[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 133 (Friday, August 1, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5461-S5462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3660. Mr. WARNER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. __. COUNTER-UAS SYSTEMS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``unmanned
aircraft system'' and ``counter-UAS system'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 44801 of title 49,
United States Code.
(b) Establishment of Commission.--
(1) In general.--There is established in the Department of
Homeland Security a commission to study and develop
recommendations for expansion of counter-UAS system
authorities and capabilities for--
(A) Federal law enforcement;
(B) the Department of Defense;
(C) the Department of Energy; and
(D) the Department of Transportation.
(2) Applicability of faca.--Chapter 10 of title 5, United
States Code (commonly referred to as the ``Federal Advisory
Committee Act''), shall not apply to the commission
established under paragraph (1).
(c) Duties of Commission.--
(1) Study.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, the
Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Energy, and the
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, shall
complete a study, which shall be in unclassified form but may
[[Page S5462]]
include a classified annex, regarding the authority and
capability gaps of Federal law enforcement and the Department
of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the Federal
Aviation Administration to counter, via detection, tracking,
disruption, and defeating, unmanned aircraft systems,
including--
(i) the number of deployments of counter-UAS system teams
from each agency under which authority, including the number
of days deployed, number of personnel deployed by agency, and
a summary of any counter-UAS system operations that resulted
in an unmanned aircraft system being disrupted or defeated;
(ii) the number of requests for counter-UAS system support
from Federal, State, local, Tribal, territorial, or private
entities;
(iii) the number of these requests that were declined;
(iv) an assessment of the current authorities and the
suitability of such authorities to the threats; and
(v) an assessment of the current structure across the
Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice,
the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the
Federal Aviation Administration to coordinate and assign
counter-UAS system capabilities to National Special Security
Events and Special Event Assessment Rating events and non-
rated events where counter-UAS system assets and personnel
were deployed in response to threats, including--
(I) the number of National Special Security Events and
Special Event Assessment Rating events that request counter-
UAS system support; and
(II) the number of National Special Security Events and
Special Event Assessment Rating events that were granted
Federal counter-UAS system coverage and detail the nature of
the coverage provided.
(2) Recommendations.--Not later than 90 days after the
completion of the study required under paragraph (1), the
Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to Congress a
report containing findings from the study and recommendations
on--
(A) the structure for a Federal interagency task force to
coordinate, deconflict, assign, and collaborate on counter-
UAS system technologies, authorities, missions, and
operations, including leadership, roles, and
responsibilities;
(B) additional authority needed for the Department of
Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to conduct
counter-UAS system missions;
(C) additional authority needed by the Department of
Defense, the Department of Energy, and the Federal Aviation
Administration to conduct counter-UAS system missions;
(D) additional equipment, training, and personnel needed by
Federal agencies to conduct counter-UAS system missions; and
(E) an expansion of authority to State, local, Tribal, and
territorial law enforcement.
(d) Termination of Commission.--The commission shall
terminate 90 days after the date on which the commission
submits the report required under subsection (c)(2).
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
This section shall be carried out using amounts otherwise
appropriated to the Department of Homeland Security and no
additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section.
______