Federal Maritime Commission chairman Laura DiBella and commissioner Robert J. Harvey have backed legislation that would allow major US seaports to detect, seize and disable unauthorised drones, according to the Federal Maritime Commission.
The commissioners said on 14 July that fragmented federal powers had left ports without a clear framework for responding to unsafe or malicious drone activity. Their statement reflected their personal views and not necessarily those of the five-member FMC.
The Seaport Security Act of 2026, H.R. 9229, was introduced in the House of Representatives on 9 June by Florida representatives Jimmy Patronis and Mike Haridopolos. It remains at the introduced stage after referral to the House Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill would apply to ports handling at least 1m tons of commercial or military cargo annually or routinely processing passengers embarking on multi-day cruises.
The FAA and qualifying seaports would be authorised to detect, mitigate, seize and disable unauthorised drones. Exemptions would cover federal agencies, notified state and local law enforcement operations, port and contractor flights for operational or security purposes, FAA-approved waivers and emergencies involving an immediate threat to life or property.
Civil penalties could reach $25,000 for each offence. Wilful violations could carry prison terms of up to two years, rising to 10 years when a flight is intended to conduct surveillance, cause damage or disruption, or facilitate criminal or terrorist activity.
The FAA would have 180 days after enactment to issue implementing regulations. The commissioners’ statement and the filed legislation differ over the vertical limit of the proposed protected airspace. DiBella and Harvey said controlled or restricted airspace would extend below 400 feet over critical port areas, with detection and mitigation coordinated through the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security.
The bill instead sets the limit at 1,000 feet above a seaport, plus any additional lateral or vertical airspace designated by the FAA.
The commissioners said Port Canaveral recorded more than 500 drone incursions in 2025, including flights over aerospace and military operations and cruise terminals capable of handling as many as 60,000 passengers a day. “We believe this legislation is an important step towards addressing this broad issue threatening American ports,” DiBella and Harvey said.
The FMC is an independent US federal agency regulating international ocean transportation. Port Canaveral is a Florida seaport governed by the Canaveral Port Authority.