[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8458 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8458
To amend title 51, United States Code, to authorize certain actions to
protect certain facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 22, 2026
Mr. Soto (for himself and Mr. Dunn of Florida) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 51, United States Code, to authorize certain actions to
protect certain facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft, and for
other purposes.
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 ``Stopping Theft and Aerospace
Reconnaissance Act'' or the ``STAR Act''.
SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF CERTAIN FACILITIES AND ASSETS FROM UNMANNED
AIRCRAFT.
(a) Authority To Protect Certain NASA Facilities and Assets From
Unmanned Aircraft.--
(1) In general.--Subchapter II of chapter 201 of title 51,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 20118. Authority to take actions to protect certain NASA
facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft
``(a) Authority.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Administrator may take, and may authorize officers and employees of the
Administration to take, such actions as are described in subsection (b)
that are necessary to mitigate the threat an unmanned aircraft system
or unmanned aircraft poses to the safety or security of a covered
facility.
``(b) Actions Described.--The actions described in this subsection
are the following:
``(1) Detect, identify, monitor, and track an unmanned
aircraft system or unmanned aircraft, without prior consent.
``(2) Warn the operator of such unmanned aircraft system or
unmanned aircraft, as the case may be.
``(3) Disrupt control of such unmanned aircraft system or
unmanned aircraft, as the case may be, without prior consent,
including by disabling such unmanned aircraft system or
unmanned aircraft, as the case may be, by intercepting
electronic communications or otherwise interfering with such
communications.
``(4) Seize or exercise control of such unmanned aircraft
system or unmanned aircraft, as the case may be.
``(5) Seize or otherwise confiscate such unmanned aircraft
system or unmanned aircraft, as the case may be.
``(6) Use reasonable force to disable, damage, or destroy
such unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft, as the case
may be.
``(c) Forfeiture.--Any unmanned aircraft system or unmanned
aircraft described in subsection (a) and seized by the Administrator is
subject to forfeiture to the United States.
``(d) Signage.--The Administrator shall display on each covered
facility a sign that includes information relating to the following:
``(1) The actions that may be taken pursuant to subsection
(a).
``(2) Forfeiture under subsection (c).
``(e) Policy Development.--The Administrator, in coordination with
relevant offices of the Administration and the Attorney General, the
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, shall develop
uniform policy for the following:
``(1) The actions that may be taken pursuant to subsection
(a).
``(2) The actions that may be taken pursuant to subsection
(a) of section 50925.
``(f) Determination.--Each year, the Administrator shall consult
with the local law enforcement agency for each covered facility to
determine the most effective and least hazardous means to take actions
pursuant to subsection (a).
``(g) Liability.--Neither the Administrator nor the officers and
employees of the Administration are entitled to assert any form of
absolute or qualified immunity as a defense to liability under this
section, but if an unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft poses
a threat described in subsection (a) and an action is taken pursuant to
such subsection to mitigate such threat, the operator of such unmanned
aircraft system or unmanned aircraft, as the case may be, is liable for
damages caused by such action.
``(h) Reports.--
``(1) Local law enforcement agencies.--Not later than 30
days after an instance in which an action described in
paragraphs (3) through (6) of subsection (b) is taken pursuant
to subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit to the local
law enforcement agency for the jurisdiction in which such
action was taken a report on such instance, in a form specified
by such agency.
``(2) Specified entities.--Not later than one year after
the date of the enactment of this section and annually
thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the specified
entities a report that includes for the annual period covered
by such report information relating to the following:
``(A) The actions, if any, described in paragraphs
(3) through (6) of subsection (b) and taken pursuant to
subsection (a), including an identification of each
instance in which such an action was so taken and the
means through which such action was so taken.
``(B) The actions, if any, described in paragraphs
(3) through (6) of subsection (b) of section 50925 and
taken pursuant to subsection (a) of such section,
including an identification of each instance in which
such an action was so taken and the means through which
such action was so taken.
``(C) For each action referred to in subparagraph
(A) or (B), the justification for so taking such
action.
``(D) The efforts by the Administrator to protect
privacy and civil liberties with respect to the
following:
``(i) The actions that may be taken
pursuant to subsection (a).
``(ii) The actions that may be taken
pursuant to subsection (a) of section 50925.
``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Covered facility.--The term `covered facility' means
any facility that satisfies the following requirements:
``(A) Is under the jurisdiction of the
Administration.
``(B) Is identified by the Administrator as a
facility critical to a function of the Administration.
