H.R. 2939 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on the Judiciary, Apr 17, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryAdds video to espionage law coverage
The Espionage Act already makes it a federal crime to obtain, receive, or transmit information related to national defense if it could harm the U.S. or help a foreign nation. Right now, that law covers certain specific ways of handling such information, like photographs, documents, and blueprints. This bill expands that law to also cover video, so people couldn't use drone footage or video recordings to gather or share national defense information in ways the law prohibits.
How it affects you
This change mainly affects federal law enforcement and national security agencies, who would have clearer authority to prosecute people who use video or drones to spy on sensitive military or defense information. For most people, it means the government has an additional legal tool to prevent unauthorized video surveillance of defense sites and information, with penalties remaining the same as the current law: fines and prison time up to 10 years.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Apr 17, 2025)
Drone Espionage Act
This bill makes it a federal crime under the Espionage Act to engage in certain activities related to obtaining, receiving, or transmitting video of national defense information. The term national defense information means information or other material that is related to national defense.
The Espionage Act prohibits certain activities related to obtaining, receiving, or transmitting national defense information that could harm the United States or aid a foreign nation. Under current law, the prohibitions only apply if national defense information is obtained, received, or transmitted by certain means, such as a sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, document, writing, or note. Under current law, a violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.
This bill makes the criminal prohibitions under the Espionage Act applicable if national defense information is obtained, received, or transmitted by means of video. Under this bill, a violator is subject to the same penalties as under existing law—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 2939
A BILL
Drone Espionage Act
Sponsor: Rep. Jennifer A. Kiggans (R-VA-2) · Introduced Apr 17, 2025 · Crime and Law Enforcement · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 17, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.”