[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H993-H994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROTECTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AGAINST DRONES AND EMERGING THREATS 
                                  ACT

  Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4432) to require the Department of 
Homeland Security to prepare a terrorism threat assessment relating to 
unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4432

       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 ``Protecting Critical 
     Infrastructure Against Drones and Emerging Threats Act''.

     SEC. 2. DRONE AND EMERGING THREAT ASSESSMENT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Intelligence 
     and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security shall--
       (1) in consultation with other relevant officials of the 
     Department, request additional information from other 
     agencies of the Federal Government, State and local 
     government agencies, and the private sector relating to 
     threats of unmanned aircraft systems and other emerging 
     threats associated with such new technologies;
       (2) in consultation with relevant officials of the 
     Department and other appropriate agencies of the Federal 
     Government, develop and disseminate a security threat 
     assessment regarding unmanned aircraft systems and other 
     emerging threats associated with such new technologies; and
       (3) establish and utilize, in conjunction with the Chief 
     Information Officer of the Department and other relevant 
     entities, a secure communications and information technology 
     infrastructure, including data-mining and other advanced 
     analytical tools, in order to access, receive, and analyze 
     data and information in furtherance of the responsibilities 
     under this section, including by establishing a voluntary 
     mechanism whereby critical infrastructure owners and 
     operators may report information on emerging threats, such as 
     the threat posed by unmanned aircraft systems.
       (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Intelligence 
     and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security shall 
     prepare a threat assessment and report to the Committee on 
     Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 
     the Senate on the threat posed by unmanned aircraft systems, 
     including information collected from critical infrastructure 
     owners and operators and Federal, State, and local government 
     agencies. Such assessment and report shall also include a 
     classified plan to mitigate such threat, as appropriate.
       (c) Definitions.--
       (1) Critical infrastructure.--The term ``critical 
     infrastructure'' has the meaning given such term in section 
     1016(e) of Public Law 107-56 (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)).
       (2) Unmanned aircraft system.--The term ``unmanned aircraft 
     system'' has the meaning given such term in section 331 of 
     the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 40101 
     note; Public Law 112-95).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
New Mexico (Ms. Torres Small) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Crenshaw) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New Mexico.


                             General Leave

  Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from New Mexico?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4432, would require the Department of Homeland 
Security to take action and address an emerging threat to our Nation's 
security, the threat posed by unmanned aerial systems, or drones, to 
critical infrastructure.
  Drone technology is far from new. However, as technology evolves, so 
do the capabilities of bad actors who may want to cause harm to the 
people of this country. We know the drones can be weaponized and used 
to carry out terrorist attacks, particularly on vulnerable, critical 
infrastructure. Earlier this fall, drones struck Saudi Arabian crude 
oil infrastructure, disrupting the production of 5.7 million barrels of 
oil per day and causing a spike in oil prices around the world.
  In an evolving threat environment, understanding the threats that 
drones present to critical infrastructure here in the United States is 
critical to mitigating those threats.
  Critical infrastructure owners and operators recognize the benefits 
of drone technology; many even put them to good use in their own 
businesses. Nevertheless, they do have concerns about the threats that 
unauthorized drones may pose to their facilities.
  Currently, when a drone is detected in a facility's airspace, there 
is no DHS official agency to call. At the very least, owners and 
operators should be able to report unauthorized drone activity when 
they detect it.
  H.R. 4432 would allow for information sharing between critical 
infrastructure owners and operators and DHS in several ways:
  First, it would require DHS to establish a channel for the voluntary 
reporting information on drones, as well as other emerging threats, 
over a secure communications infrastructure developed in conjunction 
with the Department's Chief Information Officer.
  Additionally, H.R. 4432, would mandate that the DHS' Under Secretary 
for Intelligence and Analysis develop and disseminate a threat 
assessment on unmanned aerial systems and other emerging threats 
associated with drone technology. This assessment would consider threat 
intelligence from Federal, State, local, and private-sector partners 
and would be prepared in consultation with other DHS components, like 
the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, that have 
relevant expertise.
  Finally, H.R. 4432 would require DHS to report its findings to 
Congress within 1 year.
  Collectively, this bill would require DHS to take the lead on 
understanding the threat that drones present to this Nation's critical 
infrastructure, while also creating an enduring mechanism for DHS to 
gather information on emerging threats, as they arise, from the owners 
and operators who stand on the front line of our defense.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4432, the Protecting Critical 
Infrastructure Against Drones and Emerging Threats Act.
  In the wrong hands, unmanned aerial systems can pose a threat to the 
American people. At our borders, criminals are using drones to smuggle 
drugs and surveil law enforcement. Terrorists like ISIS have used them 
in the past to carry out attacks overseas.
  We must do more to address this threat, and with this bill we do just 
that. H.R. 4432 protects the American people from the threat posed by 
these criminal drone operators.

                              {time}  1630

  This legislation requires the Under Secretary for Intelligence and 
Analysis at DHS to prepare an assessment of the threat from drones with 
information gathered from Federal, State, local, and private-sector 
partners.
  This bill also requires DHS to establish a secure communications 
network to receive and analyze information on the threat and a 
voluntary mechanism for reporting threat information from owners and 
operators of critical infrastructure.
  During committee consideration of this bill, I proposed an amendment 
to allow DHS to produce this information in a classified form, as 
appropriate. I am pleased that language was included in this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, this is an important 
bill that will position DHS to address the threat that drones pose to 
critical infrastructure. This measure was previously introduced by my 
colleague

[[Page H994]]

from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond) in the 115th Congress and passed the 
House by a voice vote.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will do the same today, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Torres Small) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4432, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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