacement grant program within the Department of Homeland Security, which will provide funding to public safety agencies affected by the new prohibitions. Agencies that surrender non-compliant drones will be eligible for grants to acquire compliant systems and training, provided the drones are still operational and have not reached their end of life. The program will be implemented within 270 days of the bill's enactment, with funds allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and will require agencies to submit detailed plans for new drone purchases.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-17-1, 15-17-2, 15-17-3, 15-17-4