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119-hr-3334119th Congress

USCP Empowerment Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Crane, Elijah [R-AZ-2]

In Committee

Summary

Standalone authority for the Capitol Police Board to detect and disable unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). It would let the Capitol Police monitor, intercept, seize, or disable drones that pose a credible threat to Capitol buildings, grounds, and related assets.

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  • Capitol Police and visitors: Gives the U.S. Capitol Police the power to detect, identify, monitor, and track UAS without prior consent during operations, warn operators, disrupt control signals, seize or take control of UAS, and use reasonable force to disable or destroy them. Seized UAS may be forfeited to the United States.
  • Drone operators and device owners: Operators could have control communications intercepted, face seizure or confiscation of their UAS, and see devices disabled or destroyed when those systems are judged to be credible threats.
  • Aviation safety, privacy, and oversight: Actions that affect aviation safety or airspace must be coordinated with the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. Interceptions must respect the First and Fourth Amendments, records are retained no longer than 180 days unless needed, and the Chief must deliver unclassified quarterly reports to the House Administration Committee and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Capitol Police drone response authority

This bill would let the Capitol Police Board authorize Capitol Police to detect, identify, track, warn, seize, disrupt, or disable drones that pose a credible threat to covered Capitol facilities or assets. It would allow interception or access to wire, oral, or electronic communications used to control a drone during operations. Seized drones would be subject to forfeiture to the United States. The Board would write rules in coordination with the Transportation Secretary and must coordinate with the FAA when actions could affect flight safety, airworthiness, or airspace.

Drone privacy, oversight, and limits

This bill would require the Chief of the Capitol Police to report to Congress within 6 months of enactment and every 6 months after. Reports would be unclassified (with an optional classified annex) and must describe policies, any actions taken, privacy protections, data retention and sharing, public outreach, and new technology used. The bill would require interceptions to follow the First and Fourth Amendments, limit interception to what is necessary, and limit records to 180 days unless needed for investigation, an ongoing security operation, required by law, or litigation. It would restrict sharing intercepted communications outside USCP except in narrow cases and would allow threat information (not intercepted communications) to be shared with state or local law enforcement during operations. The Capitol Police Board would be limited to the single UAS mitigation program created here, and authority for a listed area would end on the date in section 210G(i) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124n).

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Crane, Elijah [R-AZ-2]

AZ • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 5/13/2025

  • Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1]

    AL • R

    Sponsored 5/13/2025

  • Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8]

    AZ • R

    Sponsored 10/21/2025

  • Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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