Buzz Off Act

Bill: 119-hr-96
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]
Introduced: 2025-01-03
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Latest action: action_date: 2025-01-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-03
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Buzz Off Act</strong></p><p>This bill prohibits federal law enforcement from using unmanned aerial vehicles to intentionally conduct surveillance of a specifically targeted U.S. citizen or the property of such an individual, with certain exceptions.</p><p>Specifically, this prohibition shall not apply if (1) the federal law enforcement agency in question first obtains a search warrant, (2) the Department of Homeland Security certifies that such surveillance is necessary to counter a high risk of a terrorist attack by a specified person or organization, or (3) the citizen gives written consent for a photograph or recording that will be made available to the public.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 96 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 3, 2025 Mr. Biggs of Arizona introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To prevent agencies from using unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct surveillance of United States citizens, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Buzz Off Act . 2. Prohibiting use of unmanned aerial vehicles (a) Surveillance A Federal law enforcement agency may not use an unmanned aerial vehicle to intentionally conduct surveillance of, gather evidence or collect information about, or photographically or electronically record a specifically targeted United States citizen or the specifically targeted private property of a United States citizen. (b) Exception Notwithstanding subsection (a), a Federal law enforcement agency may use an unmanned aerial vehicle to photograph, or otherwise record a United States citizen for the purposes of publishing or otherwise publicly disseminating such photograph or recording if the agency obtains the written consent of such United States citizen. (c) Applicability Subsection (a) shall not apply in the case that— (1) the President, acting through the Secretary of Homeland Security, authorizes use of an unmanned aerial vehicle to conduct surveillance if the Secretary certifies in writing under oath that the surveillance is necessary to counter a high risk of a terrorist attack by a specific individual or organization; or (2) the head of a Federal law enforcement agency first obtains a search warrant signed by a judge authorizing the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle.