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To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General to deputize a State or local law enforcement officer to protect certain events with temporary flight restrictions, and for other purposes.
Summary
The DEFENSE Act amends the Homeland Security Act to allow the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General to deputize state and local law enforcement officers to use drone countermeasures at certain events and locations. The authority granted to deputized officers is limited to protecting sites with permanent flight restrictions, large public gatherings, and locations with temporary flight restrictions designated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Deputized officers must complete training specified by the Secretary or Attorney General in coordination with the Department of Transportation and the FAA. Equipment used for drone detection, identification, monitoring, or tracking must be limited to systems or technologies on an authorized equipment list maintained by the Department in coordination with the Department of Justice, the FAA, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
10 cosponsors
- Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46] (D-CA)
- Rep. Crane, Elijah [R-AZ-2] (R-AZ)
- Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8] (R-AZ)
- Rep. Langworthy, Nicholas A. [R-NY-23] (R-NY)
- Rep. McCormick, Richard [R-GA-7] (R-GA)
- Rep. Mills, Cory [R-FL-7] (R-FL)
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV)
- Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2] (D-HI)
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA)
- Rep. Yakym, Rudy [R-IN-2] (R-IN)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to W. Gregory Steube’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- CHENEY BROTHERS $7,800
- NEXTGEN MANAGEMENT $6,600
- STEPHENS, INC. $6,600
- NEPTUNE WELLNESS SOLUTIONS $6,600
- COOLTODAY $6,600
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for W. Gregory Steube → · Outside spending →
Actions (3)
- May 6, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation. · house
- May 6, 2025 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- May 6, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 6, 2025
Mr. Steube (for himself, Ms. Titus, Mr. Yakym, Mr. Correa, Mr. Mills, and Ms. Tokuda) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General to deputize a State or local law enforcement officer to protect certain events with temporary flight restrictions, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment Act” or the “DEFENSE Act”.
SEC. 2. DRONE COUNTERMEASURES TO PROTECT EVENTS.
Section 210G of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124n) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(m) Stadium Security.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary or the Attorney General may deputize a State or local law enforcement officer to exercise the authority granted by subsection (a), except that the authority is granted solely for the purpose of protecting—
“(A) a site with respect to which a flight restriction is maintained pursuant to section 521 of division F of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004 (49 U.S.C. 40103 note);
“(B) the location of an eligible large public gathering described in section 44812(c) of title 49, United States Code; or
“(C) a public gathering otherwise protected by a temporary flight restriction, at the discretion of the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration under the authority of section 40103(b) of title 49, United States Code.
“(2) Training required.—The Secretary or the Attorney General may deputize only a State or local law enforcement officer that has completed training in the use of the authority described in paragraph (1), as specified by the Secretary or Attorney General in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
“(3) Oversight.—The Secretary or the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, shall exercise oversight of the use of the authority described in paragraph (1) by a deputized State or local law enforcement officer.
“(4) Authorized equipment.—Equipment authorized for unmanned aircraft system detection, identification, monitoring, or tracking under this subsection shall be limited to systems or technologies that are included on a list of authorized equipment maintained by the Department, in coordination with the Department of Justice, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.”. <all>
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