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HR4759119th Congress

Ban Military Drones Spying on Civilians Act

Sponsored By: Representative Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34]

Introduced

Summary

Ban on military-style drones surveilling U.S. protesters. The bill would bar federal agencies from using funds to operate certain long-endurance, high-altitude unmanned aircraft in the United States to surveil U.S. persons taking part in protests or civil disobedience.

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  • Protesters and civil society: People who join protests would be protected from being monitored or identified by MQ-9 Reaper–style or similar long-endurance drones.
  • Federal agencies: The Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and other executive agencies would be prohibited, starting in fiscal year 2026, from spending funds to operate covered unmanned aircraft vehicles in the U.S. for surveillance of U.S. persons at protests. "Covered unmanned aircraft vehicle" includes the MQ-9 Reaper or variants, aircraft with airframes first developed for military use, medium- or high-altitude long-endurance drones, or any unmanned craft able to fly at 10,000 feet or higher.
  • Congressional oversight: The President would have to send yearly reports to the House and Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs listing every use of covered drones in the U.S. Reports must include purpose, dates and times, duration, location, model, sensors and weapons, approval process, whether U.S. persons were surveilled, how many were identified, any sharing of their information, and retention periods.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

No military drones surveilling protests

This bill would bar the government from using money approved for fiscal year 2026 or later to run certain military-style drones in the U.S. to watch people at protests or during civil disobedience. The rule would cover DHS, DoD, and any other executive agency. It would apply to drones like the MQ-9 Reaper, drones built on military airframes, long-endurance medium or high-altitude drones, or any drone that can fly 10,000 feet or higher. The bill would use standard legal meanings for which agencies are covered and for who counts as a U.S. person.

Yearly reports on military drone use

The President would have to send Congress a yearly report on every use of a covered military-style drone in the United States. For each use, the report would list the purpose, dates, times, duration, and location. It would name the drone model, sensors, cameras, other monitoring gear, any weapons, and the approval process. It would say whether U.S. persons were surveilled, if any were identified, how many, why, who got their data, and how long it was kept. Reports could be classified or include a classified annex.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34]

CA • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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