Oregon Public Safety Grants

Funding Source Does Not Set Every Rule

State and local appropriations, federal pass-through awards and direct federal awards can carry different procurement terms. A purchase made wholly with local funds does not automatically become exempt from an agency’s privacy, IT, public-records, network or flight policies. A connection to a state-managed asset or a contractor’s use for a state agency needs its own review.

For OEM-administered grants, follow the August 2026 Oregon procurement and grant-compliance guide alongside the applicable federal award terms, Oregon public-contracting law and local purchasing rules. Record the most restrictive applicable requirement and obtain administrator approval before ordering.

State IT Covered Vendors, Not a Simple Drone Blacklist

Oregon’s ORS 276A.340–.348 and EIS rules address covered products installed on, used or accessed by state information technology assets, including some contractor assets used for state work. The enacted 2025 HB 3936 names Ant Group, ByteDance, Huawei, Kaspersky, Tencent and ZTE, their related entities and state CIO designations; covered products can include certain AI dependencies. EIS rules also refer to federally prohibited entities under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act. The text does not itself name DJI or Autel as a blanket state drone ban.

Check the current EIS covered-vendor guidance and ask the responsible state IT office about a particular camera, radio, controller, app, cloud service or connected aircraft. Limited investigatory, regulatory and law-enforcement exceptions involve formal standards; do not assume one applies. Municipalities should check their own IT and state-network access policies.

Oregon Public-Body Registration and Police Flights

Under ORS 837.360, a public body operating a UAS in Oregon registers with the Oregon Department of Aviation and submits a yearly report about use and where its policies can be found. ORS 837.362 calls for publicly accessible policies addressing data collection, use, storage, access, sharing and retention. Educational institutions have a different ODAV registration process.

Law-enforcement acquisition and missions also require review of ORS 837.310–.345 and their warrant and statutory-exception framework. A purchase approval does not authorize every flight. Confirm FAA public-safety operating authority, airspace and incident/evidence procedures. See ODAV’s public-use UAS registration and report instructions.

Federal Awards and the Full Product Configuration

ASDA / OMB M-26-02 Appendix D: Since December 22, 2025, federal award funds generally may not procure or be used in connection with operating a FASC-prohibited UAS, subject to stated exemptions and waivers. BJA’s UAS guidance separately requires express prior approval, a certification tied to the DCMA Blue UAS Cleared List and Commerce screening, privacy/cyber assurances and restrictions on modifications, accessories and federal information.

The University of Oregon’s federally funded research drone policy identifies DJI/Autel restrictions for that university’s federally sponsored research; it is a useful example of an institutional rule, not a blanket rule for every Oregon city. NDAA Section 889, TAA clauses and FCC authorization each ask different questions. Read the full MAXSUR federal procurement explainer.

SHSP “Counter UAS” Category Requires Care

Oregon OEM’s FY2026 SHSP application is open through October 21 at 10 p.m. as posted. Applications must go through a county or Tribal emergency manager. The formula-funded component accepts projects; OEM says competitive projects are not currently being accepted. The investment-justification form includes “Soft Target Hardening and Counter UAS,” but that label does not establish the allowability of a particular aircraft, sensor, jammer or interdiction capability. Ask OEM and counsel for written grant and operational authority.

A proposed UAS project should identify the mission, capability gap, approved cost category, cybersecurity protections, privacy policy, operator training and any required federal approvals. See the live OEM SHSP instructions.

Practical Oregon UAS Procurement Checklist

1. 1Identify the buyer and money. Determine whether the agency is state or local, which grant or local appropriation pays, and whether a state IT asset or federal award is involved.
2. 2Confirm program fit in writing. For SHSP, route through the county or Tribal emergency manager; a counter-UAS form does not authorize restricted counter-drone functions. Ask the administrator about each proposed aircraft, payload, subscription and training line.
3. 3Apply Oregon covered-vendor controls. For a state IT asset, screen the current EIS vendor list, FCC-related designations, software, service and AI dependencies; document the state CIO or agency determination. Check local network rules separately.
4. 4Review federal award restrictions. For federal dollars, check ASDA and OMB M-26-02 Appendix D for a FASC-prohibited UAS, exemptions/waivers and the award’s own terms.
5. 5Secure BJA approval where relevant. BJA requires express prior approval, its DCMA Blue UAS Cleared List-related certification, cyber and privacy assurances and restrictions on modifications, accessories and federal information.
6. 6Map the complete system. Record manufacture/assembly evidence, camera, radio, controller, app, firmware, cloud storage, telemetry, remote support and subcontractors; analyze NDAA Section 889, TAA contract clauses and FCC authorization separately.
7. 7Authorize Oregon operations. Plan the applicable ORS chapter 837 police mission, FAA authority, ODAV public-body registration and annual reporting, and publicly accessible policies for data collection, use, storage, access, sharing and retention.
8. 8Keep the decision file. Preserve the current notice, grant approval, product configuration, vendor evidence, risk assessment, procurement justification, privacy policy and any federal exemption or waiver.