A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Nuclear Ecosystem Drone Defense Act of 2025," aims to exempt the Secretary of Energy from certain prohibitions regarding unmanned aircraft systems. It amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 to include the Secretary of Energy alongside the Secretary of State for specific exemptions. These exemptions cover the procurement, operation, and use of federal funds for covered unmanned aircraft systems from covered foreign entities. Additionally, it grants the Secretary of Energy authority regarding classified tracking and accounting. Finally, the bill expands the Secretary of Energy's authority related to protecting specific nuclear facilities and assets.
Yes
- Scored +5
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill enhances the protection of nuclear facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft threats.
- Scored +4
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill expands the authority of the Secretary of Energy over drone procurement and nuclear facility protection.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Protection of Nuclear Assets: The bill expands the Secretary of Energy's authority to protect certain nuclear facilities and assets that are owned or contracted by the United States, specifically those used for storing, transporting, or using special nuclear material, or those used for the research, design, manufacture, or production of non-nuclear components for nuclear weapons (Section 2(f)).
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Increased Flexibility in Drone Procurement and Operation: By exempting the Secretary of Energy from certain prohibitions, the bill allows for the procurement and operation of covered unmanned aircraft systems from covered foreign entities (Section 2(a), Section 2(b), and Section 2(c)).
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Expanded Authority Over Tracking and Accounting: The bill provides the Secretary of Energy with authority to determine the usage of classified tracking and adds the Department of Energy to specific accounting provisions (Section 2(d) and Section 2(e)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill enhances the protection of nuclear facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft threats.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands the authority of the Secretary of Energy over drone procurement and nuclear facility protection.
- 5/14/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Marsha BlackburnRepublican · Tennessee