Alabama Public Safety Grants

Proposed Foreign-Drone Restrictions Did Not Become Law

Alabama lawmakers have considered multiple approaches to foreign-drone procurement. HB 321 (2023) would have required state agencies, counties, and municipalities to consult the federal Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List before acquiring a UAS and would have restricted certain purchases involving China. The bill was indefinitely postponed.

SB 260 (2025) proposed a broader prohibition on governmental bodies and governmental entities purchasing or using UAS manufactured in a foreign adversary, sold by companies tied to a foreign adversary, containing at least 50% covered components, or transmitting information to a foreign adversary. It did not advance out of committee.

The practical takeaway is important: these proposals show continued Alabama legislative interest in supply-chain security, but they should not be described as current Alabama procurement mandates.

The 2026 Alabama UAS Study Commission Is the Bigger Signal

Alabama created an Unmanned Aircraft System Study Commission in 2025 to examine drone use, foreign-drone data-transfer risks, security practices, and alternatives to foreign-sourced aircraft. Its February 24, 2026 final report recommended:

• Standardizing drone procurement practices across state agencies, with emphasis on law enforcement and first responders.
• Requiring air-gapping for approved drones manufactured outside the United States and used by state agencies.
• Developing a state-based model training curriculum.
• Continuing the commission or creating a successor entity to broaden its mission.

These are recommendations, not a manufacturer blacklist or enacted procurement statute. For buyers, however, they are a useful indicator of the direction Alabama policymakers are considering.

Federal Grant Dollars Change the Procurement Analysis

The absence of a blanket Alabama manufacturer ban does not mean every drone is eligible for every Alabama public-safety project. Federal requirements may attach when federal dollars fund the purchase or operation.

FAR 40.202 addresses federal executive-agency acquisition and operation. Separately, OMB M-26-02, Appendix D implements the American Security Drone Act restriction on federal award funds: since December 22, 2025, recipients and subrecipients generally may not use those funds to procure, or in connection with operating, a FASC-prohibited UAS unless an applicable exemption or waiver applies.

This should be evaluated separately from NDAA Section 889. Section 889 addresses covered telecommunications and video-surveillance equipment and services, including specified products or services associated with Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua. A product being acceptable under one federal rule does not automatically establish compliance under every other rule.

Alabama Also Regulates Where and How Drones Operate

Alabama's UAS compliance picture includes operational restrictions that are separate from manufacturer eligibility:

• Correctional facilities: Act 2024-222 added Sections 13A-7-90 through 13A-7-95. Subject to statutory exceptions, Section 13A-7-91 restricts UAS operation within 500 horizontal feet or 200 vertical feet of covered Department of Corrections facilities and restricts UAS surveillance or photography of those facilities. Violations are classified as Class C felonies with additional statutory penalties.
• Corrections counter-UAS: 2026 HB 274 added Section 13A-7-94.1, authorizing the Department of Corrections to use reasonable and necessary mitigation measures against UAS operating in violation of the article, subject to federal law and regulation.
• Ticketed entertainment events: 2026 HB 429 becomes effective October 1, 2026 and generally prohibits UAS operation within 400 feet of or above qualifying ticketed entertainment events. The enacted text includes exceptions, including official-business operations by state agencies, law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency management agencies.
• State lands: Alabama administrative rules require written permission from the Alabama State Lands Division for unauthorized persons to launch, land, possess, or use a UAV/drone on covered state lands.

Critical Infrastructure: Important Nuance

Alabama Code Section 13A-7-4.3 contains a broad definition of critical infrastructure facilities and criminalizes unauthorized physical entry. It also provides an enhanced felony penalty when a person commits unauthorized entry while possessing or operating a UAS with an attached weapon, firearm, explosive, destructive device, or ammunition.

A separate 2025 proposal, SB 164, would have added a general offense for intentionally operating a UAS without authority within 200 vertical feet of a critical infrastructure facility. That proposal was indefinitely postponed and should not be presented as current law.

Practical Alabama UAS Procurement Checklist

1. 1Identify the money first. Determine whether the project uses local, state, federal pass-through, or direct federal funding.
2. 2Screen the UAS under the ASDA federal-award restriction when federal funds are involved. Review OMB M-26-02, Appendix D and the award terms; do not assume a locally purchasable aircraft is eligible for a federally funded mission.
3. 3Evaluate Section 889 separately. Cameras, radios, networking equipment, modems, and surveillance components can create their own federal compliance issues.
4. 4Document the system architecture. Record the aircraft manufacturer, major components, communications links, cloud/data-storage path, firmware sources, and any required third-party services.
5. 5Check mission-location restrictions. Correctional facilities, state lands, ticketed events, and other sensitive locations can trigger operational rules independent of procurement eligibility.
6. 6Preserve the compliance record. Keep manufacturer representations, grant guidance, procurement approvals, exceptions or waivers, and system documentation with the purchase file.