H.R. 3207 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned, May 6, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryEmpowers police to stop threatening drones
This bill lets the Department of Homeland Security or Department of Justice give state and local police the power to deal with drones that pose a threat at events and large public gatherings. Police could identify, track, warn drone operators, disrupt or take control of drones, or use force to disable or destroy them if needed. Officers would have to complete training first, and the federal government would oversee how this power gets used.
How it affects you
If you attend large outdoor events, concerts, or games with security measures in place, local police in your area may have new tools to stop drones that could be dangerous. The specific impact depends on whether local law enforcement in your area decides to use this authority and how often threatening drones are actually a concern at public gatherings near you.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, May 6, 2025)
Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment Act or the DEFENSE Act
This bill allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Department of Justice (DOJ) to deputize state or local law enforcement officers to take certain drone countermeasures to protect stadiums and other public gatherings.
Specifically, DHS or DOJ may provide state or local law enforcement officers with the authority to identify, monitor, and track drones; warn drone operators; disrupt or take control of drones; or use reasonable force to disable, damage, and seize or destroy drones deemed to pose a threat.
This authority applies for the purposes of protecting an event, stadium, or venue; certain large public gatherings (e.g., gatherings that are primarily outdoors with an estimated attendance of at least 100,000 people); or other public gatherings protected by specific temporary flight restrictions imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Prior to being deputized, a state or local law enforcement officer must complete training in the use of the drone countermeasure authority.
DHS or DOJ, in coordination with the Department of Transportation and the FAA, must exercise oversight over the use of this authority by deputized state or local law enforcement officers.
Finally, the bill limits the equipment authorized for detecting, identifying, monitoring, or tracking drones to systems or technologies that are included on a list of authorized equipment maintained by DHS, in coordination with DOJ, the FAA, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
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. 3207
A BILL
DEFENSE Act
Sponsor: Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17) · Introduced May 6, 2025 · Transportation and Public Works · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action May 6, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.”