North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 6 R · 1 I · 1 D cosponsors

HB 707 — Drones/Certain Vendor Purchases Prohibited.

Last action — Reptd Fav Com Substitute

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced April 02, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 8 sponsors

    3 primary, 5 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 3 parties (6 R · 1 I · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

23 added · 17 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of House Bill 707 includes a few minor changes to the wording, particularly in the section about weight limits for certain items. The language has been refined but the meaning remains the same, stating that items must weigh less than 55 pounds, including any attachments. This matters because clarity in the regulations helps ensure enforcement is consistent and understood by everyone involved.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 2 HOUSE BILL 707 Committee Substitute Favorable 4/15/25 Short Title:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 707 Short Title:
Representatives Torbett, Greene, Miller, and Pyrtle (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
April 3, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT PROVIDING THAT THE STATE AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE STATE SHALL NOT PURCHASE ANY UNMANNED AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURED OR ASSEMBLED BY CERTAIN FOREIGN VENDORS.
State and Local Government, if favorable, Finance, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House April 3, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT PROVIDING THAT THE STATE AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE STATE SHALL NOT PURCHASE ANY SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM MANUFACTURED OR ASSEMBLED BY CERTAIN FOREIGN VENDORS.
"§ 143-59.5.
"§143-59.5.
Purchase of unmanned aircraft from covered foreign entities.
Purchase of small unmanned aircraft from covered foreign entities.
(a) Neither the State nor any political subdivision of the State shall purchase or otherwise acquire any unmanned aircraft manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign entity.
(a) Neither the State nor any political subdivision of the State shall purchase or otherwise acquire any small, unmanned aircraft system manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign entity.
No State funds may be used in connection with the purchase or acquisition of any unmanned aircraft manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign entity, including any State funds provided through a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement.
No State funds may be used in connection with the purchase or acquisition of any small, unmanned aircraft system manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign entity, including any State funds provided through a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement.
Is on the UnitedStatesConsolidated Screening List or Entity List.
Is on the UnitedState'sConsolidated Screening List or Entity List.
(2) Unmanned aircraft.
(2) Small, unmanned aircraft system.
– Defined in G.S.
– An unmanned, powered aircraft that meets all of the following criteria:
15A-300.1.
a.
(c) A contract entered into in violation of this section is void." SECTION 2.
Is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from on or within the aircraft.
This act becomes effective July 1, 2027, and applies to unmanned aircraft purchased or acquired on or after that date.
b.
*H707-v-2*
Can be expendable or recoverable.
c.
Weighs less than 55 pounds,including theweight of anything attached to or carried by the aircraft.
SECTION 2.
This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to small, unmanned aircraft purchased on or after July 1, 2027.
*H707-v-1*
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Action History

  1. Reptd Fav Com Substitute

  2. Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  3. Serial Referral To Finance Stricken

  4. Passed 1st Reading

  5. Ref to the Com on State and Local Government, if favorable, Finance, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  6. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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3 sponsors · 5 co-sponsors · 171 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (5)

Not signed on (171)

171 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 171 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

transportation technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 707?
HB 707 is sponsored by Bill Ward (Republican), Nasif Majeed (U), Donnie Loftis (Republican), Eric Ager (Democratic), A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr. (Republican), Charles W. Miller (Republican), Dudley Greene (Republican), and John A. Torbett (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 707?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced April 02, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 707?
Track HB 707 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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