H.R. 709House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

National Training Center for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 3:19 AM UTC

The National Training Center for Counter‑Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to set up training programs and facilities for counter‑UAS operations. It also directs these agencies, in coordination with the FAA, to establish nationwide standards for initial and ongoing training and certification of individuals who operate counter‑UAS detection and mitigation systems. The bill aims to improve safety and coordination among law‑enforcement, homeland‑security, and aviation authorities when dealing with unmanned aircraft threats.

Key Provisions

The Attorney General, working with the Secretary of Homeland Security (through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers), must provide training on counter‑UAS measures and can set up one or more training facilities.
The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General, together with the FAA Administrator, must create standards for initial and recurring training or certification for anyone who operates counter‑UAS detection or mitigation equipment.
Those standards must consider impacts on aviation safety, civil aviation, aircraft airworthiness, and civilian airspace use, and must include inter‑agency coordination before any system is deployed.
The standards must also specify how often operators must complete and renew their training or certification.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

Aviation Subcommittee

January 24, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 23, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Judiciary Committee

January 23, 2025

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

Aviation Subcommittee

January 24, 2025

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 709 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. André CarsonD-IN-7 · Jan 16, 2025

Mr. Speaker, as we kick off the first session of the new Congress, I am proud to reintroduce legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Muhammad Ali in recognition of his numerous…

Mr. Speaker, as we kick off the first session of the new Congress, I am proud to reintroduce legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Muhammad Ali in recognition of his numerous contributions to our great Nation. I believe it is long past time to recognize an American civil rights activist, humanitarian and sporting legend with Congress' highest honor. Unfortunately, Congress failed to act before The Champ's death in 2016, at the age 74, so I ask my colleagues to join me now in honoring an American hero, on the eve of what would have been his 83rd birthday. Over the course of his illustrious career, Muhammad Ali produced some of our Nation's most lasting sports memories. From winning a Gold Medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics, to lighting the Olympic torch at the 1996 Summer Olympics, his influence as an athlete and a humanitarian spanned over fifty years.

Despite having been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the 1980s, Ali devoted his life to charitable organizations. Ali, and his wife Lonnie, were founding directors of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center and Movement Disorders Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona and helped raise over $50 million for Parkinson's research. In addition to helping families cope with illness, Ali led efforts to provide meals for the hungry and helped countless organizations such as the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and the Special Olympics.

Muhammad Ali's humanitarian efforts went beyond his charitable activities in the United States. In 1990 Muhammad Ali travelled to the Middle East to seek the release of American and British hostages that were being held as human shields in the first Gulf War. After his intervention, 15 hostages were freed. Thanks to his devotion to diplomatic causes and racial harmony, Ali was the recipient of many accolades, including being chosen as a ``U.N. Messenger of Peace'' in 1998 and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 from President Bush.

Through his unyielding dedication to his sport and to struggling populations around the world, Muhammad Ali still serves an example of service and self-sacrifice for generations of Americans. The Congressional Gold Medal is a fitting commemoration of his life and work, for which he is deservingly known as ``the Greatest.''

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing one of our Nation's most lasting and influential figures by signing on to this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to include in the Record a recent op-ed published in the American Bar Association Human Rights Magazine.

[From the American Bar Association Human Rights Magazine, Nov. 25,

2024]

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued January 23, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 709

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 23, 2025

Mr. Strong introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to establish counter-UAS system training and require the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to establish related standards for initial and recurrent training programs or certifications for individuals seeking to operate counter-UAS detection and mitigation systems, equipment, or technology, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the National Training Center for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act.

Establishment of counter-UAS system training

(a)

In general

Subtitle A of title II of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new sections:

210H.

Counter-UAS system training

The Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary (acting through the Director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers), may—

(1)

provide training relating to measures to take the actions described in subsection (b)(1) of section 210G; and

(2)

establish or designate one or more facilities or training centers for the purpose described in paragraph (1).

210I.

Counter-UAS detection and mitigation system operator qualification and training criteria

(a)

In general

The Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General, in coordination with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, shall establish standards for initial and recurrent training programs or certifications for individuals seeking to operate counter-UAS detection and mitigation systems, equipment, or technology.

(b)

Implementation

To carry out subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General shall, at a minimum—

(1)

consider the potential impacts of the systems, equipment, and technology referred to in such subsection on aviation safety, civil aviation and aerospace operations, aircraft airworthiness, or the civilian use of airspace, and appropriate actions to maintain aviation safety, as determined by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration; and

(2)

establish—

(A)

interagency coordination requirements prior to deployment of such systems, equipment, and technology; and

(B)

the frequency at which an individual authorized to operate such systems, equipment, or technology shall complete and renew such training or certification.

(c)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

UAS

The term UAS means an unmanned aircraft system.

(2)

Unmanned aircraft

The term unmanned aircraft has the meaning given such term in section 44801, of title 49, United States Code.

(3)

Unmanned aircraft system

The term unmanned aircraft system has the meaning given such term in section 44801, of title 49, United States Code.

(b)

Clerical amendment

The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 210G the following new item:

Sec. 210H. Counter-UAS system training.

Sec. 210I. Counter-UAS detection and mitigation system operator qualification and training criteria.