H.R. 4682 – UAS Act | Legislate.dev

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Updated February 8, 2026 at 5:41 AM UTC

The UAS Act bars the Department of Homeland Security from using or buying unmanned aircraft systems (drones) and related software or detection equipment that are made in countries identified as foreign adversaries. It allows the Secretary to grant waivers for national‑interest or specific research and intelligence purposes, and requires a report on the security risks of such foreign‑made drones. The law applies to all DHS components and takes effect several months after enactment.

Key Provisions

Prohibits DHS from operating, funding, or contracting for drones, their software, or detection systems that are manufactured or have components in a "covered foreign country" (an identified foreign adversary).
Allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive the ban if a written certification shows the drone is needed for national interest, counter‑UAS research, or intelligence/electronic warfare activities.
Requires DHS to establish a waiver request process within 60 days of enactment and sets a transition period allowing existing foreign‑made drones to be used until a waiver is decided or one year passes.
Mandates a terrorism threat assessment report to Congress within 180 days, detailing the risks and inventory of foreign‑made drones in DHS use.
Defines “covered foreign country” as any nation the intelligence community labels a foreign adversary or that the Secretary, with the DNI, designates as such.

Legislative Activity

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12 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

September 30, 2021

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 26, 2021

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Homeland Security Committee

July 26, 2021

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability.

Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee

July 27, 2021

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability Discharged.

Homeland Security Committee

July 28, 2021

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Homeland Security Committee

July 28, 2021

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Homeland Security Committee

July 28, 2021

HouseFloor

Mr. Thompson (MS) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

September 29, 2021 • 4:30 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5544-5545)

September 29, 2021 • 4:30 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4682.

September 29, 2021 • 4:30 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5544)

September 29, 2021 • 4:37 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5544)

September 29, 2021 • 4:37 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

September 29, 2021 • 4:37 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

September 30, 2021

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about H.R. 4682 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Rep. Michael GuestR-MS-3 · Sep 29, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4682, the Unmanned Aerial Security Act. It is imperative that the Department of Homeland Security…

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4682, the Unmanned Aerial Security Act.

It is imperative that the Department of Homeland Security be able to protect the Nation against all threats. This defense includes ensuring that the unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, that DHS uses and buys, are not made in foreign countries that do not align with our interests; countries such as China.

DHS requires the dominant, air domain capabilities that drones provide to accomplish many of its land and maritime missions. We know that DHS uses drones for surveilling our southwest border. Utilizing drones is a cost-efficient way to protect large areas of the homeland.

However, many of the commercial drones used in the United States are manufactured in China, which dominates the United States market. Of the top 10 drone manufacturers that supply the United States market, a single Chinese manufacturer towers over all the others with nearly 77 percent of the market share.

DHS has issued warnings in recent years about Chinese-made drones, specifically citing concerns that they may be sending sensitive data to their manufacturers in China, where it can be accessed by the Chinese Government.

Our colleagues in the Senate share our concern. In fact, Senator Rick Scott has introduced similar legislation to ban the purchase and use of these drones across the Federal Government, not just at DHS.

Given the role that drones have in protecting homeland security, it is more important than ever to require DHS to assess its drone fleets. This bill would require DHS to provide a threat assessment report to Congress on whether the agency has analyzed the threat of its drone from adversarial nations; the number of these drones that the Department is currently operating; and the extent to which the information gathered by these drones may be a threat to the homeland or economic security of the United States.

Second, the bill would prohibit DHS from buying or using drones made in adversarial nations going forward.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague, Ranking Member Katko, for being an original cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation. Along with Members on the other side of the aisle, this is truly a bipartisan piece of legislation.

With China looming as a growing threat on the horizon, maintaining our homeland security is of the utmost importance, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I urge all Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Bennie G. ThompsonD-MS-2 · Sep 29, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4682) to prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from operating or procuring certain foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems, and…

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued September 30, 2021

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 operating or procuring certain foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Unmanned Aerial Security Act or the UAS Act.

2.

Prohibition on operation or procurement of certain foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems

(a)

Prohibition on agency operation or procurement

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 covered foreign country;

(B)

uses flight controllers, radios, data transmission devices, cameras, or gimbals manufactured in a covered foreign country or by a corporation domiciled in a covered foreign country;

(C)

uses a ground control system or operating software developed in a covered foreign country or by a corporation domiciled in a covered foreign country; or

(D)

uses network connectivity or data storage located in a covered foreign country or administered by a corporation domiciled in a covered foreign country;

(2)

a software operating system associated with a UAS that uses network connectivity or data storage located in a covered foreign country or administered 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 covered 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 identification of a UAS referred to in any of subparagraphs (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;

(B)

for counter-UAS surrogate research, testing, development, evaluation, or training; or

(C)

for intelligence, electronic warfare, or information warfare operations, testing, analysis, 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 waiver 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 enactment of this Act.

(2)

Waiver process

Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish a process 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 prohibition under subsection (a), the head of an office or component of the Department of Homeland Security may continue to operate a UAS, a software operating system associated with a UAS, or a system for the detection or identification of a UAS described in any of subparagraphs (1) through (3) of such subsection 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 Homeland 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 enactment of this Act,

whichever is later.

(d)

Drone origin security report to Congress

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 Senate 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 associated with a UAS, or a system for the detection 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, including 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 associated with a UAS, or a system for the detection or identification of a UAS from a covered foreign country could be employed to harm the national or economic 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 identified 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 adversary 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 system 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.

Cheryl L. Johnson,

Clerk