Bill · S. 4461· Senate(119-S-4461)
Visual Protection of Strategic Assets Act
- Introduced
- 4/30/2026
- Last activity
- 4/30/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Tom Cotton
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Visual Protection of Strategic Assets Act aims to improve the prohibition on espionage by amending title 18 of the United States Code. It introduces specific definitions for "countries of concern," "covered persons," "high-value assets," and "tier-1 installations." The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption of intent for covered persons who photograph, video, or track specific assets or installations. It mandates that the Secretary of Defense maintain and publicly update lists of these high-value assets and tier-1 installations. Additionally, the act modernizes the prohibitions regarding photographing and sketching defense installations to include digital content and AI-enhanced depictions. Finally, it increases penalties and introduces visa revocation for violations involving certain individuals.
Yes
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?+4
The bill modernizes espionage prohibitions to include digital transmissions and AI-enhanced visual depictions.
Does this tighten control of the border?+3
The bill strengthens national security by tightening controls on sensitive information gathered by foreign nationals.
The opposite· 3 of 4
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?-6
The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption of intent that requires a high evidentiary standard of clear and convincing evidence to overcome.
Would immigrants be better off under this?-5
The bill mandates visa revocation and removal proceedings for certain non-citizens convicted of these offenses.
Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens?-5
The bill imposes harsh immigration consequences, including visa revocation and removal proceedings, for certain foreign nationals.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased protection of military assets: The bill identifies high-value assets, such as the Boeing E-4B 'Nightwatch', Boeing RC-135, Northrop B-2 'Spirit', and Rockwell B-1 'Lancer', as well as nuclear command platforms, to better protect them (Section 2(a)(3)).
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Clearer warnings for the public: The Secretary of Defense is required to install signs and markers identifying high-value assets and tier-1 installations and stating that photography or surveillance is strictly prohibited (Section 2(a)(5)).
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Updated security measures for modern technology: The law modernizes prohibitions to include digital photographs, the transmission of video over the internet, and visual depictions enhanced using artificial intelligence (Section 2(b)(1)(A)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Legal burden on citizens or nationals of specific countries: A rebuttable presumption is created where "covered persons"—defined as citizens or nationals of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, or the Islamic Republic of Iran, or those acting for them—are presumed to have intent to injure the United States if they photograph or track high-value assets or tier-1 installations (Section 2(a)(1)(A) and Section 2(a)(2)(A)).
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Difficult legal defense for covered persons: To rebut the presumption of intent, a covered person must demonstrate by "clear and convincing evidence" that they had prior approval from the Secretary of Defense (Section 2(a)(2)(B)).
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Significant criminal penalties: Violations involving high-value assets or tier-1 installations can result in up to 7 years in prison, and if the defendant is a citizen or national of a country of concern, imprisonment can range from 5 to 10 years (Section 2(b)(1)(2)(B) and Section 2(b)(1)(2)(C)).
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Financial and property burdens: Violators may be fined, face civil penalties of up to $100,000, and must forfeit any electronic or other device used in the commission of the violation (Section 2(b)(1)(c)).
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Immigration consequences: Citizens or nationals of a country of concern who are convicted of these violations shall have their visas revoked and be placed in removal proceedings (Section 2(b)(2)).
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 Immigrants-5Good For Asian Americans-3
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process-6
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Cybersecurity Defense+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Border Security+3Improves Pathway To Citizenship-5
- 4/30/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in Senate