[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3334 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3334
To authorize the United States Capitol Police to take action with
respect to threats from unmanned aircraft systems, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 13, 2025
Mr. Crane (for himself, Mr. Perry, and Mr. Moore of Alabama) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House
Administration, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and the Judiciary, 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 United States Capitol Police to take action with
respect to threats from unmanned aircraft systems, 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 ``USCP Empowerment Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE WITH RESPECT TO
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AND UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.
(a) Authority.--Notwithstanding section 46502 of title 49, United
States Code, or sections 32, 1030, and 1367 and chapters 119 and 206 of
title 18, United States Code, the Capitol Police Board may take, and
may authorize personnel in the United States Capitol Police with
assigned duties that include the security or protection of people,
facilities, or assets to take, such actions as are described in
subsection (b)(1) that are necessary to mitigate a credible threat, as
defined by the Capitol Police Board, that an unmanned aircraft system
poses to the safety or security of a covered Capitol Police facility or
asset.
(b) Actions Described.--
(1) In general.--The actions authorized in subsection (a)
are the following:
(A) During the operation of the unmanned aircraft
system, detect, identify, monitor, and track the
unmanned aircraft system, without prior consent,
including by means of intercept or other access of a
wire communication, an oral communication, or an
electronic communication used to control the unmanned
aircraft system.
(B) Warn the operator of the unmanned aircraft
system, including by passive or active, and direct or
indirect physical, electronic, radio, and
electromagnetic means.
(C) Disrupt control of the unmanned aircraft
system, without prior consent, including by disabling
the unmanned aircraft system by intercepting,
interfering, or causing interference with wire, oral,
electronic, or radio communications used to control the
unmanned aircraft system.
(D) Seize or exercise control of the unmanned
aircraft system.
(E) Seize or otherwise confiscate the unmanned
aircraft system.
(F) Use reasonable force, if necessary, to disable,
damage, or destroy the unmanned aircraft system.
(2) Required coordination.--
(A) In general.--The Capitol Police Board shall
develop the actions described in paragraph (1) in
coordination with the Secretary of Transportation.
(B) Federal aviation administration.--The Capitol
Police Board shall coordinate with the Administrator of
the Federal Aviation Administration when any action
authorized by this section may affect aviation safety,
civilian aviation or aerospace operations, aircraft
worthiness, or the use of the airspace.
(3) Research, testing, training, and evaluation.--The
Capitol Police Board may conduct research, testing, training
on, or evaluation of any equipment, including any electronic
equipment, to determine the capability or utility of the
equipment prior to the use of the equipment or the technology
included in the equipment for any action described in
subsection (b)(1).
(c) Forfeiture.--Any unmanned aircraft system described in
subsection (a) seized pursuant to this section is subject to forfeiture
to the United States.
(d) Regulations and Guidance.--
(1) In general.--In coordination with the Secretary of
Transportation, the Capitol Police Board may prescribe
regulations and shall issue guidance to carry out this Act.
(2) Federal aviation administration.--The Capitol Police
Board shall coordinate with the Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration to issue any guidance or otherwise
implement this section if such guidance or implementation may
affect aviation safety, civilian aviation or aerospace
operations, aircraft airworthiness, or the use of airspace.
(e) Privacy Protection.--The regulations or guidance issued to
carry out the actions authorized under subsection (b) shall ensure
that--
(1) the interception or acquisition of, or access to, or
maintenance or use of, communications to or from an unmanned
aircraft system under this section is conducted in a manner
consistent with the First and Fourth Amendments to the
Constitution of the United States and applicable provisions of
Federal law;
(2) communications to or from an unmanned aircraft system
are intercepted or acquired only to the extent necessary to
support an action described in subsection (b)(1);
(3) records of such communications are maintained only for
as long as necessary, and in no event for more than 180 days,
unless the Capitol Police Board determines that maintenance of
such records is necessary to investigate or prosecute a
violation of law, directly support an ongoing security
operation, is required under Federal law, or for the purpose of
any litigation;
(4) such communications are not disclosed outside the
United States Capitol Police unless the disclosure--
(A) is necessary to investigate or prosecute a
violation of law;
(B) would support the Department of Defense, a
Federal law enforcement agency, or the enforcement
activities of a regulatory agency of the Federal
Government in connection with a criminal or civil
investigation of, or any regulatory, statutory, or
other enforcement action relating to an action
described in subsection (b)(1); or
(C) is otherwise required by law; and
(5) to the extent necessary, the United States Capitol
Police may share threat information, which shall not include
communications referred to in subsection (b), with State,
local, territorial, or tribal law enforcement agencies in the
course of a security or protection operation.
