FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 296
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR BRATTIN.
1336S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 650, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to unmanned aerial
vehicles.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 650, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 650.600, to read as 2
follows:3
650.600. 1. This section shall be known and may be 1
cited as "The Foreign Unmanned Aircraft Law". 2
2. As used in this section, the following terms mean: 3
(1) "Covered foreign entity", an individual, foreign 4
government, or other entity: 5
(a) On the Consolidated Screening List or Entity List 6
as designated by the United States Secretary of Commerce; 7
(b) Domiciled in the People's Republic of China or the 8
Russian Federation; 9
(c) Under the influence or control of the government 10
of the People's Republic of China or the Russian Federation; 11
or 12
(d) That is a subsidiary or affiliate of an 13
individual, government, or entity referred to in this 14
subdivision; 15
(2) "Department", the department of public safety; 16
(3) "Director", the director of the department of 17
public safety; 18 SB 296 2
(4) "Public entity", the state of Missouri or a 19
department or political subdivision of the state of 20
Missouri, including all boards, authorities, commissions, 21
agencies, committees, councils, universities, or other 22
entities created by the Missouri constitution or by law; 23
(5) "Small unmanned aircraft system" or "system", an 24
unmanned powered aircraft that: 25
(a) Is operated without the necessity of direct human 26
intervention from within or onboard the aircraft; 27
(b) May be expendable or recoverable; and 28
(c) Weighs less than fifty -five pounds including the 29
weight of anything attached to or carried by the aircraft. 30
3. (1) No public entity shall purchase or otherwise 31
acquire a small unmanned aircraft system that is 32
manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign entity. 33
(2) No state funds shall be used in connection with 34
small unmanned aircraf t systems manufactured or assembled by 35
a covered foreign entity, including, but not limited to, 36
state funds awarded through a contract, grant, or 37
cooperative agreement. 38
(3) Beginning May 1, 2027, no public entity shall 39
operate a small unmanned ai rcraft system manufactured or 40
assembled by a covered foreign entity. 41
(4) The director may waive the provisions of this 42
subsection upon: 43
(a) His or her review of the necessity to purchase a 44
small unmanned aircraft system that is manufactured or 45
assembled by a covered foreign entity due to exigent 46
circumstances, for purposes related to counter -unmanned 47
aircraft systems, or for criminal investigative purposes; and 48
(b) Notification to the general assembly. 49 SB 296 3
4. (1) No later than May 25, 2026, the department 50
shall implement a small unmanned aircraft system replacement 51
grant program to provide funds to public entities impacted 52
by the provisions of this section. The department shall 53
develop an application process for the program by rule. 54
Under the program, public entities that surrender to the 55
department small unmanned aircraft systems that do not 56
comply with this section shall be eligible to receive funds 57
to acquire small unmanned aircraft systems that comply with 58
the requirements of this section. Systems surrendered to 59
the department under the program shall not have reached the 60
end of their useful life, and shall be in working 61
condition. Funds shall be provided under the program based 62
on the actual cash value of the sys tem at the time of 63
surrender, and shall be used solely to purchase systems that 64
comply with the requirements of this section. 65
(2) Funds under the program shall be allocated on a 66
first-come, first-serve basis, as determined by the date on 67
which the department receives the public entity's properly 68
completed application. 69
(3) Public entities desiring to utilize the program 70
shall be required to detail specific systems they wish to 71
purchase, as well as a plan for training and use of the 72
systems. Systems purchased under the program shall be in 73
compliance with this section, including, but not limited to, 74
systems that have received: 75
(a) The Defense Innovation Unit's (DIU) Blue UAS 76
certification; or 77
(b) The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems' 78
(AUVSI) Green UAS certification. 79
5. The department of public safety shall promulgate 80
rules for the implementation of this section. Any rule or 81 SB 296 4
portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 82
536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in 83
this section shall become effective only if it complies with 84
and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, 85
if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 86
536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with 87
the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to 88
delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule 89
are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of 90
rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after 91
August 28, 2025, shall be invalid and void. 92