Committees of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan held cross-party negotiations on August 20, 2026, to discuss 14 draft versions of a drone regulation statute submitted by the Executive Yuan, political caucuses, and individual lawmakers. Following extended discussions without consensus among party representatives, meeting chairman and Taiwan People's Party convener Hung Yu-hsiang declared the entire bill retained for subsequent procedural handling.
The joint negotiation follows a prior review on July 27, when the Legislative Yuan's Economics, Foreign Affairs and National Defense, and Finance committees conducted a joint examination of the 14 draft versions. During that initial committee review, lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on core statutory elements, including the official title of the law, the designated competent governing authority, spending limits, and the effective implementation timeframe.
During the August 20 meeting, representatives from major political caucuses expressed differing positions regarding key provisions. Democratic Progressive Party caucus officials noted foundational disagreements over whether to framework the legislation as a special statute or a development act, as well as which agency should serve as the main governing body. Meanwhile, Opposition parties called for adherence to fiscal discipline and phased procurement while supporting domestic defense development.
Addressing the meeting, Defense Minister Ku Li-hsiung commented on the Kuomintang caucus proposal that suggested capping annual budget allocations at NT$40 billion, totaling NT$240 billion over six years. Minister Ku stated that the proposed ceiling would be insufficient, noting that the Ministry of National Defense's planned drone procurement items for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 alone reach NT$55.9 billion.
Minister Ku further explained that the Ministry of National Defense adopts a year-by-year procurement model rather than purchasing the entire six-year volume at once. He emphasized that this annual procurement strategy incorporates feedback mechanisms and performance refinement requirements, ensuring that equipment specifications are continuously upgraded to keep pace with rapid technological iteration in uncrewed aerial systems.
