Expands and extends federal and local authority to detect and stop threatening drones

§1What it does

Why this matters: A plain-English description of the bill as it was voted on, written by us from the official summary and text.

✎ Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

This bill would replace the current law that lets the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice detect, track and, when a drone poses a credible threat to certain protected facilities, stop it by means such as taking over its controls, seizing it or disabling it, with a new version lasting seven years.^2,3 State, local, tribal and territorial police, along with airport and critical infrastructure operators, could use federally approved equipment to detect and track drones in their areas, subject to privacy rules, for five and a half years.³ It would also allow the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice to run a five-year pilot program letting up to 60 state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement agencies, under federal oversight, take action against drones that threaten protected facilities, and it would authorize a federal database of drone-related security incidents.^3,4

§2Status

§3It never got a vote

Why this matters: This bill had wide support from both parties, but it never reached the House or Senate floor, so no member of Congress was ever recorded voting for or against it.

Latest action, May 16, 2023: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.¹ How bills die without a vote.

2026 candidates who sponsored or cosponsored it (8)

• Amy Klobucharrunning for MN Governor
• Dan S. Sullivanrunning for AK Senate
• John Francis Reedrunning for RI Senate
• John Hickenlooperrunning for CO Senate
• Mark R. Warnerrunning for VA Senate
• Marsha Blackburnrunning for TN Governor
• Shelley Moore Capitorunning for WV Senate
• Sherrod Brownrunning for OH Senate special