``(2) Local law enforcement agency.--The term `local law
enforcement agency' means the law enforcement agency of a
county or county-equivalent entity.
``(3) Specified entities.--The term `specified entities'
means the following:
``(A) The Committee on Energy and Commerce and the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the
House of Representatives.
``(B) The Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate.
``(C) The Attorney General.
``(D) The Secretary of Defense.
``(E) The Secretary of Homeland Security.
``(F) The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration.
``(4) Unmanned aircraft; unmanned aircraft system.--The
terms `unmanned aircraft' and `unmanned aircraft system' have
the meanings given such terms in section 44801 of title 49.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for chapter
201 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 20117 the following new
item:
``20118. Authority to take actions to protect certain NASA facilities
and assets from unmanned aircraft''.
(b) Authority To Protect Space Launch Property From Unmanned
Aircraft.--
(1) In general.--Chapter 509 of title 51, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
``Sec. 50925. Authority to take actions to protect space launch
property from unmanned aircraft
``(a) Authority.--Subject to section 20118 and notwithstanding any
other provision of law, a covered entity may take, and may authorize
officers and employees of such entity to take, such actions as are
described in subsection (b) that are necessary to mitigate the threat
an unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft poses to the safety or
security of the covered property of such entity.
``(b) Actions Described.--The actions described in this subsection
are the following:
``(1) Detect, identify, monitor, and track an unmanned
aircraft system or unmanned aircraft, without prior consent.
``(2) Warn the operator of such unmanned aircraft system or
unmanned aircraft, as the case may be.
``(3) Disrupt control of such unmanned aircraft system or
unmanned aircraft, as the case may be, without prior consent,
including by disabling such unmanned aircraft system or
unmanned aircraft, as the case may be, by intercepting
electronic communications or otherwise interfering with such
communications.
``(4) Seize or exercise control of such unmanned aircraft
system or unmanned aircraft, as the case may be.
``(5) Seize or otherwise confiscate such unmanned aircraft
system or unmanned aircraft, as the case may be.
``(6) Use reasonable force to disable, damage, or destroy
such unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft, as the case
may be.
``(c) Forfeiture.--Any unmanned aircraft system or unmanned
aircraft described in subsection (a) and seized by a covered entity is
subject to forfeiture to the local law enforcement agency for the
jurisdiction in which such unmanned aircraft system or unmanned
aircraft, as the case may be, was so seized.
``(d) Signage.--A covered entity shall display on each covered
property of such entity a sign that includes information relating to
the following:
``(1) The actions that may be taken pursuant to subsection
(a).
``(2) Forfeiture under subsection (c).
``(e) Determination.--Each year, a covered entity shall consult
with each local law enforcement agency for the covered property of such
entity to determine the most effective and least hazardous means to
take actions pursuant to subsection (a).
``(f) Liability.--If an unmanned aircraft system or unmanned
aircraft poses a threat described in subsection (a) and an action is
taken pursuant to such subsection to mitigate such threat, the operator
of such unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft, as the case may
be, is liable for damages caused by such action.
``(g) Reports.--Not later than 30 days after an instance in which
an action described in paragraphs (3) through (6) of subsection (b) is
taken pursuant to subsection (a), the covered entity through which such
action was so taken shall carry out the following:
``(1) Submit to the local law enforcement agency for the
jurisdiction in which such action was so taken a report on such
instance that satisfies the following requirements:
``(A) Is in a form specified by such agency.
``(B) Includes information relating to the
justification for so taking such action.
``(2) Submit to the Administrator a report on such instance
that satisfies the following requirements:
``(A) Is in a form specified by the Administrator.
``(B) Includes information relating to such
justification.
``(C) Includes an identification of the means
through which such action was so taken.
``(h) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Covered entity.--The term `covered entity' means a
person or entity licensed under this chapter to conduct launch,
reentry, testing, or manufacturing activities.
``(2) Covered property.--The term `covered property' means
any real property, including airspace over such property, that
is owned, leased, or under the control of a covered entity and
is a site where launch, reentry, testing, or manufacturing
activities occur.
``(3) Local law enforcement agency.--The term `local law
enforcement agency' means the law enforcement agency of a
county or county-equivalent entity.
``(4) Unmanned aircraft; unmanned aircraft system.--The
terms `unmanned aircraft' and `unmanned aircraft system' have
the meanings given such terms in section 44801 of title 49.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for chapter
509 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at
the end the following new item:
``50925. Authority to take actions to protect space launch property
from unmanned aircraft''.
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