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119-s-4461119th Congress

Visual Protection of Strategic Assets Act

Sponsored By: Senator Cotton, Tom [R-AR]

Introduced

Summary

Strengthens protections against foreign surveillance of U.S. strategic military assets. The bill defines who counts as a person of concern, what counts as a high-value asset, and what installations get special protection, and it requires the Defense Department to list and mark them.

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  • The Department of Defense must keep and update an annual list of high-value assets and designate tier-1 installations, and it must install signs that say photography and surveillance are prohibited. This list names items like the Boeing E-4B, RC-135, Northrop B-2, Rockwell B-1, and nuclear command platforms.
  • The bill creates a rebuttable presumption that citizens or agents of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, or the Islamic Republic of Iran who photograph or track those assets with suspicious intent are engaged in prohibited activity unless they show prior Defense Department approval.
  • It expands banned capture methods to digital photos, live or near-live video transmission, and AI-enhanced images, increases criminal penalties to up to 1 year for general violations and up to 7 years for high-value asset violations, and sets penalties of 5 to 10 years if the defendant is a citizen of a country of concern.
  • Enforcement tools include forfeiture of devices used in violations, civil fines up to $100,000, visa revocation for convicted citizens of countries of concern, and placement in removal proceedings.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Stricter bans on photographing military assets

This bill would strengthen and modernize bans on photographing or tracking U.S. defense assets. It would require the Defense Department to publish and update at least annually a list of high-value assets — including the Boeing E-4B "Nightwatch", RC-135, B-2 "Spirit", B-1 "Lancer", and any nuclear command platform — and mark tier-1 installations that host them. It would expand the ban to digital photos, video (including near-concurrent internet transmission), and AI-enhanced images. The bill would create a rebuttable presumption that a "covered person" (citizens, nationals, or agents of four named countries of concern: North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran) who records those assets acted with harmful intent unless they show clear and convincing prior approval from the Secretary of Defense. Penalties would be tiered: up to 1 year in prison for general violations; up to 7 years when high-value assets or tier-1 installations are involved; and 5 to 10 years if the defendant is a citizen or national of a country of concern. Convictions would also allow device forfeiture, civil fines up to $100,000, and visa revocation and removal proceedings for convicted citizens or nationals of those countries.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Cotton, Tom [R-AR]

AR • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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