Sen. Rand Paul Blocks Bill Authorizing States to Track Drones, Citing Overreach

The bill would have expanded state drone-tracking authority, but Paul had concerns over privacy and data collection.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) speaks during a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 31, 2023. Mandel Ngan/AFP

WASHINGTON—Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Dec. 18 blocked a bill proposed by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) authorizing state and local law enforcement to track unidentified drones recently sighted in New Jersey, New York, and other states on the East Coast.

The bill would have expanded the authority of the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ) and authorized the creation of a state and federal database containing information gathered from “security-related incidents” involving drone surveillance.