Drone Espionage Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Representative Kiggans, updates federal spying laws to specifically include video recordings. Currently, the law mentions things like photographs and sketches, but it does not explicitly use the word "video."
• The change would make it a federal crime to take or share video of protected national defense information. This is intended to close a legal loophole as drones and high-tech cameras become more common tools for gathering information.
• If passed, people who use drones or digital cameras to record restricted military sites or secret documents would face the same criminal penalties that already apply to taking physical photos or making drawings of those items.
• This update helps the government keep up with modern technology. By adding "video" to the law, it ensures that prosecutors have a clear path to charge individuals who use digital recordings to spy on the United States.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.