# 119-hr-8697: Guard the Skies Act

119-hr-8697, Guard the Skies Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] (R-TX); status introduced (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8697
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8697
- Congress: 119
- Title: Guard the Skies Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-05-07
- Sponsor: Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] (R-TX)
- Cosponsors: 10
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Expands Department of Defense authorization for the National Guard to protect certain facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft.** This bill would let State chief executives request DoD approval for Guard actions to counter drone threats and would adjust Title 10 and Title 32 activation and support rules to enable those missions. - State leaders: Governors or other chief executives could request that the Secretary of Defense authorize National Guard actions to protect covered facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft. - National Guard members: Guard personnel could be ordered to duty under Title 10 or Title 32 and assigned duties referenced in section 130i. The bill also adds language to permit Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve activations and emergency orders tied to these missions. - Federal agencies and coordination: The bill adds the Secretary of Defense into the Homeland Security Act 210G authority set, requires DoD consultation before guidance that might affect DoD actions, clarifies cross‑agency roles with DHS and the FAA, and aligns the "National Special Security Event" term.

## Cosponsors (10)

- Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] (D-NJ), 2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Crane, Elijah [R-AZ-2] (R-AZ), 2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9] (D-OH), 2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5] (R-WA), 2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6] (D-PA), 2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] (R-NY), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4] (R-UT), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] (D-IL), 2026-05-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5] (R-FL), 2026-06-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3] (R-MS), 2026-06-08T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Let governors request Guard drone defenses: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would let a state governor ask the Secretary of Defense to authorize National Guard members to act against dangerous unmanned aircraft. Those Guard members would need to be on orders under title 10 or title 32 and assigned the right duties, and the authority would operate notwi…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8697 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8697)

## Related
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1422)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8697 (as of 2026-09-21).