Critical Infrastructure Airspace Defense Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4380 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4380 To grant authority to use counter-unmanned aircraft system technologies to private owners of critical infrastructure facilities, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 22, 2026 Mr. Cotton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To grant authority to use counter-unmanned aircraft system technologies to private owners of critical infrastructure facilities, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Critical Infrastructure Airspace Defense Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) The North American electric grid and other critical infrastructure sectors face growing threats from unmanned aircraft systems. (2) Counter-unmanned aircraft systems activities are authorized for Federal agencies and for trained State, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement, but private owners and operators of critical infrastructure lack clear statutory authority to independently detect, track, and mitigate in- flight unmanned aircraft systems threats. (3) Prompt action is required to close this gap and protect the reliability of the bulk power system and other critical infrastructure. SEC. 3. DRONE COUNTERMEASURES FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OWNERS AND OPERATORS. Section 210G of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124n) is amended-- (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following: ``(3) Authority of critical infrastructure owners and operators.--Notwithstanding section 46502 of title 49,