# Summary of S. 1631
This legislation expands the authority of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to detect, track, and disable unmanned aircraft systems and drones that pose threats to sensitive facilities and national security. The bill allows federal personnel and designated state and local law enforcement agencies to intercept drone communications, disrupt drone control signals, seize drones, and use force to disable them—actions that would normally violate federal wiretapping and aviation laws.
The bill creates a five-year pilot program allowing up to 60 state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in these counter-drone operations under direct federal oversight, focusing on protecting targets like airports, government buildings, critical infrastructure, special events, and border security operations. All participating agencies must establish privacy policies and receive training in counter-drone techniques. The legislation includes protections requiring coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration to avoid interfering with civilian aircraft operations and normal airspace usage, as well as privacy safeguards limiting how long intercepted drone communications can be retained and restricting their disclosure.
Federal agencies must submit semiannual reports to Congress detailing all counter-drone operations, equipment deployments, instances where drone communications were retained beyond 180 days, and privacy or civil liberties issues. The authorization for these expanded authorities expires seven years after enactment, though the pilot program itself terminates after six years.
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