A group of lawmakers are espousing the benefits of legislation they maintain would bolster efforts countering unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) security threats.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Gary Peters recently joined U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and John Hoeven (R-ND) to detail the Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act. The measure reauthorizes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to counter UAS threats provided by the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018.
“Attacks or accidents caused by unmanned aircraft systems could have catastrophic effects on our national and economic security,” Peters said. “Federal agencies must have the tools they need to address the evolving security threat. This bipartisan bill will help our federal government protect high profile events and critical infrastructure from recklessly or nefariously operated drones and ensure that we are respecting the rights and liberties of responsible drone users.”
The legislation would also authorize the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to proactively protect transportation infrastructure from drone threats while authorizing DHS and the DOJ to use existing authorities to protect critical infrastructure.
“With past incursions into our airspace in recent months, we need to meet potential, oncoming threats,” Johnson said. “I’m happy to join this bipartisan group of senators to address these potential threats in a manner that safeguards Americans’ privacy and individual liberties.”
The lawmakers cited Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) statistics estimating that by 2024 about 2.3 million UAS will be registered to fly in domestic airspace. The increasing numbers of registered UAS create a higher risk of both unintentional disasters and malicious activity from foreign adversaries or criminal organizations seeking to weaponize droned or engage in illegal activities that include drug trafficking across domestic borders.