I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4753 
To amend the Arms Export Control Act to address arms export controls 
for certain unmanned aircraft systems and items, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 23, 2025 
Mr. ZINKE (for himself and Mr. PANETTA) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend the Arms Export Control Act to address arms 
export controls for certain unmanned aircraft systems 
and items, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Leading Exports of 
Aerial Drones Act of 2025’’ or the ‘‘LEAD Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. ARMS EXPORT CONTROLS FOR COVERED UN-
MANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND ITEMS. 
(a) ARMS EXPORT CONTROL ACT.— 
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(1) SECTION 38.—Section 38 of the Arms Ex-
port Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(m) COVERED UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND 
ITEMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of transfers 
of defense articles and defense services under this 
Act, covered unmanned aircraft systems and items— 
‘‘(A) shall be treated as manned aircraft 
systems items; and 
‘‘(B) shall not be considered launch vehi-
cles, missile technology, or missile equipment 
subject to controls or export restrictions for 
purposes of adherence by the United States to 
the Missile Technology Control Regime. 
‘‘(2) DEFINITION OF COVERED UNMANNED AIR-
CRAFT
SYSTEMS
AND
ITEMS.—In this subsection, 
the term ‘covered unmanned aircraft systems and 
items’ means unmanned aircraft systems and related 
items that— 
‘‘(A) are controlled under the International 
Traffic in Arms Regulations and enumerated in 
the Missile Technology Control Regime Annex; 
and 
‘‘(B) are designed to be reusable.’’. 
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(2) CHAPTER 7.—Chapter 7 of such Act (22 
U.S.C. 2797 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
section 73B the following: 
‘‘SEC. 73C. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON COVERED UN-
MANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND ITEMS. 
‘‘It is the policy of the United States to treat covered 
unmanned aircraft systems and items (as defined in sec-
tion 38(m)(2)(B)) as manned aircraft systems and items 
for purposes of implementing the Missile Technology Con-
trol Regime.’’. 
(b) INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC
IN ARMS REGULA-
TIONS.— 
(1) UNITED
STATES
MUNITIONS
LIST.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the President shall amend section 121.1 
of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, to provide 
that covered unmanned aircraft systems and items— 
(A) are subject to the same export control 
provisions as manned aircraft systems and 
items and that, for purposes of part 121 of 
such title, shall be reviewed under the same cri-
teria and guidelines as manned aircraft systems 
and items; and 
(B) are distinct from launch vehicles, mis-
sile technology, and missile equipment and are 
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subject to separate export control provisions 
and that, for purposes of part 121 of such title, 
shall be reviewed under criteria specific to their 
technological and operational characteristics. 
(2) MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME.— 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the President shall amend section 
120.23 of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, to 
provide that, for purposes of implementing the Mis-
sile Technology Control Regime, the United States 
shall treat covered unmanned aircraft systems and 
items— 
(A) separately from missile technology, in-
cluding for purposes of co-production and co-de-
velopment agreements with allies and partners; 
and 
(B) as manned aircraft systems and items 
that shall not be subject to controls, missile 
technology reviews, or export restrictions for 
purposes of adherence by the United States to 
the Missile Technology Control Regime. 
(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(A) COVERED UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYS-
TEMS
AND
ITEMS.—The term ‘‘covered un-
manned aircraft systems and items’’ has the 
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meaning given that term in subsection (m)(2) 
of section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act 
(22 U.S.C. 2778), as added by subsection (a). 
(B) MISSILE; MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CON-
TROL REGIME.—The terms ‘‘missile’’ and ‘‘Mis-
sile Technology Control Regime’’ have the 
meanings given those terms in section 74(a) of 
the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
2797c(a)). 
Æ 
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