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119-hr-7379119th CongressWALLET

NASA C-UAS Act

Sponsored By: Representative Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]

In Committee

Summary

Give NASA authority to detect, identify, monitor, and track unmanned aircraft that pose credible threats to its facilities. This bill would let NASA use approved equipment and, when necessary, access communications used to control a drone during its operation while requiring privacy safeguards, interagency coordination, and a sunset in 2031.

Show full summary
  • NASA personnel and contractors: Would be able to research, test, and use federal-approved tools to spot and track threatening unmanned aircraft near mission-related launch, reentry, and space support sites. Designations of high-risk facilities would guide where those powers apply.
  • Federal partners and law enforcement: NASA could intercept or access drone control communications during operations and share information with the Department of Defense, federal law enforcement, intelligence elements, or state and local partners under strict limits and reporting requirements.
  • Airspace and public safety stakeholders: Requires coordination with the Department of Transportation and the FAA to protect national airspace operations and limits data retention to 180 days except for investigations or legal needs.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

NASA risk reviews and FAA testing

This bill would require NASA to list facilities on NASA property tied to launches, reentries, or payload protection and do risk-based reviews with the Transportation Secretary. NASA would be able to designate high-risk covered sites based on those reviews and consider ways to avoid disrupting radio or navigation signals. The bill would let NASA test and train with Federal-approved drone detection equipment and require coordination with the FAA to avoid hurting air traffic operations. These rules would begin on enactment and stop on September 30, 2031.

NASA drone detection and privacy limits

This bill would let NASA detect, identify, monitor, and track drones that it finds pose a credible threat to covered NASA sites. It would allow limited interception or access to communications used to control those drones only while the drone is operating and after consultation with the Transportation Secretary. Records of intercepted communications would be kept no longer than 180 days unless needed for litigation, law, or an ongoing investigation. These authorities would take effect on enactment and end on September 30, 2031.

Limits on contractors and agency support

This bill would limit which contractors could operate NASA drone-defense actions. Contractors would need to be directly contracted by NASA, assigned to NASA's Office of Protective Services, work at government facilities, be trained and certified, and not perform inherently governmental functions. NASA could also provide non-reimbursable assistance to other federal agencies on request within available resources. NASA would have to give unclassified briefings to certain congressional committees every six months starting six months after enactment. These authorities would end on September 30, 2031.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]

MI • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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