U.S. Congress · Public Law 119-86 (H.R. 7147) · Federal law

DHS appropriations law sets autonomous surveillance and UAS limits

EnactedRecorded action: April 30, 2026

Emergency officials view a CBP unmanned-aircraft video feed during Hurricane Irma response in 2017. — Related archive photo: officials view CBP unmanned-aircraft imagery during Hurricane Irma response in 2017. This is not a deployment funded by the new law. Image: Luis Yanez / U.S. Customs and Border Protection · Public domain — U.S. government work · 4032 × 3024 · Downsampled where needed to 4K or larger and WebP optimized; smaller card preview. No upscaling.

What happened

H.R. 7147 became Public Law 119-86 on April 30, 2026. The enacted appropriations law includes provisions governing autonomous border-surveillance procurement and Coast Guard unmanned aircraft.

What the law does

Section 207 bars specified Customs and Border Protection funds from being used to procure or deploy surveillance systems that are not autonomous under the law's referenced definition. Section 219 provides $98 million for MQ-9 aircraft, associated base stations and program support, while barring DHS funds from acquiring or equipping long-range unmanned aircraft with kinetic capabilities.

These provisions are enacted law, not a pending proposal. They apply through the appropriations language and limits in Public Law 119-86; they do not create a general authorization for autonomous surveillance or unmanned-aircraft operations outside those terms.

Verified October 27, 2026. This is a RobotMe summary of the official record; it is not legal advice.