Section Included In The Bill Titled 'Preventing Emerging Threats'

The FAA Reauthorization Bill that is scheduled for a house vote on Wednesday contains language that would allow the government to disable drones that are perceived as a threat, including shooting them down.

NBC News reports that the language is included in a section entitled 'Preventing Emerging Threats". It would allow the Department of Homeland Security and the FBA to track drones that are deemed to be a "credible threat" to a "covered facility or asset."

The authority was requested in August by DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in a letter to Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) in August. She said in the letter that "The threat is real. Commercially available drones can be employed by terrorists and criminals to drop explosive payloads, deliver harmful substances, disrupt communications, and conduct illicit surveillance."

"Our hands are tied when it comes to guarding Americans against these threats, and if we tried to, our officers and agents could be at risk of criminal liability for simply doing their jobs to protect the public," she wrote.

Critics say that the language does not adequately define "credible threats", and it may give the federal government the ability to get around existing laws that limit surveillance.

If the section is included in the final version of the bill, federal officials would be able to track and monitor unmanned aircraft without the knowledge of the operator, and intercept or take control of the aircraft using electronic means.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report