The bill’s introduction follows attention earlier this year from the House Oversight committee regarding drone surveillance over sensitive federal facilities. Image: Bumble Dee / Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffA bipartisan bill (S-3032) newly offered in the Senate aims to enhance protections of federal facilities—among other infrastructure—against scrutiny and possible attacks from drones by authorizing federal law enforcement to detect, track, and disable drones deemed to be a threat to public safety.
The bill “would give federal law enforcement the continued authority they need to disable dangerous drones that pose an immediate safety threat and protect the public and property from serious harm,” sponsors said in a statement, noting that certain powers under a prior law expired September 30.
“With more than 1 million drones registered in the U.S., the risk of both accidental disruptions and malicious activity is growing. Drones have interfered with airport operations, hovered over power plants, and flown over large public gatherings like football games,” they said.
The bill’s introduction follows attention earlier this year from the House Oversight committee regarding drone surveillance over sensitive federal facilities including military bases, including some 350 reported drone incursions in 2024 at those bases alone. In many cases those incidents appeared to reflect coordinated efforts to gather intelligence on sensitive military assets, committee leaders said in calling for updated policies and better coordination among agencies.
Also earlier this year, the GSA inspector general urged the agency to give immediate attention to overflights of a land port of entry in Arizona by a drone made by a prohibited company. The IG had raised similar warnings in a 2024 report regarding drone flights over a construction project in New York State.
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