Cotton Introduces Bill to Protect Critical Infrastructure from Drones

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
April 23, 2026

Cotton Introduces Bill to Protect Critical Infrastructure from Drones

Washington, DC - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced legislation to protect critical infrastructure sites from unauthorized drones. The Critical Infrastructure Airspace Defense Act enhances security at critical infrastructure sites by ensuring federally trained individuals have the authority and tools to protect the sites from unmanned aerial threats in real-time. This legislation expands on bipartisan counter-drone measures introduced by Senator Cotton and passed in the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

"Our hospitals, power plants, water treatment facilities, and other critical infrastructure sites can't remain sitting ducks for potential drone attacks. My bill will ensure these important sites are protected from all unauthorized drones," said Senator Cotton.

Text of the bill can be found here.

The Critical Infrastructure Airspace Defense Act would:

• Give critical infrastructure sites the legal authority to take down unauthorized drones.
• Establish a grant program for critical infrastructure sites to purchase, install, and operate approved technology.
• Critical infrastructure refers to the assets, systems, and networks-whether physical or virtual-that are so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on national security, economic security, public health or safety, or any combination of these. These include:
  • Power plants
  • Nuclear sites
  • Airports
  • Pipelines
  • Dams

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