Prohibiting the purchase of small unmanned aircrafts manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign entity.

HB 1611 prohibits Washington state and local government agencies from purchasing or using public funds to acquire small drones (under 55 pounds) made or assembled by foreign entities on U.S. sanctions lists or tied to China or Russia. It bans these purchases and related funding starting January 1, 2026, and requires agencies to stop operating such drones by July 1, 2026. The law defines "covered foreign entities" as those on U.S. Commerce Department lists, based in China or Russia, or controlled by those governments. This directly affects all state/local agencies, including law enforcement, that use drones for operations.