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Union Calendar No. 119 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1501 

[Report No. 118–151] 

To prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from operating or procuring 

certain foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 9, 2023 

Mr. GUEST (for himself, Mr. GREEN of Tennessee, Mr. EZELL, Mr. 

D’ESPOSITO, Mr. LUTTRELL, Mr. GIMENEZ, and Mr. PFLUGER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

JULY 19, 2023 

Additional sponsors: Ms. LEE of Florida, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. CUELLAR, and 

Mr. LALOTA

JULY 19, 2023 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 9, 2023] 


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A BILL 

To prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from operating or procuring certain foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Unmanned Aerial Secu5 rity Act’’ or the ‘‘UAS Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON OPERATION OR PROCUREMENT 

7 OF CERTAIN FOREIGN-MADE UNMANNED AIR8 CRAFT SYSTEMS. 

9 (a) PROHIBITION ON AGENCY OPERATION OR PRO10 CUREMENT.—Except as provided in subsection (b) and sub11 section (c)(3), the Secretary of Homeland Security may not 

12 operate, provide financial assistance for, or enter into or 

13 renew a contract for the procurement of— 

14 (1) an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) that— 

15 (A) is manufactured in a covered foreign 

16 country or by a business entity domiciled in a 

17 covered foreign country; 

18 (B) uses flight controllers, radios, data 

19 transmission devices, cameras, or gimbals manu20 factured in a covered foreign country or by a 

21 business entity domiciled in a covered foreign 

22 country; 

23 (C) uses a ground control system or oper24 ating software developed in a covered foreign 


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1 country or by a business entity domiciled in a 

2 covered foreign country; or 

3 (D) uses network connectivity or data stor4 age located in a covered foreign country or ad5 ministered by a business entity domiciled in a 

6 covered foreign country; 

7 (2) a software operating system associated with 

8 a UAS that uses network connectivity or data storage 

9 located in a covered foreign country or administered 

10 by a business entity domiciled in a covered foreign 

11 country; or 

12 (3) a system for the detection or identification of 

13 a UAS, which system is manufactured in a covered 

14 foreign country or by a business entity domiciled in 

15 a covered foreign country. 

16 (b) WAIYER.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 

18 Security is authorized to waive the prohibition under 

19 subsection (a) if the Secretary certifies in writing to 

20 the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 

21 Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Se22 curity and Governmental Affairs of the Senate that a 

23 UAS, a software operating system associated with a 

24 UAS, or a system for the detection or identification 

25 of a UAS described in any of paragraphs (1) through 


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1 (3) of such subsection that is the subject of such a 

2 waiver is required— 

3 (A) in the national interest of the United 

4 States; 

5 (B) for counter-DAS surrogate research, 

6 testing, development, evaluation, or training; or 

7 (C) for intelligence, electronic warfare, or 

8 information warfare operations, testing, anal9 ysis, and or training. 

10 (2) NOTICE.—The certification described in 

11 paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the Committees 

12 specified in such paragraph by not later than the date 

13 that is 14 days after the date on which a waiver is 

14 issued under such paragraph. 

15 (c) EFFECTIVE DATES.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—This Act shall take effect on 

17 the date that is 120 days after the date of the enact18 ment of this Act. 

19 (2) WAIYER PROCESS.—Not later than 60 days 

20 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec21 retary of Homeland Security shall establish a process 

22 by which the head of an office or component of the 

23 Department of Homeland Security may request a 

24 waiver under subsection (b). 


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1 (3) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding the prohibi2 tion under subsection (a), the head of an office or 

3 component of the Department of Homeland Security 

4 may continue to operate a UAS, a software operating 

5 system associated with a UAS, or a system for the de6 tection or identification of a UAS described in any 

7 of paragraphs (1) through (3) of such subsection that 

8 was in the inventory of such office or component on 

9 the day before the effective date of this Act until— 

10 (A) such time as the Secretary of Homeland 

11 Security has— 

12 (i) granted a waiver relating thereto 

13 under subsection (b); or 

14 (ii) declined to grant such a waiver; or 

15 (B) one year after the date of the enactment 

16 of this Act, whichever is later. 

17 (d) DRONE ORIGIN SECURITY REPORT TO CON18 GRESS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact19 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 

20 submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the 

21 House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 

22 Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a ter23 rorism threat assessment and report that contains informa24 tion relating to the following: 


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1 (1) The extent to which the Department of 

2 Homeland Security has previously analyzed the 

3 threat that a UAS, a software operating system asso4 ciated with a UAS, or a system for the detection or 

5 identification of a UAS described in any of para6 graphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a) operating in 

7 the United States poses, and the results of such anal8 ysis. 

9 (2) The number of UAS, software operating sys10 tems associated with a UAS, or systems for the detec11 tion or identification of a UAS described in any of 

12 paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a) in oper13 ation by the Department, including an identification 

14 of the component or office of the Department at issue, 

15 as of such date. 

16 (3) The extent to which information gathered by 

17 a UAS, a software operating system associated with 

18 a UAS, or a system for the detection or identification 

19 of a UAS described in any of paragraphs (1) through 

20 (3) of subsection (a) could be employed to harm the 

21 national or economic security of the United States. 

22 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 (1) BUSINESS ENTITY.—The term ‘‘business enti24 ty’’ has the meaning given such term in section 334 

25 of the Graham-Leach-Bliley Act (15 U.S.C. 6764). 


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1 (2) COVERED FOREIGN COUNTRY.—The term 

2 ‘‘covered foreign country’’ means a country that— 

3 (A) the intelligence community has identi4 fied as a foreign adversary in its most recent 

5 Annual Threat Assessment; or 

6 (B) the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 

7 coordination with the Director of National Intel8 ligence, has identified as a foreign adversary 

9 that is not included in such Annual Threat As10 sessment. 

11 (3) INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘in12 telligence community’’ has the meaning given such 

13 term in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 

14 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)). 

15 (4) UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM; UAS.—The 

16 terms ‘‘unmanned aircraft system’’ and ‘‘UAS’’ have 

17 the meaning given the term ‘‘unmanned aircraft sys18 tem’’ in section 44801 of title 49, United States Code. 


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Union Calendar No. 119 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1501 

[Report No. 118–151] 

A BILL 

To prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security 

poses. unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purfrom operating or procuring certain foreign-made 

JULY 19, 2023 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS