Bill · H.R. 8697· House(119-HR-8697)
Guard the Skies Act
- Introduced
- 5/7/2026
- Last activity
- 5/7/2026 — Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Michael McCaul
- Cosponsors
- - 6 - 4
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Guard the Skies Act" seeks to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and titles 10 and 32 of the United States Code. The primary purpose of this bill is to authorize the National Guard to protect specific facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft. This authorization is granted through the Secretary of Defense upon a request from a State's chief executive officer. The bill also updates various existing laws to incorporate the Department of Defense into the oversight and implementation of these protections.
Yes
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?+1
The bill provides new mission authorizations and training opportunities for National Guard members, many of whom are veterans.
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?+1
The bill expands training and drill authorizations for National Guard members which includes veterans serving in those capacities.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
National Guard Protection Authorization: The bill allows the Secretary of Defense to authorize National Guard members to protect certain facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft if requested by a State's chief executive officer (Section 2(b)). This provides a mechanism for states to utilize the National Guard for specific security missions involving unmanned aircraft.
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Expanded Training and Duties: The bill adds support for actions related to the new authorization as a reason for required drills and field exercises under title 32 (Section 2(c)). This ensures National Guard members are prepared for these specific security missions.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Veterans+1
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Veterans Benefits+1
- 6/8/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/2/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/12/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 5/7/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Michael BaumgartnerRepublican · Washington
Elijah CraneRepublican · Arizona
Josh GottheimerDemocrat · New Jersey
Michael GuestRepublican · Mississippi
Chrissy HoulahanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Marcy KapturDemocrat · Ohio
Burgess OwensRepublican · Utah
Mike QuigleyDemocrat · Illinois
John RutherfordRepublican · Florida
Elise StefanikRepublican · New York