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S. 663

U.S. SenateIn Senate Committee

Summary

S. 663, the DEFENSE Act, was introduced in the Senate on Feb 20, 2025 by Sen. Tom Cotton (R) with 1 co-sponsor. It was referred to Homeland Security And Governmental Affairs, and last saw action on Feb 20, 2025: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.


Record

Text

S. 663 has 1 co-sponsor.

sb663/introduced-in-senate.txt
119 S663 IS: Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment Act
U.S. Senate
2025-02-20
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 663 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 20, 2025 Mr. Cotton (for himself and Ms. Rosen ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General to deputize a State or local law enforcement officer to protect certain events with temporary flight restrictions, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment Act or the DEFENSE Act .
2.
Drone countermeasures to protect events
Section 210G of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 124n ) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(m)
Stadium security
(1)
In general
The Secretary or the Attorney General may deputize a State or local law enforcement officer to exercise the authority granted by subsection (a), except that the authority is granted solely for the purpose of protecting—
(A)
a site with respect to which a flight restriction is maintained pursuant to section 521 of division F of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004 ( 49 U.S.C. 40103 note);
(B)
the location of an eligible large public gathering described in section 44812(c) of title 49, United States Code; or
(C)
a public gathering otherwise protected by a temporary flight restriction, at the discretion of the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration under the authority of section 40103(b) of title 49, United States Code.
(2)
Training required
The Secretary or the Attorney General may deputize only a State or local law enforcement officer that has completed training in the use of the authority described in paragraph (1), as specified by the Secretary or Attorney General in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
(3)
Oversight
The Secretary or the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, shall exercise oversight of the use of the authority described in paragraph (1) by a deputized State or local law enforcement officer.
(4)
Authorized equipment
Equipment authorized for unmanned aircraft system detection, identification, monitoring, or tracking under this subsection shall be limited to systems or technologies that are included on a list of authorized equipment maintained by the Department, in coordination with the Department of Justice, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
.

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-02-20
  2. Passed Senate
  3. Passed House
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in Senate Feb 20, 2025

sb663/introduced-in-senate.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in Senate (02/20/2025)

Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment Act or the DEFENSE Act

This bill allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Department of Justice (DOJ) to deputize state or local law enforcement officers to take certain drone countermeasures to protect stadiums and other public gatherings.

Specifically, DHS or DOJ may provide state or local law enforcement officers with the authority to identify, monitor, and track drones; warn drone operators; disrupt or take control of drones; or use reasonable force to disable, damage, and seize or destroy drones deemed to pose a threat.

This authority applies for the purposes of protecting an event, stadium, or venue; certain large public gatherings (e.g., gatherings that are primarily outdoors with an estimated attendance of at least 100,000 people); or other public gatherings protected by specific temporary flight restrictions imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Prior to being deputized, a state or local law enforcement officer must complete training in the use of the drone countermeasure authority.

DHS or DOJ, in coordination with the Department of Transportation and the FAA, must exercise oversight over the use of this authority by deputized state or local law enforcement officers.

Finally, the bill limits the equipment authorized for detecting, identifying, monitoring, or tracking drones to systems or technologies that are included on a list of authorized equipment maintained by DHS, in coordination with DOJ, the FAA, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Sponsors

Sen. Tom Cotton (R) sponsors S. 663, and 1 member has co-sponsored it from the day it was introduced.

Committees

S. 663 went before 1 committee: Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Referred To · Feb 20, 2025 · 444 Bills

Actions

S. 663 has taken 2 actions since Feb 20, 2025.

ChamberAction
Feb 20, 2025
Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Feb 20, 2025
Introduced in Senate

Votes

S. 663 has not gone to a roll call.

1 bill is related to S. 663, as Identical bill.

Titles

S. 663 goes by 4 titles, 2 of them short titles.

  • DEFENSE Act — Display Title
  • DEFENSE Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • A bill to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General to deputize a State or local law enforcement officer to protect certain events with temporary flight restrictions, and for other purposes. — Official Title as Introduced

Lobbying

4 clients hired 4 firms and 15 registered lobbyists who named S. 663 in 12 quarterly filings, 2025 to 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Sports/Athletics, Education, Aviation/Airlines/Airports, Budget/Appropriations, Defense, Energy/Nuclear, Natural Resources, Taxation/Internal Revenue Code.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONDistrict of Columbia16
SMALL UAV COALITIONTrade Association representing unmanned aircraft system manufacturers and operatorsDistrict of Columbia13$280K
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEProfessional ice hockey leagueNew York12
NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE, INCNo change in address. Just a lobbyist updateDistrict of Columbia11

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill.

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE, INCNUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE, INC.2026 second_quarter$560K2nd Quarter - Report
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONNATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION2026 first_quarter$310K1st Quarter - Report
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONNATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION2025 third_quarter$270K3rd Quarter - Report
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONNATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION2025 first_quarter$270K1st Quarter - Report
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONNATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION2026 second_quarter$260K2nd Quarter - Report
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONNATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION2025 second_quarter$250K2nd Quarter - Report
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONNATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION2025 fourth_quarter$240K4th Quarter - Report
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUENATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE2025 second_quarter$160K2nd Quarter - Report
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUENATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE2025 first_quarter$160K1st Quarter - Report
SMALL UAV COALITIONDGA GROUP GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LLC2025 second_quarter$105K2nd Quarter - Report
SMALL UAV COALITIONDGA GROUP GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LLC2025 first_quarter$105K1st Quarter - Report
SMALL UAV COALITIONDGA GROUP GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LLC2025 third_quarter$70K3rd Quarter - Termina…

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files S. 663 under Transportation and Public Works, one of its 31 policy areas.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; S. 663’s is Transportation and Public Works.

s663/policy-areas.txt
Transportation and Public WorksAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationWater Resources Development

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com