H.R. 3334

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3334 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3334

To authorize the United States Capitol Police to take action with 
respect to threats from unmanned aircraft systems, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 13, 2025

Mr. Crane (for himself, Mr. Perry, and Mr. Moore of Alabama) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House 
Administration, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, and the Judiciary, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To authorize the United States Capitol Police to take action with 
respect to threats from unmanned aircraft systems, and for other 
purposes.

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 ``USCP Empowerment Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE WITH RESPECT TO 
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AND UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.

(a) Authority.--Notwithstanding section 46502 of title 49, United 
States Code, or sections 32, 1030, and 1367 and chapters 119 and 206 of 
title 18, United States Code, the Capitol Police Board may take, and 
may authorize personnel in the United States Capitol Police with 
assigned duties that include the security or protection of people, 
facilities, or assets to take, such actions as are described in 
subsection (b)(1) that are necessary to mitigate a credible threat, as 
defined by the Capitol Police Board, that an unmanned aircraft system 
poses to the safety or security of a covered Capitol Police facility or 
asset.
(b) Actions Described.--
(1) In general.--The actions authorized in subsection (a) 
are the following:
(A) During the operation of the unmanned aircraft 
system, detect, identify, monitor, and track the 
unmanned aircraft system, without prior consent, 
including by means of intercept or other access of a 
wire communication, an oral communication, or an 
electronic communication used to control the unmanned 
aircraft system.
(B) Warn the operator of the unmanned aircraft 
system, including by passive or active, and direct or 
indirect physical, electronic, radio, and 
electromagnetic means.
(C) Disrupt control of the unmanned aircraft 
system, without prior consent, including by disabling 
the unmanned aircraft system by intercepting, 
interfering, or causing interference with wire, oral, 
electronic, or radio communications used to control the 
unmanned aircraft system.
(D) Seize or exercise control of the unmanned 
aircraft system.
(E) Seize or otherwise confiscate the unmanned 
aircraft system.
(F) Use reasonable force, if necessary, to disable, 
damage, or destroy the unmanned aircraft system.
(2) Required coordination.--
(A) In general.--The Capitol Police Board shall 
develop the actions described in paragraph (1) in 
coordination with the Secretary of Transportation.
(B) Federal aviation administration.--The Capitol 
Police Board shall coordinate with the Administrator of 
the Federal Aviation Administration when any action 
authorized by this section may affect aviation safety, 
civilian aviation or aerospace operations, aircraft 
worthiness, or the use of the airspace.
(3) Research, testing, training, and evaluation.--The 
Capitol Police Board may conduct research, testing, training 
on, or evaluation of any equipment, including any electronic 
equipment, to determine the capability or utility of the 
equipment prior to the use of the equipment or the technology 
included in the equipment for any action described in 
subsection (b)(1).
(c) Forfeiture.--Any unmanned aircraft system described in 
subsection (a) seized pursuant to this section is subject to forfeiture 
to the United States.
(d) Regulations and Guidance.--
(1) In general.--In coordination with the Secretary of 
Transportation, the Capitol Police Board may prescribe 
regulations and shall issue guidance to carry out this Act.
(2) Federal aviation administration.--The Capitol Police 
Board shall coordinate with the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration to issue any guidance or otherwise 
implement this section if such guidance or implementation may 
affect aviation safety, civilian aviation or aerospace 
operations, aircraft airworthiness, or the use of airspace.
(e) Privacy Protection.--The regulations or guidance issued to 
carry out the actions authorized under subsection (b) shall ensure 
that--
(1) the interception or acquisition of, or access to, or 
maintenance or use of, communications to or from an unmanned 
aircraft system under this section is conducted in a manner 
consistent with the First and Fourth Amendments to the 
Constitution of the United States and applicable provisions of 
Federal law;
(2) communications to or from an unmanned aircraft system 
are intercepted or acquired only to the extent necessary to 
support an action described in subsection (b)(1);
(3) records of such communications are maintained only for 
as long as necessary, and in no event for more than 180 days, 
unless the Capitol Police Board determines that maintenance of 
such records is necessary to investigate or prosecute a 
violation of law, directly support an ongoing security 
operation, is required under Federal law, or for the purpose of 
any litigation;
(4) such communications are not disclosed outside the 
