Arkansas Bans Chinese Drones – DRONELIFE

Arkansas has followed Florida in a ban on Chinese drones: but Arkansas lawmakers have taken a realistic approach to phasing out technology manufactured by a “covered entity.”

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This bill has no impact on commercial or civil operations in the state, and is applicable only to public agencies.

Arkansas House Bill 1653, now Act 525, prohibits the purchase or operation of drones manufactured in China or other “covered entity” countries.  The Act is similar to a recently passed Florida bill, but differs in significant ways that make the Act more manageable for public safety agencies.

How the Arkansas Act Differs from the Florida Ban

The recently enacted ban in Florida has caused problems for public safety entities and other state agencies by limiting drone options to a very narrow list of only 5 drone manufacturers. In addition, the ban provided no provision for grandfathering existing equipment, forcing public safety agencies to…