YourVoice.Now Summary
Criminal Justice & Due ProcessFederal espionage law would add "video" to the list of covered recordings — closing a gap written before drones existed.
Criminal Justice & Due Process
- Scope of espionage law — Video added to the covered recording formats
- Coverage beyond drones — Any video of defense information falls under the same rules
The details
Federal espionage law would explicitly cover video. The law already bars collecting or passing along sketches, photographs, negatives, blueprints, maps, and models of national defense information. Video is not on that list, which was written long before drones and phone cameras. The word "video" would be added everywhere the statute names photographic negatives. The change is small in text but broad in reach. Section 793 carries penalties of up to 10 years for gathering or transmitting defense information. The bill's title points at drones filming military sites. Nothing in the text limits it to drones, so any video recording would fall under the same rules.
Congressional Summary
Drone Espionage ActThis 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.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-04-17
- Date Added
- 2026-07-23
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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