(f) Report to Congress.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
the enactment of this section, and every 6 months thereafter,
the Chief of the Capitol Police, or another individual
designated by the Capitol Police Board, shall provide to the
appropriate congressional committees a written report on the
activities of the Capitol Police Board carried out under this
section.
(2) Content.--The report described in paragraph (1) shall
include--
(A) policies, programs, and procedures to mitigate
or eliminate impacts of such activities to the National
Airspace System;
(B) a description of instances in which actions
described in subsection (b)(1) have been taken,
including all such instances that may have resulted in
harm, damage, or loss to a person or to private
property;
(C) a description of the guidance, policies, or
procedures established to address privacy, civil
rights, and civil liberties issues implicated by the
actions allowed under this section, as well as any
changes or subsequent efforts that would significantly
affect privacy, civil rights or civil liberties;
(D) a description of options considered and steps
taken to mitigate any identified impacts to the
national airspace system related to the use of any
system or technology, including the minimization of the
use of any technology that disrupts the transmission of
radio or electronic signals, for carrying out the
actions described in subsection (b)(1);
(E) a description of instances in which
communications intercepted or acquired during the
course of operations of an unmanned aircraft system
were held for more than 180 days or shared outside of
the United States Capitol Police;
(F) how the Capitol Police Board has--
(i) informed the public as to the possible
use of authorities under this section; and
(ii) engaged with Federal, State, and local
law enforcement agencies to implement and use
such authorities; and
(G) a description of any new technology or
equipment deployed by the Capitol Police Board to carry
out the actions described in subsection (b)(1) and the
options considered to mitigate any identified impacts
to the national airspace system related to the use of
the technology or equipment.
(3) Unclassified form.--The report described in paragraph
(1) shall be in unclassified form, but may be accompanied by an
additional classified annex.
(g) Rules of Construction.--
(1) Nothing in this section may be construed to vest in the
Capitol Police Board any authority of the Secretary of
Transportation or the Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration.
(2) Nothing in this section may be construed to vest in the
Secretary of Transportation or the Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration any authority of the Capitol Police
Board.
(h) Termination.--The authority to carry out this section with
respect to a covered Capitol Police facility or asset described in
subparagraph (C) of subsection (j)(2) shall terminate on the date
identified in section 210G(i) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6
U.S.C. 124n).
(i) Scope of Authority.--The Capitol Police Board may not operate
any other program to mitigate a credible threat posed by an unmanned
aircraft system other than the program under this section.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following:
(A) The Committee on House Administration of the
House of Representatives.
(B) The Committee on Rules and Administration of
the Senate.
(2) Covered capitol police facility or asset.--The term
``covered Capitol Police facility or asset'' means--
(A) the Capitol Buildings as described in section
5101 of title 40, United States Code;
(B) the United States Capitol Grounds as described
in section 5102 of title 40, United States Code; or
(C) any area described in section 9A(a) of the Act
entitled ``An Act to define the area of the United
States Capitol Grounds, to regulate the use thereof,
and for other purposes'', approved July 31, 1946 (2
U.S.C. 1966(a)), as directed by the Capitol Police
Board.
(3) Electronic communication; intercept; oral
communication; wire communication.--The terms ``electronic
communication'', ``intercept'', ``oral communication'', and
``wire communication'' have the meaning given those terms in
section 2510 of title 18, United States Code.
(4) Unmanned aircraft system.--The term ``unmanned aircraft
system'' has the meaning given such term in section 44801 of
title 49, United States Code.
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