{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-vasquez-introduces-bipartisan-secure-our-skies-drone-safety-act-modernize", "Rep. Vasquez Introduces Bipartisan Secure Our Skies Drone Safety Act to Modernize Law Enforcement Efforts", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NM", "Gabe Vasquez", "V000136", "vasquez.house.gov", "vasquez", "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 On December 10, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) introduced the bipartisan Secure Our Skies Drone Safety Act to ensure that law enforcement agencies\u2019 use of drones and counter-drone technology are keeping pace with rapidly evolving threats to public safety and national security. Law enforcement officers have applauded this Fraternal Order of Police-endorsed bill as a definitive step forward for public safety.\n\n\u201cBad actors are rapidly innovating and increasing their use of drones to chip away at our public safety and national security,\u201d said Vasquez. \u201cBut we won\u2019t let them win. I\u2019m proud to be introducing this bill to equip our law enforcement officers with the tools and authorities they need to keep pace.\u201d\n\nThe bill, co-led by Republican Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to submit a report to Congress on the use of drones and counter-drone systems by Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies, as well as recommendations on what legal authorities or policies need to be changed to improve law enforcement\u2019s ability to counter criminal drone threats. The report will also dictate what actions need to be taken to bolster the procurement of domestic and ally-produced drones and equipment.\n\n\"It is critical for our law enforcement agencies to have the tools, training, and technology they need to keep our communities safe. Drones are becoming an increasingly common part of criminal activity, and we must ensure our officers can counter these threats effectively and responsibly,\" said Kiggans. \"This bipartisan bill will give Congress the clear, comprehensive information we need to strengthen our laws, improve coordination, and support the use of secure, American-made and allied-made drone systems.\"\n\nOther required elements of the report include:\n\nThe number of drones purchased by non-federal agencies from entities within adversarial countries, such as China;\n\nThe number of drones that are domestically produced;\n\nAny cost restrictions preventing law enforcement from procuring U.S. or non-adversarial drones;\n\nHow frequently law enforcement is using drones and for what purposes;\n\nWhether drone operators are trained or certified;\n\nWhat authorities, policies, and protocols govern their drone usage;\n\nWhat privacy protections exist regarding law enforcement drone usage; and\n\nWhat counter-drone strategies and training exist for law enforcement.\n\n\u201cUnmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are quickly becoming a vital law enforcement tool,\u201d said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police. \u201cThey have a variety of uses, including searching for missing persons, especially in hard-to-reach areas or if the search area is very large. They are absolutely critical at the border, where they can help law enforcement identify, track, and arrest cross-border traffickers and disrupt ongoing criminal activity.\u201d\n\nRep. Vasquez\u2019s introduction of the Secure Our Skies Drones Safety Act builds on his other recent efforts to modernize the United States\u2019 approach to countering criminal drone activity.\n\nEarlier this month, he sent a letter to the Departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security, and the Federal Aviation Administration, Vasquez urging leaders to establish clear federal guidance and strengthen authorities for law enforcement at all levels to counter illegal drone activity on U.S. turf.\n\nRep. Vasquez also co-sponsored a bipartisan bill to strengthen the Department of Defense\u2019s counter-drone authorities by expanding the definition of \u201ccovered facilities\u201d to include all military bases with a secured perimeter. This bill is expected to pass the House today as part of the final Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "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://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-vasquez-introduces-bipartisan-secure-our-skies-drone-safety-act-modernize"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1775493621826172, "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"}