Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act

HR 3593, the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act, creates two federal grant programs to support the use of domestic drones for inspecting critical infrastructure. It provides grants to state and local governments (e.g., for inspecting bridges, power grids, or water systems) and to eligible educational institutions (e.g., for training drone operators) to purchase or lease U.S.-made drones that avoid foreign-controlled components. The bill limits federal funding to 50-75% of project costs and allocates $2 million for 2024 and $12 million annually through 2028. It requires grant recipients to use drones manufactured in the U.S. by non-foreign-controlled companies, with priority given to projects addressing safety risks across diverse communities.