# 119-s-663: DEFENSE Act

119-s-663, DEFENSE Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR] (R-AR); status introduced (as of 2026-05-15).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-663
- As of: 2026-05-15
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-663
- Congress: 119
- Title: DEFENSE Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-20
- Sponsor: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR] (R-AR)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-05-15

## Summary

**This bill would let federal officials deputize state and local law enforcement officers to protect stadiums and other flight-restricted sites from drone threats.** It ties that power to required training, federal oversight, and a government-approved list of detection and tracking equipment. - State and local law enforcement: Could be deputized to use the specified federal authority at sites with flight restrictions or at eligible large public gatherings. Deputized officers must finish training set by the Department of Homeland Security or the Attorney General with input from the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. - Event organizers and attendees: Adds a federal tool to protect stadiums and other large public gatherings from unmanned aircraft system threats through protected sites and temporary flight restrictions. - Federal coordination and tech limits: Directs DHS and DOJ to coordinate with FAA, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration on an authorized list of detection, identification, monitoring, and tracking equipment and on oversight of deputized officers' use of the authority.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-02-20T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Local police can be deputized for drones: benefit, medium. This bill would allow the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General to deputize state or local police to use federal drone countermeasure authority. Deputization would be allowed only to protect: (A) sites covered by flight restrictions under the 2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act (4…

## Related bills

- 119-s-2342: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-4615: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027
- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-554: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025
- 119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026
- 119-s-1552: Living Donor Protection Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-663 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/663)

## Related
- [119-s-2342: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2342)
- [119-s-4615: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4615)
- [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923)
- [119-s-554: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-554)
- [119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5025)
- [119-s-1552: Living Donor Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1552)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-663 (as of 2026-05-15).