Appropriations committee backs bill to replace state’s Chinese-made drones and fund FAA radar access for VANTAS

Bismarck — The North Dakota House Appropriations Committee on a 23-0 vote recommended a do-pass for House Bill 1038, a measure that would fund a two‑year state program to replace Chinese‑manufactured unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in state inventories and allocate $11 million to integrate FAA radar data with the state’s VANTAS UAS network.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Mike Natey, said the state inventory lists 353 drones owned by state agencies and higher‑education entities, of which 307 are “Chinese manufactured by the company by the name of DJI.” He told committee members the proposal combines a $15 million drone replacement, training and disposal program with an $11 million appropriation to build a secure FAA radar data enclave for VANTAS, the state’s UAS integration network.

The proposal matters because federal law and defense policy increasingly restrict use of certain foreign‑manufactured UAS. Natey cited the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and federal agency guidance saying some systems pose national security risks. “Even if out of the 307, we have one of these that are bad, it’s worth doing,” Natey said during his opening remarks.

Why it matters: proponents say HB1038 aims to keep state operations — from highway patrol and emergency response to infrastructure inspections — compatible with evolving federal rules while positioning North Dakota’s VANTAS program as a national…