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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · May 22, 2013
Preserving Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act of 2013 - Prohibits a person or entity acting under the authority of (or funded in whole or in part by) the federal government from using a drone to gather evidence or other information pertaining to criminal conduct or conduct in violation of a statute or regulation except to the extent authorized in a warrant satisfying the requirements of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.
Defines a "drone" as an unmanned aircraft operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft.
Exempts from such prohibition the use of drones to: (1) patrol national borders to prevent or deter illegal entry of any persons or illegal substances, (2) prevent imminent danger to the life of an individual when drones are used by law enforcement under exigent circumstances, or (3) counter a high risk of a terrorist attack by a specific individual or organization based on credible intelligence determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS).
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Authorizes civil actions by aggrieved parties.
Prohibits evidence obtained or collected in violation of this Act from being admissible in a criminal prosecution in any court in the United States.
People & committees
Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY] · R–KY
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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