IV
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. RES. 118
Calling on Federal law enforcement, led by the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Aviation
Administration, to provide an immediate briefing to the public regarding
the recent drone activity in New Jersey and New York.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY6, 2025
Mr. G
OTTHEIMERsubmitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on
Transportation and Infrastructure, and Homeland Security, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
RESOLUTION
Calling on Federal law enforcement, led by the Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Se-
curity, and the Federal Aviation Administration, to pro-
vide an immediate briefing to the public regarding the
recent drone activity in New Jersey and New York.
Whereas, in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving 2024, resi-
dents of New Jersey began reporting sightings of uniden-
tified drones flying in the sky;
Whereas residents in at least 10 counties across New Jersey
have reported sightings of unmanned aircraft systems
(UAS) and other drone-like objects;
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Whereas some witness reports suggest that certain drones
were as large as small cars or planes;
Whereas, on December 8, 2024, there were 49 reported drone
sightings in a single night in New Jersey;
Whereas, as of September 2020, the Federal Aviation Admin-
istration (FAA) had registered approximately 1.7 million
unmanned aircraft systems, more than 70 percent of
which are reportedly used for recreational purposes;
Whereas while drones and advancing technology provide sig-
nificant benefits to businesses and the economy, they may
also be exploited for nefarious purposes, including crimi-
nal and terrorist activities;
Whereas, on November 26, 2024, drones flying near a des-
ignated landing zone prevented a medical helicopter from
responding to a car crash victim in Somerset County,
New Jersey;
Whereas drones and other UAS have been spotted near sen-
sitive sites such as Picatinny Arsenal and Round Valley
Reservoir, a critical component of New Jersey’s water
supply;
Whereas, on December 13, 2024, Stewart Airport in Orange
County, New York—operated by the Port Authority of
New York and New Jersey—was forced to close its run-
ways for approximately one hour due to drone activity in
the airspace;
Whereas drones and other unidentified aerial objects have
also been reported in multiple States in addition to New
Jersey and New York;
Whereas, on January 28, 2025, White House Press Secretary
Karoline Leavitt stated that many of these drones were
authorized and known to the government; and
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Whereas Press Secretary Leavitt further stated: ‘‘After re-
search and study, the drones flying over New Jersey in
large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA
for research and various other reasons.’’: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1
(1) recognizes the efforts and dedication of 2
State and local law enforcement in addressing public 3
concerns regarding drone activity; 4
(2) calls on the Federal Bureau of Investiga-5
tion, the Department of Homeland Security, and the 6
Federal Aviation Administration to provide trans-7
parency and release information to the public re-8
garding recent drone activity where possible; 9
(3) urges the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 10
the Department of Homeland Security, and the Fed-11
eral Aviation Administration to conduct an imme-12
diate briefing to inform the public about the current 13
drone situation in New Jersey; 14
(4) calls on Federal law enforcement agencies, 15
led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the 16
Department of Homeland Security, to collaborate 17
with State and local law enforcement in deploying 18
resources to mitigate unauthorized drone activity; 19
and 20
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(5) requests that the Federal Bureau of Inves-1
tigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and 2
the Federal Aviation Administration assess whether 3
additional security measures are necessary to protect 4
critical infrastructure and public safety from poten-5
tial drone-related threats. 6
Æ
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