DEFENSE Act (Counter-UAS at Stadiums and Public Gatherings)
Current understanding
The DEFENSE Act is an introduced federal proposal to authorize DHS and DOJ to deputize trained state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement to detect, track, disrupt, and disable drones deemed threatening at stadiums and large public gatherings under FAA temporary flight restrictions. It would establish training requirements, multi-agency oversight, and an authorized-equipment list, expanding existing federal counter-UAS authorities (currently concentrated in DHS/DOJ/DoD/DOE) downward to SLTT operators. Status: introduced; no committee action noted.
Evidence log
- 2025-02-20 — DEFENSE Act: cross-connection with counter-uas-technology-governance: DEFENSE Act would extend counter-UAS detection and mitigation authority — currently limited to specified federal agencies — to deputized SLTT law enforcement at FAA-TFR-protected venues, materially reshaping the federal counter-UAS authorization framework. (novelty: 3)