I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1501 

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 

A BILL 

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

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 Se5 curity Act’’ or the ‘‘UAS Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON OPERATION OR PROCUREMENT 

2 OF CERTAIN FOREIGN-MADE UNMANNED AIR3 CRAFT SYSTEMS. 

4 (a) PROHIBITION ON AGENCY OPERATION OR PRO5 CUREMENT.—Except as provided in subsection (b) and 

6 subsection (c)(3), the Secretary of Homeland Security 

7 may not operate, provide financial assistance for, or enter 

8 into or renew a contract for the procurement of— 

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

10 (A) is manufactured in a covered foreign 

11 country or by a corporation domiciled in a cov12 ered foreign country; 

13 (B) uses flight controllers, radios, data 

14 transmission devices, cameras, or gimbals man15 ufactured in a covered foreign country or by a 

16 corporation domiciled in a covered foreign coun17 try; 

18 (C) uses a ground control system or oper19 ating software developed in a covered foreign 

20 country or by a corporation domiciled in a cov21 ered foreign country; or 

22 (D) uses network connectivity or data stor23 age located in a covered foreign country or ad24 ministered by a corporation domiciled in a cov25 ered foreign country; 


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1 (2) a software operating system associated with 

2 a UAS that uses network connectivity or data stor3 age located in a covered foreign country or adminis4 tered by a corporation domiciled in a covered foreign 

5 country; or 

6 (3) a system for the detection or identification 

7 of a UAS, which system is manufactured in a cov8 ered foreign country or by a corporation domiciled in 

9 a covered foreign country. 

10 (b) WAIYER.— 

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

12 Security is authorized to waive the prohibition under 

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

14 the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 

15 of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 

16 Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 

17 that a UAS, a software operating system associated 

18 with a UAS, or a system for the detection or identi19 fication of a UAS described in any of paragraphs (1) 

20 through (3) of such subsection that is the subject of 

21 such a waiver is required— 

22 (A) in the national interest of the United 

23 States; 

24 (B) for counter-DAS surrogate research, 

25 testing, development, evaluation, or training; or 


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1 (C) for intelligence, electronic warfare, or 

2 information warfare operations, testing, anal3 ysis, and or training. 

4 (2) NOTICE.—The certification described in 

5 paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the Committees 

6 specified in such paragraph by not later than the 

7 date that is 14 days after the date on which a waiv8 er is issued under such paragraph. 

9 (c) EFFECTIVE DATES.— 

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

11 the date that is 120 days after the date of the enact12 ment of this Act. 

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

14 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec15 retary of Homeland Security shall establish a proc16 ess by which the head of an office or component of 

17 the Department of Homeland Security may request 

18 a waiver under subsection (b). 

19 (3) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding the prohibi20 tion under subsection (a), the head of an office or 

21 component of the Department of Homeland Security 

22 may continue to operate a UAS, a software oper23 ating system associated with a UAS, or a system for 

24 the detection or identification of a UAS described in 

25 any of paragraphs (1) through (3) of such subVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:45 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1501.IH H1501

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1 section that was in the inventory of such office or 

2 component on the day before the effective date of 

3 this Act until— 

4 (A) such time as the Secretary of Home5 land Security has— 

6 (i) granted a waiver relating thereto 

7 under subsection (b); or 

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

9 (B) one year after the date of the enact10 ment of this Act, whichever is later. 

11 (d) DRONE ORIGIN SECURITY REPORT TO CON12 GRESS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 

13 enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security 

14 shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of 

15 the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

16 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen17 ate a terrorism threat assessment and report that contains 

18 information relating to the following: 

19 (1) The extent to which the Department of 

20 Homeland Security has previously analyzed the 

21 threat that a UAS, a software operating system as22 sociated with a UAS, or a system for the detection 

23 or identification of a UAS described in any of para24 graphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a) operating 


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1 in the United States poses, and the results of such 

2 analysis. 

3 (2) The number of UAS, software operating 

4 systems associated with a UAS, or systems for the 

5 detection or identification of a UAS described in any 

6 of paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a) in 

7 operation by the Department, including an identi8 fication of the component or office of the Depart9 ment at issue, as of such date. 

10 (3) The extent to which information gathered 

11 by a UAS, a software operating system associated 

12 with a UAS, or a system for the detection or identi13 fication of a UAS described in any of paragraphs (1) 

14 through (3) of subsection (a) could be employed to 

15 harm the national or economic security of the 

16 United States. 

17 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

18 (1) COVERED FOREIGN COUNTRY.—The term 

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

20 (A) the intelligence community has identi21 fied as a foreign adversary in its most recent 

22 Annual Threat Assessment; or 

23 (B) the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

24 in coordination with the Director of National 

25 Intelligence, has identified as a foreign adverVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:45 Mar 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1501.IH H1501

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1 sary that is not included in such Annual Threat 

2 Assessment. 

3 (2) INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.—The term 

4 ‘‘intelligence community’’ has the meaning given 

5 such term in section 3(4) of the National Security 

6 Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)). 

7 (3) UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM; UAS.—The 

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

9 the meaning given the term ‘‘unmanned aircraft sys10 tem’’ in section 44801 of title 49, United States 

11 Code. 

Æ 


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