HB 2038 Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Insecure uncrewed aircraft systems; prohibition on procurement and use, report.

Summary
Prohibition on procurement and use of insecure uncrewed aircraft systems; report. Prohibits, beginning on July 1, 2025, any public body from purchasing, leasing, or otherwise procuring an insecure uncrewed aircraft system (UAS), as that term is defined in the bill. The bill further prohibits, beginning on July 1, 2029, any public body from using, whether directly or through work with or on behalf of another public body, an insecure UAS. The bill directs the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) to establish cybersecurity standards for the certification of secure UAS and maintain a list of approved UAS manufacturers and models on its website. The bill also requires the Joint Commission on Technology and Science, in collaboration with stakeholders, to review cybersecurity standards and make recommendations every two years to ensure alignment with emerging UAS technologies, evolving cybersecurity threats, the operational and safety needs of public bodies, and public safety priorities within the Commonwealth. Finally, the bill establishes the Uncrewed Aircraft Replacement Grant Program, to be administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, to award grants to aid public bodies with the transition from insecure UAS to secure UAS.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Last action Feb 5, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced HGL Sub: Procurement/Open Government Substitute · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended from its original introduced version to a substitute version by the House Committee on General Laws. The most significant change is the timeline for enforcement: the ban on purchasing and using insecure uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) was moved from July 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026. Additionally, the original version included a separate section for a replacement grant program administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, which appears to have been removed or merged in the substitute version. The definition of 'insecure UAS' and the roles of VITA remain largely consistent.
Scope change
The bill's scope regarding the prohibition on insecure UAS procurement and use was modified to extend the implementation timeline by approximately one year, giving public bodies more time to transition to secure systems.
TIMELINE

The effective date for the ban on purchasing and using insecure UAS was changed from July 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026, providing an additional six-month grace period for public bodies.

REQUIREMENT

The original version included a separate section (2.2-5514.3) establishing a replacement grant program administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. This section appears to have been removed or significantly altered in the substitute version.

TECHNICAL

The substitute version includes additional formatting changes, line breaks, and page headers typical of legislative committee amendments, but these do not affect the substantive policy.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
1
Committee
3
Jan 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (8-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 17, 2025
Committee
Assigned GL sub: Procurement/Open Government
lower
Jan 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on General Laws
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Bonita Anthony
Bonita Anthony
DDemocratic
VA
92