S. 663 · 119th Congress
DEFENSE Act
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R
CottonSponsor1 cosponsor · 1 D
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment Act or the DEFENSE Act
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Feb 20, 2025
Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment Act or the DEFENSE Act
This bill allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Department of Justice (DOJ) to deputize state or local law enforcement officers to take certain drone countermeasures to protect stadiums and other public gatherings.
Specifically, DHS or DOJ may provide state or local law enforcement officers with the authority to identify, monitor, and track drones; warn drone operators; disrupt or take control of drones; or use reasonable force to disable, damage, and seize or destroy drones deemed to pose a threat.
This authority applies for the purposes of protecting an event, stadium, or venue; certain large public gatherings (e.g., gatherings that are primarily outdoors with an estimated attendance of at least 100,000 people); or other public gatherings protected by specific temporary flight restrictions imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Prior to being deputized, a state or local law enforcement officer must complete training in the use of the drone countermeasure authority.
DHS or DOJ, in coordination with the Department of Transportation and the FAA, must exercise oversight over the use of this authority by deputized state or local law enforcement officers.
Finally, the bill limits the equipment authorized for detecting, identifying, monitoring, or tracking drones to systems or technologies that are included on a list of authorized equipment maintained by DHS, in coordination with DOJ, the FAA, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: DEFENSE Act
Also known as: Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment Act
Latest action (Feb 20, 2025): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Feb 20, 2025
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.