PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jul 17, 2018
Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018
This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to authorize their personnel to act to mitigate a credible threat that an unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft (i.e., drones) poses to the safety or security of facilities or assets, through a risk-based assessment.
DHS may take actions to:
detect, identify, monitor, and track the drone, without prior consent;
warn the drone's operator;
disrupt control of the drone, without prior consent;
seize or exercise control of the drone;
confiscate the drone; or
use reasonable force, if necessary, to disable, damage, or destroy the drone.
Any drone seized by DHS or DOJ is subject to forfeiture to the United States.
DHS shall: (1) evaluate the threat from drones to U.S. critical infrastructure and to domestic large hub airports; and (2) assess the threat of vehicular terrorism and brief Congress on its findings and on a strategy to improve efforts to support emergency response providers and the private sector to prevent, mitigate, and respond to such threat.
People & committees
Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] · R–TX
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Homeland Security, 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.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Homeland Security, 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.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Homeland Security, 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.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 11, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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