S. 1809 Drone Espionage Act Cost Estimate

The CBO released its cost estimate for S. 1809, the Drone Espionage Act, as introduced in the 119th Congress. The bill addresses concerns about drones being used for espionage purposes by foreign adversaries. CBO determined that implementing the legislation would not require any significant additional federal spending and would have no material impact on the federal budget.

Affected parties including drone manufacturers, operators, and government agencies should note that while the CBO estimate shows minimal direct fiscal impact, the underlying bill proposes specific prohibitions on intelligence collection using unmanned aircraft systems. Compliance obligations and enforcement mechanisms would apply if the bill is enacted into law.