IIB 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4682 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 
Received, read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs 
AN ACT 
To prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from oper-
ating or procuring certain foreign-made unmanned air-
craft systems, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Unmanned Aerial Se-
curity Act’’ or the ‘‘UAS Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON OPERATION OR PROCUREMENT 
OF CERTAIN FOREIGN-MADE UNMANNED AIR-
CRAFT SYSTEMS. 
(a) PROHIBITION ON AGENCY OPERATION OR PRO-
CUREMENT.—Except as provided in subsection (b) and 
subsection (c)(3), the Secretary of Homeland Security 
may not operate, provide financial assistance for, or enter 
into or renew a contract for the procurement of— 
(1) an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) that— 
(A) is manufactured in a covered foreign 
country or by a corporation domiciled in a cov-
ered foreign country; 
(B) uses flight controllers, radios, data 
transmission devices, cameras, or gimbals man-
ufactured in a covered foreign country or by a 
corporation domiciled in a covered foreign coun-
try; 
(C) uses a ground control system or oper-
ating software developed in a covered foreign 
country or by a corporation domiciled in a cov-
ered foreign country; or 
(D) uses network connectivity or data stor-
age located in a covered foreign country or ad-
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ministered by a corporation domiciled in a cov-
ered foreign country; 
(2) a software operating system associated with 
a UAS that uses network connectivity or data stor-
age located in a covered foreign country or adminis-
tered by a corporation domiciled in a covered foreign 
country; or 
(3) a system for the detection or identification 
of a UAS, which system is manufactured in a cov-
ered foreign country or by a corporation domiciled in 
a covered foreign country. 
(b) WAIVER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 
Security is authorized to waive the prohibition under 
subsection (a) if the Secretary certifies in writing to 
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 
that a UAS, a software operating system associated 
with a UAS, or a system for the detection or identi-
fication of a UAS referred to in any of subpara-
graphs (A) through (C) of such subsection that is 
the subject of such a waiver is required— 
(A) in the national interest of the United 
States; 
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(B) for counter-UAS surrogate research, 
testing, development, evaluation, or training; or 
(C) for intelligence, electronic warfare, or 
information warfare operations, testing, anal-
ysis, and or training. 
(2) NOTICE.—The certification described in 
paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the Committees 
specified in such paragraph by not later than the 
date that is 14 days after the date on which a waiv-
er is issued under such paragraph. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—This Act shall take effect on 
the date that is 120 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
(2) WAIVER PROCESS.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security shall establish a proc-
ess by which the head of an office or component of 
the Department of Homeland Security may request 
a waiver under subsection (b). 
(3) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding the prohibi-
tion under subsection (a), the head of an office or 
component of the Department of Homeland Security 
may continue to operate a UAS, a software oper-
ating system associated with a UAS, or a system for 
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the detection or identification of a UAS described in 
any of subparagraphs (1) through (3) of such sub-
section that was in the inventory of such office or 
component on the day before the effective date of 
this Act until— 
(A) such time as the Secretary of Home-
land Security has— 
(i) granted a waiver relating thereto 
under subsection (b), or 
(ii) declined to grant such a waiver, or 
(B) one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, 
whichever is later. 
(d) DRONE ORIGIN SECURITY REPORT
TO CON-
GRESS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen-
ate a terrorism threat assessment and report that contains 
information relating to the following: 
(1) The extent to which the Department of 
Homeland Security has previously analyzed the 
threat that a UAS, a software operating system as-
sociated with a UAS, or a system for the detection 
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or identification of a UAS from a covered foreign 
country operating in the United States poses, and 
the results of such analysis. 
(2) The number of UAS, software operating 
systems associated with a UAS, or systems for the 
detection or identification of a UAS from a covered 
foreign country in operation by the Department, in-
cluding an identification of the component or office 
of the Department at issue, as of such date. 
(3) The extent to which information gathered 
by such a UAS, a software operating system associ-
ated with a UAS, or a system for the detection or 
identification of a UAS from a covered foreign coun-
try could be employed to harm the national or eco-
nomic security of the United States. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED FOREIGN COUNTRY.—The term 
‘‘covered foreign country’’ means a country that— 
(A) the intelligence community has identi-
fied as a foreign adversary in its most recent 
Annual Threat Assessment; or 
(B) the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
in coordination with the Director of National 
Intelligence, has identified as a foreign adver-
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sary that is not included in such Annual Threat 
Assessment. 
(2) INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY.—The term 
‘‘intelligence community’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 3(4) of the National Security 
Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)). 
(3) UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM; UAS.—The 
terms ‘‘unmanned aircraft system’’ and ‘‘UAS’’ have 
the meaning given the term ‘‘unmanned aircraft sys-
tem’’ in section 331 of the FAA Modernization and 
Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–95; 49 U.S.C. 
44802 note). 
Passed the House of Representatives September 29, 
2021. 
Attest: 
CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 
Clerk. 
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