S1809Reported by Committee
Drone Espionage Act
Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber4
Passed Both5
Signed into Law119th
Congress
2025-05-20
Introduced
13
Cosponsors
S
ⓘType
Sponsor
Ashley Moody
Republican · FL · Senator
Votes with party: 76.0% (896 recorded votes)
Top industries funding sponsor:
- Conservative Groups$11,211k
- Progressive Groups$1,500k
Full profile: /officials/M001244
Source: Congress.gov · FEC
Cosponsors (13)
Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.
- Bernie Moreno (R-OH)Original· 2025-05-20
- Mike Lee (R-UT)Original· 2025-05-20
- Ted Budd (R-NC)Original· 2025-05-20
- Thom Tillis (R-NC)Original· 2025-05-20
- Tom Cotton (R-AR)Original· 2025-05-20
- Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)· 2025-06-02
- Roger F. Wicker (R-MS)· 2025-06-04
- Ted Cruz (R-TX)· 2025-06-09
- Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)· 2025-06-10
- Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)· 2025-07-14
- Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL)· 2025-07-28
- David McCormick (R-PA)· 2025-11-18
Latest Action
The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 316.
2026-02-09
Source: Congress.gov
Committee Activity
Currently in
- Senate Committee on the JudiciaryReported By · 2026-02-09
Previously
- Judiciary CommitteeReported By · 2026-02-09
- Judiciary CommitteeMarkup By · 2026-02-05
- Senate Committee on the JudiciaryMarkup By · 2026-02-05
- Senate Committee on the JudiciaryReferred To · 2025-05-20
- Judiciary CommitteeReferred To · 2025-05-20
Plain-English Summary
Drone Espionage Act This bill makes it a federal crime under the Espionage Act to engage in certain activities related to obtaining, receiving, or transmitting video of national defense information. The term national defense information means information or other material that is related to national defense. The Espionage Act prohibits certain activities related to obtaining, receiving, or transmitting national defense information that could harm the United States or aid a foreign nation. Under current law, the prohibitions only apply if national defense information is obtained, received, or transmitted by certain means, such as a sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, document, writing, or note. Under current law, a violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both. This bill makes the criminal prohibitions under the Espionage Act applicable if national defense information is obtained, received, or transmitted by means of video. Under this bill, a violator is subject to the same penalties as under existing law—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.
Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.
Subjects
Crime and Law Enforcement
Full bill text is not yet cached locally.
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