USCP Empowerment Act of 2025

The USCP Empowerment Act of 2025 grants the United States Capitol Police (USCP) new authority to address threats from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Specifically, it empowers the Capitol Police Board to authorize USCP personnel to take actions necessary to mitigate a credible UAS threat to the safety or security of covered Capitol Police facilities or assets. This authority explicitly overrides certain provisions of titles 18 and 49 of the U.S. Code, allowing for comprehensive threat response. The authorized actions include detecting, identifying, monitoring, and tracking UAS, even by intercepting communications, and warning operators. Furthermore, the USCP can disrupt control , seize, confiscate, or use reasonable force to disable, damage, or destroy a threatening UAS. The Capitol Police Board must develop these actions in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), particularly when aviation safety or airspace use may be affected. To safeguard civil liberties, the bill mandates that all actions, including the interception of communications, adhere to the First and Fourth Amendments and federal law. Communications can only be intercepted as necessary, records are maintained for a limited duration, and disclosure outside the USCP is restricted to specific legal or investigative purposes. The Act requires the Chief of the Capitol Police to submit semi-annual reports to Congress detailing activities, instances of action, privacy policies, and impacts on the National Airspace System.