H.R. 1386 grants the Secretary of State authority to detect, monitor, disrupt, seize, and destroy unmanned aircraft (drones) that pose credible threats to U.S. State Department facilities and assets domestically. The bill exempts these actions from existing federal aviation, wiretapping, and communications laws, allowing State Department personnel and contractors to intercept drone communications, jam controls, and use force against threatening aircraft. The Secretary must coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration to minimize impacts on airspace safety and issue privacy protections to comply with constitutional limits on surveillance. The bill requires the State Department to submit annual budget reports on funding for these activities and semiannual briefings to Congress describing instances where these powers were used, along with impacts on civil liberties and lawful drone operations. This authority expires seven years after enactment and applies only to identified high-risk State Department facilities and personnel protection operations within U.S. territory.
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