The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would allow local and state law enforcement to disable drones during sporting events, which the NFL and other leagues have said are an increasing threat.
The House passed the Safer Skies Act as part of a larger defense bill by a vote of 312-112. It will now move to the Senate, which is expected to vote on it as early as next week.
The legislation comes as the U.S. prepares to host several major events, including the World Cup and the celebration of the country's 250th birthday next summer.
"As our nation prepares to host the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics, robust airspace security will help mitigate credible threats and keep Americans and global visitors safe as they enjoy these world-class sporting events," Senate Majority Leader John Thune told ESPN in a statement.
Currently, only a handful of major events like the Super Bowl and the World Cup final have federal law enforcement on-site that can disable unauthorized drones. Nearly all other major sporting events, including World Cup matches along with thousands of NFL and MLB games, do not have officials on-site with the legal authorization to quickly remove a drone threat.
This bill would allow local and state law enforcement to receive the same training as federal agents and work on-site during large-scale sporting events.
"Over the next three years, the United States will host numerous major events that necessitated the expansion of these authorities to combat the emerging drone threats," a White House official told ESPN. "The Administration is committed to ensuring these world-class international events [are] safe and secure for all participants."
In February, the NFL, NCAA, MLB and NASCAR endorsed a previous effort to give law enforcement officials drone-mitigation powers.
"For several years, the NCAA has expressed concern for the threat that unauthorized drones pose at NCAA championships and college sporting events," Tim Buckley, the NCAA's senior vice president of external affairs, said in a statement to ESPN at the time.
The NFL told ESPN that it has experienced more than 2,000 drone incursions in each of the last three seasons into the temporary restricted airspace around its stadiums, which the FAA defines as below 3,000 feet and within three nautical miles of the stadium from one hour before until one hour after the game.
In January, a wild-card game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers was temporarily suspended when a drone flew over the bowl of M&T Bank Stadium. The NFL also paused the AFC Championship Game in January 2024 between the Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs after a drone entered the stadium's restricted airspace.
Drones can be disabled a number of ways, according to Michael Robbins, president and CEO of the Association of Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, a trade association that represents the drone industry. One way is to ask the operator to land it, or law enforcement can jam a drone's radio frequency, grab it with a net, ram it with another drone or shoot it out of the sky, Robbins said.
