Michigan Lawmakers Advance Comprehensive Drone Regulation Package Through Legislature

Michigan Lawmakers Advance Comprehensive Drone Regulation Package Through Legislature

A bipartisan package of 15 drone-related bills is making significant progress through the Michigan State Legislature, with hopes of becoming law by the end of summer 2026. The legislation, titled Securing Homeland and Infrastructure with Emerging Laws for Drones or SHIELD, represents Michigan's effort to establish state-level drone regulations without conflicting with federal aviation authority.

The legislative package addresses a growing range of drone issues, from restrictions on foreign-made drones to limitations on drone operations over critical infrastructure and public property. Representative William Bruck, chief sponsor of the package from the House, stated they successfully navigated potential federal pre-emption issues by carefully crafting language that respects federal authority while establishing meaningful state oversight.

"We did very well to avoid a federal pre-emption situation by adding a couple phrases here and there and making sure while we were pushing the envelope obviously, we were not pushing past some hard lines," Bruck said.

Critical Infrastructure Protections at Centerpiece

The most significant provisions in the SHIELD package involve protecting critical infrastructure and enhancing public safety. One bill would grant non-federal law enforcement officers the authority to disable or destroy unmanned aircraft deemed to pose a threat, a power that aligns with the federal Safer Skies Act passed in December 2025 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Bruck pointed to the Safer Skies Act as demonstrating congressional intent to give state and local police greater counter-drone authority. The federal law authorizes trained and certified state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement to disable drones that present a credible threat to public safety, large events, critical infrastructure and correctional facilities.

"With the Safer Skies Act and the fact FIFA World Cup tournament going on this year, there's a lot of granting of what traditionally were federal authorizations for counter-UAS," Bruck said. He added that the act likely will pave the way for future federal legislation providing even broader counter-drone authorities to states.

Restrictions on Foreign-Made Drones

Additional provisions in the package would prohibit state agencies from purchasing drones or related equipment from companies appearing on the U.S. Department of Defense list of entities with significant connections to the Chinese military. The legislation also would ban drone operations over law enforcement facilities, correctional facilities, or other sites designated as critical infrastructure.

Bruck emphasized that the most important pieces of legislation in the SHIELD package involve protecting critical infrastructure and enhancing public safety regarding drones. Some proposed provisions extend existing state trespassing restrictions to cover unmanned aerial vehicle flights.

One bill restricts drone flights over critical infrastructure, including power plants, data centers and airports. Another proposed law would expand trespassing regulations to ban drone flights over private property where the drone operator interferes with privacy or prevents a resident from maintaining a peaceful life.

The legislation includes exceptions to accommodate expected changes to federal aviation laws. Bruck noted the bills contain provisions ensuring compliance with federal regulations as soon as they are updated.

Enhanced Oversight for State Capitol and Government Facilities

The proposed restrictions specifically include provisions for the State Capitol, various state buildings and the National Guard base. Bruck explained these are not federal entities, so they receive relatively little protection from the Federal Aviation Administration or federal authorities.

"We put some restrictions in there as well for the State Capitol, different state buildings and the National Guard base. They're not federal entities, so there's really very little protections from the FAA or from the feds," Bruck said.

MDOT to Lead Drone Registry and Enforcement

Under the proposed legislation, the Aeronautics Division of the Michigan Department of Transportation would be empowered to maintain a comprehensive registry of all registered drones in the state and assist in enforcing regulations in drone-restricted areas.

MDOT would be required to maintain a database of all commercially operated drones and share that information with law enforcement agencies as necessary. Essentially, MDOT would maintain the same drone registration information as the Federal Aviation Administration, but making that data accessible through a state agency would allow state and local law enforcement personnel to access information more quickly.

"If security or police had to identify a certain drone nomenclature, the MDOT would have that information," Bruck said.

Establishing Aerial Mobility Corridors

The proposed legislation would also enable MDOT to establish aerial mobility corridors to accommodate the future growth of drone usage, particularly for commercial applications like delivery services.

Bruck noted that Amazon and Walmart are already conducting limited deliveries in certain areas with established mobility corridors, but the state would look at MDOT to establish a broader scope of corridors.

"That needs to expand, but we need to be balancing that with security and safety of the population and our critical infrastructure. So, I'm very happy where we ended up, very happy to be in the lead nationally," Bruck said, adding that giving MDOT greater responsibility over lower-level aviation would help encourage growth in future air mobility operations.

Bipartisan Support Increases Passage Prospects

The legislative package includes 12 sponsors with six Democrats and six Republicans as main sponsors, strengthening prospects for passage in the Senate. Bruck expressed optimism about moving the bills through the upper chamber.

"There're 15 bills, 12 sponsors. We have six Democrats and six Republicans as the main sponsors, and so I'm very optimistic that we'll be able to get it through the Senate," Bruck said.

The package is expected to be taken up by the State Senate by the middle of next month. Bruck stated he already had one meeting with the Senate floor leader and plans to set up additional meetings in April to facilitate progress through the chamber.

"We look for that as a good model moving forward that the federal government is going to have to empower states, especially with the threat level from drones around the world," Bruck said.

Balancing Innovation with Security

Bruck expressed satisfaction that the comprehensive package positions Michigan as a leader in regulating drone traffic while encouraging legitimate drone usage. He emphasized the importance of threading the needle between security, safety and innovation.

"I'm very satisfied with where we landed. I think we've been able to thread the needle, to keep away from some issues," Bruck said.

The legislation represents Michigan's response to the rapid growth in drone use and misuse across the country. With the Federal Aviation Administration maintaining oversight of national airspace, state-level regulations must navigate complex federal pre-emption questions while addressing legitimate concerns about public safety, privacy and security.

The bipartisan nature of the package, combined with its alignment with federal direction, increases prospects for successful passage and implementation by the end of summer 2026.