{"id":"656cc33f-cb27-4abe-87f9-c50e5d1f1be6","feedVisibility":"normal","congress":119,"billType":"s","billNumber":1809,"title":"Drone Espionage Act","displayTitle":"Drone Espionage Act","abstract":"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.","displaySummary":"<p><strong>YVN Summary</strong></p>\n\n<p>Filming national defense information could bring federal espionage charges. That is true whether the camera is on a drone, a phone, or a tripod. Today the law bans taking or sharing photos, maps, and notes of defense material. It does not name video. The bill would add the word 'video' to that list.\n\nThe name says drones, but the change would not stop at drones. Any video would count. The rest of the law would stay the same. It reaches only people who have reason to believe the material could hurt the United States. Believing it could help a foreign country counts too. People who receive such a video, or pass it on, can be charged too. The penalty would not change: a fine, up to 10 years in prison, or both. The Senate has not voted on the bill yet.</p>","status":"FLOOR_CONSIDERATION","topics":["GOVERNMENT_OPERATIONS","ECONOMY","DEFENSE"],"introducedAt":"2025-05-20T00:00:00+00:00","latestActionAt":"2026-02-09T00:00:00+00:00","congressGovUrl":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1809","accountabilityFlags":{"civil_liberties":["↓ Protection from espionage charges for video — photos already carried them"],"criminal_justice":["↑ Prison time for filming defense information — up to 10 years","↑ Charges for passing along defense video — even without filming it"]},"tldr":"Filming or sharing video of defense information — by drone or phone — could bring up to 10 years in prison.","summaryStandard":"v2","flagExplainers":{"civil_liberties":["Video is not on the law's list today. Drone pilots, photographers, and reporters would face the same rules that already cover photos."],"criminal_justice":["The law lists formats like photos, maps, and notes. Video is not on that list. Adding it means a video would carry the same fine and prison time as a photo.","The law also covers people who take in such material, send it on, or keep it. So a person who never filmed anything could still be charged for sharing a clip."]},"flagValence":{"civil_liberties":["contested"],"criminal_justice":["contested","contested"]},"needsResummary":false,"displaySummaryHtml":null,"rawStatusText":"Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 316.","chamber":"SENATE","policyArea":"Crime and Law Enforcement","legislativeSubjects":["Digital media","Espionage and treason","Military facilities and property","Military operations and strategy"],"lawStatus":null,"lawNumber":null,"latestActionText":"Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 316.","latestTextVersion":"Reported to Senate","textVersionUsed":null,"dateAdded":"2026-07-22T00:00:00+00:00","summarizedAt":"2026-08-18T08:37:47+00:00","recordId":"656cc33f-cb27-4abe-87f9-c50e5d1f1be6","feedIdentityKey":"119/s/1809","websiteBillId":"S-1809","yourvoiceSummary":"Filming national defense information could bring federal espionage charges. That is true whether the camera is on a drone, a phone, or a tripod. Today the law bans taking or sharing photos, maps, and notes of defense material. It does not name video. The bill would add the word 'video' to that list.\n\nThe name says drones, but the change would not stop at drones. Any video would count. The rest of the law would stay the same. It reaches only people who have reason to believe the material could hurt the United States. Believing it could help a foreign country counts too. People who receive such a video, or pass it on, can be charged too. The penalty would not change: a fine, up to 10 years in prison, or both. The Senate has not voted on the bill yet.","updatedAt":"2026-10-25T04:02:21.607246+00:00"}