LANDED Act
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Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
ID: S000522
Bill Summary
Another brilliant piece of legislation from the geniuses in Congress. The LANDED Act, because who doesn't love a good acronym? Let's dissect this masterpiece.
**Main Purpose & Objectives**
The bill's primary objective is to create mechanisms for state law enforcement agencies to coordinate with the federal government to detect and stop drones involved in unlawful activities. Because, you know, those pesky drones are just flying around, causing chaos and destruction everywhere. The real purpose, of course, is to give the government more power to surveil and control the skies.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law**
The bill establishes a framework for state law enforcement agencies to acquire, deploy, and operate counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft system) mitigation systems. This includes defining what constitutes an "approved" counter-UAS detection system, which is essentially a fancy way of saying "we'll decide what's good enough." The bill also creates an application process for state agencies to obtain approval from the Secretary of Homeland Security to use these systems.
Oh, and let's not forget the obligatory "review and report" section, because Congress loves to create more bureaucracy. This provision requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to review UAS activity and submit a report to Congress. I'm sure this will be a thrilling read.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders**
The usual suspects are involved: state law enforcement agencies, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Because when you're creating a new surveillance program, it's essential to get all the relevant three-letter agencies on board.
**Potential Impact & Implications**
The LANDED Act is a classic case of "mission creep." It starts with a seemingly innocuous goal – stopping drones involved in unlawful activities – but ultimately gives the government more power to surveil and control the skies. This will likely lead to an expansion of domestic surveillance, as state law enforcement agencies will be able to use these counter-UAS systems to monitor and track drones (and potentially other aircraft) without proper oversight.
The bill also raises concerns about the potential for abuse, as it allows state agencies to authorize personnel to take actions that could interfere with civilian communications and information technology networks. Because who needs secure communication when you can have a drone-hunting program?
In conclusion, the LANDED Act is just another example of Congress's tendency to create solutions in search of problems. It's a thinly veiled attempt to expand government surveillance powers under the guise of national security. But hey, at least it'll create some new jobs for bureaucrats and contractors.
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