(BISMARCK, ND) – A bill to be considered by the North Dakota Legislature in the upcoming legislative session would look at getting rid of the state’s drones made in China.
Rep. Mike Nathe (R-Bismarck) is proposing the North Dakota Legislature spend $15 million dollars in one-time funding to replace all Chinese drones used in North Dakota state government. He says the state owns 353 drones, with upwards of 88 percent being made in China.
“These things could be a national security concern, a securities concern for North Dakota,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “These drones fly over air bases, missile sites, oil fields, ag lands, our communities, and who knows what they’re doing as far as if they’re collecting information and sending it out.”
Nathe says the Department of Defense prohibits Chinese made drones.
The $15 million appropriation would cover replacement of the Chinese drones with one of equal capability plus the training.
The bill also encourages consolidation of the use between departments.
“There’s some agencies that maybe have too many drones, or some agencies that could maybe share their drones with another agency,” he said. “There’s a lot of possibility there where we can lessen that inventory, from talking to people.”
The bill also spells out how the current ones would be disposed of – sent to a third party for examination.
Nathe says the bill contains an emergency clause, which means it would go into effect immediately if passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor.
