Capital District Times

On September 13, 2024, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik joined Congressman Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP John Moolenaar (R-MI) in introducing the Securing Infrastructure from Adversaries Act. This bill aims to prohibit the Department of Transportation (DOT) from procuring and operating light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology manufactured by foreign adversaries, including Communist China.

“The U.S. cannot rely on Communist China for emerging critical technologies such as LiDAR. Unsecure LiDAR produced by our greatest strategic adversary jeopardizes our national security and undermines the competitiveness of American companies. I am proud to join Congressman Dusty Johnson and Chairman John Moolenaar in introducing legislation to root out Communist Chinese-manufactured LiDAR from the United States,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

“America should not rely on this technology from our adversaries,” said Congressman Dusty Johnson. “China’s access to highly detailed maps of our country’s infrastructure, from ports to highways to railroads, is a big threat to our national security. We must keep our sensitive data out of the hands of those who seek to undermine our nation.”

The Securing Infrastructure from Adversaries Act will prohibit the DOT from utilizing LiDAR technology from foreign adversaries, effective June 30, 2026. Specifically, the DOT is prohibited from:

- Procuring LiDAR from a covered company.

- Contracting with entities using LiDAR from a covered company.

- Providing loans or grants to entities using LiDAR from a covered company.

Covered LiDAR companies include:

- Any entity on the Consolidated Screening List.

- Any entity on the Department of Defense’s Chinese Military Company list.

- Any entity that is domiciled or subject to unmitigated foreign ownership by the PRC, Iran, North Korea, or Russia.

Congresswoman Stefanik successfully included a provision in the FY25 House-passed National Defense Authorization Act to prohibit the Department of Defense (DoD) from procuring or operating light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology that is manufactured by foreign adversaries including Communist China. Last year, Congresswoman Stefanik joined her colleagues in sending a letter to the DoD, Commerce, and Treasury urging them to investigate Chinese LiDAR companies for inclusion on their respective blacklists. In January, the DoD added Chinese LiDAR company Hesai to its Chinese Military Company list which means Hesai directly works to advance the modernization goals of the Chinese military.

Read the full bill text here.