COUNTER Act

This bill, known as the COUNTER Act, significantly enhances the Department of Defense's authority to mitigate threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). It mandates the Secretary of Defense to **delegate this authority** to unified combatant commanders or other appropriate DoD officials, and explicitly allows for the use of **remote identification broadcast** or other means to counter these threats. The bill also permits the DoD to support other federal agencies in their UAS mitigation efforts, fostering interagency cooperation. Crucially, the Act provides **legal protections** by clarifying that certain criminal statutes do not apply to DoD or Coast Guard UAS mitigation activities conducted outside the United States. It also exempts sensitive information regarding the technology, procedures, and protocols used for UAS mitigation from **public disclosure** under federal and state laws. The bill expands the definition of "covered facility or asset" to include DoD property not open to the public, assistance for incidents involving weapons of mass destruction, and specific emergency response scenarios, thereby **broadening the scope** of where these counter-UAS measures can be applied. Additionally, it extends several reporting deadlines related to these activities.