H.R. 4759

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4759 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4759

To prohibit the use of certain unmanned aircraft vehicles in the United 
States to conduct surveillance of United States persons engaged in 
protests or civil disobedience.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 25, 2025

Mr. Gomez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, 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 prohibit the use of certain unmanned aircraft vehicles in the United 
States to conduct surveillance of United States persons engaged in 
protests or civil disobedience.

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 ``Ban Military Drones Spying on 
Civilians Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS TO USE CERTAIN UNMANNED 
AIRCRAFT VEHICLES IN THE UNITED STATES TO CONDUCT 
SURVEILLANCE OF UNITED STATES PERSONS ENGAGED IN PROTESTS 
OR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE.

(a) Prohibition.--None of the funds authorized to be appropriated 
for fiscal year 2026 or any fiscal year thereafter for the Department 
of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, or any other executive 
agency may be used to operate a covered unmanned aircraft vehicle in 
the United States to conduct surveillance of United States persons 
engaged in protests or civil disobedience.
(b) Reports.--
(1) Requirement.--On an annual basis, the President shall 
transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
on the use of covered unmanned aircraft vehicles in the United 
States during the period covered by the report.
(2) Elements.--Each report under paragraph (1) shall 
include, with respect to the period covered by the report, the 
following:
(A) A list of each individual instance in which a 
covered unmanned aircraft vehicle was used--
(i) for a novel purpose; or
(ii) for a purpose not authorized by 
Congress, including with respect to a use by 
one executive agency for an authorized purpose 
to assist another executive agency that is not 
authorized to carry out such purpose.
(B) With respect to each instance of a use of a 
covered unmanned aircraft vehicle listed under 
subparagraph (A)--
(i) the purpose of such use;
(ii) a justification for using a covered 
unmanned aircraft vehicle, including an 
analysis of why such use was required rather 
than using alternative means more traditionally 
used in a civilian context, including 
helicopters or smaller, lower-altitude civilian 
unmanned aerial vehicles;
(iii) the dates and time of such use;
(iv) the duration of such use;
(v) the location of such use;
(vi) the model of covered unmanned aircraft 
vehicle used;
(vii) identification of--
(I) any sensors, cameras, and other 
monitoring equipment equipped on the 
covered unmanned aircraft vehicle; and
(II) any weapons equipped on the 
covered unmanned aircraft vehicle;
(viii) a description of the process for 
approving such use, including both the process 
of the executive agency and any interagency 
process; and
(ix) whether any United States persons were 
surveilled for any reason, and if so--
(I) whether the executive agency 
identified any United States person;
(II) the number of such United 
States persons identified;
(III) the purpose for identifying 
such United States persons;
(IV) whether the executive agency 
disseminated such United States person 
information to any other executive 
agency or a non-Federal Government 
entity; and
(V) the period that the executive 
agency will retain such United States 
person information.
(3) Form.--The reports under paragraph (1) may be submitted 
in classified form or include a classified annex.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means 
the following:
(A) The Committees on Armed Services and Homeland 
Security of the House of Representatives.
(B) The Committees on Armed Services and Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
(C) The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
of the House of Representatives and the Select 
Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
(2) The term ``covered unmanned aircraft vehicle'' means 
any of the following:
(A) The MQ-9 Reaper, or variants thereof.
(B) Any unmanned aircraft that--
(i) uses an airframe initially developed 
for use by the Armed Forces;
(ii) is a medium-altitude, long-endurance 
aircraft or a high-altitude, long-endurance 
aircraft; or
(iii) is capable of flying at an altitude 
of 10,000 feet or higher.
(3) The term ``executive agency'' has the meaning given 
that term in section 105 of title 5, United States Code.
(4) The term ``United States person'' has the meaning given 
that term in section 1637 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. 
``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2015 (50 U.S.C. 1708).
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