HR 3207

Summary

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.

Bill status

Status

In committee

Sponsor

Rep. W. Gregory Steube [R-FL-17]

Cosponsors

10

Policy area

Transportation and Public Works

Introduced

2025-05-06

Latest action

2025-05-06: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

Committee referrals

• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee: House · Referred To · 2025-05-06
• Judiciary Committee: House · Referred To · 2025-05-06

Recent actions

• 2025-05-06: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
• 2025-05-06: 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.
• 2025-05-06: 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.
• 2025-05-06: Introduced in House
• 2025-05-06: Introduced in House