In Florida, law enforcement officers last year complained to the state senate that a ban on state-funded agencies operating Chinese-made drones left them with costlier aircraft that didn’t perform as well. That prompted state lawmakers to appropriate $25 million to help government-run drone programs acquire compliant models.

North Carolina farmer Russell Hedrick is critical of lawmakers pushing for a ban of Chinese manufactured drones, which he uses on his fields to increase efficiency and cut costs. (AP video: Erik Verduzco,