Sponsors (4)
The bill strengthens Capitol security by allowing authorities to disable threatening drones and requires interagency coordination and reporting, but it expands government interception and property-seizure powers that raise privacy, safety, and property-loss concerns unless tightly governed and coordinated with aviation authorities.
Capitol security personnel (law-enforcement and the public who use the Capitol) can disable or seize threatening drones, reducing immediate risk of harm to people and buildings at the U.S. Capitol.
The bill requires coordination with DOT and FAA and periodic public reports, which can limit aviation-safety conflicts and increase transparency about how drone-countermeasures are used.
The bill places limits on interception and a 180-day cap on retained communications related to UAS actions, reducing long-term government retention of UAS-related communications and offering some privacy protections for the public.
Drone operators and anyone using UAS may have their control signals intercepted or disrupted, which can intrude on privacy and communications rights.
Interfering with UAS operations (including disabling or destroying devices) creates a risk of operational interference with civilian aviation or airspace if FAA coordination fails or is delayed, potentially endangering public safety.
The bill authorizes damaging, destroying, or forfeiting private property (UAS), imposing financial losses on UAS owners and operators.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced May 13, 2025 by Eli Crane · Last progress May 13, 2025
Authorizes the Capitol Police Board and designated United States Capitol Police personnel to detect, identify, monitor, track, warn, disrupt, seize, disable, damage, destroy, or otherwise control unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that pose a credible threat to the safety or security of specified Capitol facilities or assets. Actions must be developed in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation and, when aviation safety or civilian aviation is affected, coordinated with the FAA Administrator; the Board may research, test, and evaluate equipment, prescribe regulations, and issue guidance. The authority includes limits and safeguards: privacy and civil‑liberty protections (including retention limits of 180 days unless exceptions apply), restrictions on sharing intercepted communications, forfeiture of seized UAS, and mandatory unclassified reports to specified House and Senate committees every six months (with a classified annex allowed). The Board is limited to a single program under this authority and the law preserves DOT/FAA authorities and a statutory termination date for covered facilities' authority.