Review - S 2676 Introduced - Unmanned Aircraft Attacks

Earlier this month, Sen Lee (R,UT) introduced S 2676, the Enhanced Protection from Unmanned Aircraft Attacks Act. The bill would authorize DOD, DHS, DOJ and DOE to enter into contracts to carry out currently authorized counter-drone activities. The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council is given 180-days to prepare implementing regulations. No spending is authorized by this bill.

Lee is not a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration. This means that there is not likely to be sufficient influence to see this bill considered in Committee. I see nothing in the bill that would engender any organized opposition. I suspect that if it were considered in Committee that it would receive bipartisan support.

This bill, however, is probably not important enough to make it to the floor of the Senate for consideration under regular order. The most likely way for this bill to proceed would be for it to be considered as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act when it is considered in the Senate.

For more details about the bills provisions including links to the US Code sections authorizing the counter-drone activities, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/s-2676-introduced  - subscription required.