Bill Summary
The "Secure Our Skies Drone Safety Act of 2025" is a proposed legislation that mandates the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a comprehensive study on the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) by federal, state, local, and Tribal agencies, as well as the systems developed to counter these drones. The legislation requires a report to be submitted to Congress within one year of enactment, covering several key areas:
1. **Legal and Policy Recommendations**: The report should identify necessary changes to legal authorities and policies that would enhance the capability of agencies to address UAS-related threats.
2. **Manufacturing and Procurement**: It should suggest actions to improve U.S. and allied manufacturing of UAS and streamline the procurement process.
3. **UAS Deployment Data**: The report will include data on the number of UAS currently deployed by law enforcement agencies, detailing purchases from adversarial nations, the number of domestically produced drones, and any cost barriers faced by agencies.
4. **Usage and Training**: It will also assess the frequency and purposes of UAS usage, the training and certification of operators, governing authorities and protocols, privacy protections, and existing countermeasures against UAS.
This legislation aims to enhance safety and security in airspace management concerning the growing use of drones while ensuring that agencies can effectively counter potential threats posed by these technologies.
Possible Impacts
The "Secure Our Skies Drone Safety Act of 2025" could affect people in various ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Privacy Concerns**: The report mandated by the Act will include an assessment of privacy protections related to the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) by law enforcement agencies. This could lead to greater public awareness and debate about surveillance practices, potentially resulting in stronger regulations to protect individual privacy rights. People may feel either more secure knowing that their privacy is being considered or more anxious about the implications of drone surveillance in their daily lives.
2. **Law Enforcement Operations**: The findings and recommendations from the report may lead to changes in how local and state law enforcement agencies utilize UAS. If the report suggests expanding the use of drones for surveillance or crime prevention, this could enhance public safety but also raise concerns about overreach and misuse of drone technology. Citizens might experience increased police presence through aerial surveillance, which could either deter crime or create tensions between law enforcement and communities.
3. **Economic Impact**: The Act calls for information on domestic UAS production and procurement processes. If the recommendations lead to increased investment in local UAS manufacturing, this could create jobs and stimulate economic growth in related industries. Conversely, if there are restrictions on purchasing UAS from certain countries, this could limit options for law enforcement agencies and potentially increase costs, which might affect how efficiently these agencies can operate and allocate resources. Citizens may see changes in local job markets and law enforcement capabilities as a result.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6605 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6605
To require the Comptroller General of the United States to report on
the use of unmanned aircraft systems and on systems developed to
counter such unmanned aircraft systems by Federal, State, local, and
Tribal agencies.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 10, 2025
Mr. Vasquez (for himself and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Comptroller General of the United States to report on
the use of unmanned aircraft systems and on systems developed to
counter such unmanned aircraft systems by Federal, State, local, and
Tribal agencies.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Secure Our Skies Drone Safety Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. REPORT.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall complete a study, and
submit to Congress a report thereon, on the use of unmanned aircraft
systems (hereinafter in this Act referred to as ``UAS'') and on systems
developed to counter such unmanned aircraft systems by Federal, State,
local, and Tribal agencies. Such report shall include the following:
(1) Recommendations for the following:
(A) What, if any, legal authorities and what
policies need to be changed to improve the ability of
such agencies to successfully counter threats from such
UAS.
(B) What actions need to be taken to bolster the
capabilities of the United States and its allies to
manufacture UAS and to simplify the procurement process
for UAS.
(2) Information about the following:
(A) The number of UAS deployed by Federal, State,
local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies as of the
date of the report.
(B) For State, local, and Tribal agencies, the
number of UAS purchased from entities operating within
an adversarial nation (including any countries included
on the list set forth in section 791.4 of title 15 of
the Code of Federal Regulations).
(C) How many UAS are domestically produced.
(D) Any cost restrictions that prevent law
enforcement agencies from expanding the use of UAS
produced in the United States or a nation other than
one referred to in subparagraph (B).
(E) How frequently UAS are used and for what
purposes.
(F) Whether the operators of UAS are trained or
certified in any way.
(G) What authorities, policies, or protocols govern
the use of UAS.
(H) What privacy protections or expectations are
there regarding the use of UAS.
(I) What countermeasures or strategies exist to
counter UAS, and to what extent is there a training or
certification in their use.
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