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DOL Rewrites Disability Rules for 'Merit-Based Opportunity' Push
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119-s-1793119th Congress
COUNTER Act
Sponsored By: Senator Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
Introduced
Summary
Expands and centralizes U.S. military authority to detect and stop hostile drones. This bill would widen who can order counter‑UAS actions, authorize remote identification tools, protect operational details from public disclosure, extend key deadlines to 2030, and carve out certain civilian-law limits for DoD and Coast Guard activities abroad.
Show full summary
- Military and DoD personnel: Would let the Secretary of Defense delegate counter‑UAS authority to unified combatant commanders or other DoD officials and broaden permitted actions to include remote identification and a wider set of protective and emergency responses.
- Federal, state, and local responders: Would authorize DoD and the Coast Guard to support other agencies and assist state or local officials in incidents involving nuclear, radiological, biological, or chemical threats and other emergency responses.
- Public, researchers, and drone operators: Would exempt technical procedures and guidance from the Freedom of Information Act and state or local disclosure laws and would codify use of remote‑identification broadcasts as an authorized mitigation tool.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
Expanded counter‑drone powers for military
If enacted, the bill would give the Department of Defense and Coast Guard more authority to detect and stop dangerous drones. The Secretary of Defense would have to delegate counter‑UAS authority to commanders or other DoD officials. The law would expressly allow using remote identification broadcasts and other technical tools, and let DoD help other federal agencies that have UAS mitigation authority. It would add protections for non‑public DoD property, and allow short, time‑and‑location‑limited emergency responses and assistance for certain WMD or large explosive incidents. These changes would take effect upon enactment.
Limits public access to counter‑drone info
If enacted, the bill would exempt information about the technology, procedures, protocols, regulations, and guidance used for counter‑UAS actions from public disclosure under FOIA and from state or local disclosure laws. The exemption would take effect upon enactment and apply to the specified categories of information used to implement the section.
New deadlines for counter‑drone rules
If enacted, the bill would change several dates and a cross‑reference in the counter‑UAS law. It would replace "March 1, 2018" with "January 1, 2026." It would extend a December 31, 2026 deadline to December 31, 2030, lengthen a 180‑day interval to one year, and move a November 15, 2026 date to November 15, 2030. These edits would take effect upon enactment and apply to the listed subsections.
Overseas carve‑out for drone actions
If enacted, the bill would say certain federal criminal and aviation laws do not apply to DoD or Coast Guard counter‑UAS actions that are conducted outside the United States. The listed laws include 18 U.S.C. sections 32, 1030, and 1367; chapters 119 and 206 of title 18; and 49 U.S.C. section 46502. The carve‑out would apply only to overseas activities related to mitigating unmanned aircraft threats and would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
AR • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
SC • R
Sponsored 9/30/2026
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]
IN • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]
TN • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]
AR • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]
AL • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]
NC • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
WV • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
ME • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
TX • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]
IA • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND]
ND • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV]
WV • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]
OK • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY]
WY • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY]
KY • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
KS • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE]
NE • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO]
MO • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
FL • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]
AK • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]
NC • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN]
IN • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Rep. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK-2]
OK • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
TX • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI]
WI • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI]
MI • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 6/5/2025
Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH]
OH • R
Sponsored 10/7/2025
Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
ME • I
Sponsored 11/5/2025
Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]
CO • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE]
NE • R
Sponsored 11/5/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov