{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413471", "In response to request from Monmouth and Ocean County sheriffs Smith introduces legislation to empower highly trained state law enforcement units to detect and stop drones involved in unlawful activities", "2024-12-20", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today introduced legislation that would empower highly trained state law enforcement units to detect and stop any drones involved in unlawful activities. Smith\u2019s bill\u2014the Law Against Nefarious Drones, Enforcement, Deconfliction (LANDED) Act\u2014comes in response to a request from Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden and Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy for more authorities to respond to potential threats posed by illegal drone activity amid the ongoing unusual drone sightings across New Jersey.\n\n\u201cAs swarms of unidentified drones have violated our airspace over the past month, our state law enforcement leaders have been precluded by law from taking more decisive action, leaving our highly trained officers\u2014who are on the ground and situationally aware\u2014almost completely hamstrung,\u201d said Smith.\n\n\u201cMy legislation is critically needed given the huge gaps that exist in our ability to counter unlawful drones which have been exposed by the unusual activity occurring across our state,\u201d said Smith, who announced he was drafting the new bill at a news conference he held in Seaside Heights last Saturday.\n\n\u201cWe need to ensure that law enforcement has the authorities, training, and capabilities to take quick action if needed to keep local residents safe, especially as drones continue to advance technologically and have the potential to be increasingly lethal,\u201d Smith said.\n\nSmith said the Biden Administration\u2019s frustrating lack of response to the month-long unusual drone activity in New Jersey underscores the urgent need to empower state law enforcement to address any potential immediate threats to local communities.\n\n\u201cRegrettably, the Biden Administration not only has refused to take decisive action but also has been denying and downplaying the situation that has caused so many New Jersey residents to be understandably concerned and alarmed,\u201d said Smith.\n\n\u201cNew Jersey residents should not have to live in fear while unidentified drones continue to fly over our critical infrastructure, sensitive military bases, and homes and communities,\u201d said Smith. \u201cEnough is enough.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413471"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7864790968596935, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}