United States Capitol Police unless the disclosure--
(A) is necessary to investigate or prosecute a 
violation of law;
(B) would support the Department of Defense, a 
Federal law enforcement agency, or the enforcement 
activities of a regulatory agency of the Federal 
Government in connection with a criminal or civil 
investigation of, or any regulatory, statutory, or 
other enforcement action relating to an action 
described in subsection (b)(1); or
(C) is otherwise required by law; and
(5) to the extent necessary, the United States Capitol 
Police may share threat information, which shall not include 
communications referred to in subsection (b), with State, 
local, territorial, or tribal law enforcement agencies in the 
course of a security or protection operation.
(f) Report to Congress.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
the enactment of this section, and every 6 months thereafter, 
the Chief of the Capitol Police, or another individual 
designated by the Capitol Police Board, shall provide to the 
appropriate congressional committees a written report on the 
activities of the Capitol Police Board carried out under this 
section.
(2) Content.--The report described in paragraph (1) shall 
include--
(A) policies, programs, and procedures to mitigate 
or eliminate impacts of such activities to the National 
Airspace System;
(B) a description of instances in which actions 
described in subsection (b)(1) have been taken, 
including all such instances that may have resulted in 
harm, damage, or loss to a person or to private 
property;
(C) a description of the guidance, policies, or 
procedures established to address privacy, civil 
rights, and civil liberties issues implicated by the 
actions allowed under this section, as well as any 
changes or subsequent efforts that would significantly 
affect privacy, civil rights or civil liberties;
(D) a description of options considered and steps 
taken to mitigate any identified impacts to the 
national airspace system related to the use of any 
system or technology, including the minimization of the 
use of any technology that disrupts the transmission of 
radio or electronic signals, for carrying out the 
actions described in subsection (b)(1);
(E) a description of instances in which 
communications intercepted or acquired during the 
course of operations of an unmanned aircraft system 
were held for more than 180 days or shared outside of 
the United States Capitol Police;
(F) how the Capitol Police Board has--
(i) informed the public as to the possible 
use of authorities under this section; and
(ii) engaged with Federal, State, and local 
law enforcement agencies to implement and use 
such authorities; and
(G) a description of any new technology or 
equipment deployed by the Capitol Police Board to carry 
out the actions described in subsection (b)(1) and the 
options considered to mitigate any identified impacts 
to the national airspace system related to the use of 
the technology or equipment.
(3) Unclassified form.--The report described in paragraph 
(1) shall be in unclassified form, but may be accompanied by an 
additional classified annex.
(g) Rules of Construction.--
(1) Nothing in this section may be construed to vest in the 
Capitol Police Board any authority of the Secretary of 
Transportation or the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration.
(2) Nothing in this section may be construed to vest in the 
Secretary of Transportation or the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration any authority of the Capitol Police 
Board.
(h) Termination.--The authority to carry out this section with 
respect to a covered Capitol Police facility or asset described in 
subparagraph (C) of subsection (j)(2) shall terminate on the date 
identified in section 210G(i) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 124n).
(i) Scope of Authority.--The Capitol Police Board may not operate 
any other program to mitigate a credible threat posed by an unmanned 
aircraft system other than the program under this section.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following:
(A) The Committee on House Administration of the 
House of Representatives.
(B) The Committee on Rules and Administration of 
the Senate.
(2) Covered capitol police facility or asset.--The term 
``covered Capitol Police facility or asset'' means--
(A) the Capitol Buildings as described in section 
5101 of title 40, United States Code;
(B) the United States Capitol Grounds as described 
in section 5102 of title 40, United States Code; or
(C) any area described in section 9A(a) of the Act 
entitled ``An Act to define the area of the United 
States Capitol Grounds, to regulate the use thereof, 
and for other purposes'', approved July 31, 1946 (2 
U.S.C. 1966(a)), as directed by the Capitol Police 
Board.
(3) Electronic communication; intercept; oral 
communication; wire communication.--The terms ``electronic 
communication'', ``intercept'', ``oral communication'', and 
``wire communication'' have the meaning given those terms in 
section 2510 of title 18, United States Code.
(4) Unmanned aircraft system.--The term ``unmanned aircraft 
system'' has the meaning given such term in section 44801 of 
title 49, United States Code.
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