Today Governor Josh Stein and South Carolina Governor Henry Dargan McMaster led a bipartisan group of 29 governors in calling on federal law enforcement and defense officials to expand the availability of training opportunities for state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement, as well as corrections officials and National Guard personnel, to mitigate rogue unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and FBI Director Kash Patel, the governors urged the federal government to ensure agencies have the training needed to safely and effectively use new authorities provided under the Safer Skies Act.
“Drones can be useful tools for public safety and emergency response, but when used maliciously, drones can pose serious threats to our communities, critical infrastructure, and correctional facilities,” said Governor Josh Stein. “The Safer Skies Act gives state law enforcement new tools to protect people from these threats, and those tools are effective only if the people using them have the training they need. My fellow bi-partisan governors and I urge the federal government to expand access to federally approved counter-drone training so we can deploy a whole-of-government approach to apply these authorities safely and effectively.”
The Governors are calling for:
- More training opportunities for state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement to reduce wait times, travel costs, and operational disruptions.
- Specialized counter-drone training for corrections officials, including legal authorities, evidence collection, coordination with law enforcement, and safe operational response.
- Expanded counter-drone training for National Guard personnel to support homeland security missions, major public events, emergency response, and critical infrastructure protection.
In September 2025, Governor Stein led a bipartisan group of 31 governors in writing a letter to the federal government advocating for urgent action to address the threat posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to the country’s critical infrastructure and public safety. In December, Congress amended the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with an inclusion of the Safer Skies Act, authorizing law enforcement and correctional officers, with oversight by federal agencies, to keep communities safe from drone threats. This swift bipartisan achievement underscored Governor Stein’s commitment to keeping North Carolinians safe.
In his role as the co-chair of the Council of Governors, Governor Stein has also recommended establishing a National C-UAS Coordination Office; allocating $500 million in federal funding and support for counter-UAS (C-UAS) technology, training, and personnel; and leveraging the expertise and resources of public-private partnerships to develop effective C-UAS strategies.
Click here to read the Governors’ letter to federal officials.