,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dbce  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #bf1    
#bjbf,mr4 ,cotton 7for himself and ,mr4 
,schumer7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,homeland ,security   
and ,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill   
,to prohibit executive agencies from    
procuring or operating certain unmanned 
ground vehicle systems1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,american ,security 
,robotics ,act of #bjbf4  #b4           
,prohibition on the procurement and     
operation of covered unmanned ground    
vehicle systems  7a7 ,definitions ,in   
this section3 7#a7 ,covered nation ,the 
term covered nation has the meaning     
given the term in section #dhgb7;f7 of  
title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#b7 
,covered foreign entity ,the term       
covered foreign entity means an entity  
that is-- 7,a7 domiciled in a covered   
nation2  7,b7 subject to the influence  

or control of the government of a       
covered nation1 as determined by the    
,secretary of ,homeland ,security or the
 ,secretary of ,defense2 or  7,c7 a     
subsidiary or affiliate of an entity    
described in subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b74 
7#c7 ,covered unmanned ground vehicle   
system ,the term covered unmanned ground
 vehicle system means an unmanned ground
 vehicle system manufactured or         
assembled by a covered foreign entity4  
7#d7 ,executive agency ,the term        
executive agency has the meaning given  
the term in section #acc of title #da1  
,united ,states ,code4  7#e7 ,unmanned  
ground vehicle system ,the term unmanned
 ground vehicle system means a system   
that includes-- 7,a7 a mechanical       
device1 including a remote surveillance 
vehicle1 autonomous patrol technology1  
mobile robotics1 or a humanoid robot1   
that-- 7i7 is capable of locomotion1    
navigation1 or movement on the ground2  
and  7ii7 operates at a distance from a 
human operator or supervisor based on   

commands or in response to sensor data  
or any combination thereof2  7,b7 the   
payload of the mechanical device        
described in subparagraph 7,a72 and     
7,c7 any external device used to control
 the mechanical device described in     
subparagraph 7,a74  7b7 ,prohibition on 
procurement of covered unmanned ground  
vehicle systems ,except as provided     
under subsection 7e71 the head of an    
executive agency may not procure any    
covered unmanned ground vehicle system4 
7c7 ,prohibition on operation of covered
 unmanned ground vehicle systems  7#a7  
,in general ,except as provided in      
subsection 7e71 beginning on the date   
that is one year after the date of the  
enactment of this ,act1 no executive    
agency may operate a covered unmanned   
ground vehicle system4  7#b7            
,applicability to contracted services   
,the prohibition under paragraph 7#a7   
applies to any covered unmanned ground  
vehicle system being used by an         
executive agency through a contract for 

the services of the covered unmanned    
ground vehicle system4  7d7 ,prohibition
 on use of ,federal funds for           
procurement or operation of covered     
unmanned ground vehicle systems ,except 
as provided in subsection 7e71 beginning
 on the date that is one year after the 
date of the enactment of this ,act1 no  
,federal funds awarded through a        
contract1 grant1 or cooperative         
agreement1 or otherwise made available1 
may be used to procure or in connection 
with the operation of a covered unmanned
 ground vehicle system4  7e7 ,exemption 
to prohibitions  7#a7 ,in general ,the  
head of an agency described in paragraph
 7#b7 is exempt from the prohibitions   
under subsections 7b71 7c71 and 7d7 if--
 7,a7 the procurement or operation of   
the covered unmanned ground vehicle     
system is in the national interest of   
the ,united ,states2 and  7,b7 7i7 the  
sole purpose for the procurement or     
operation is-- 7,i7 research1           
evaluation1 training1 testing1 or       

analysis for electronic warfare1        
information warfare operations1         
cybersecurity1 or the development of    
unmanned ground vehicle system or       
counter-unmanned ground vehicle system  
technology2 or  7,,ii7 conducting       
counter-terrorism or counterintelligence
 activities1 protective missions1 or    
,federal criminal or national security  
investigations1 including forensic      
examinations2 or  7ii7 the covered      
unmanned ground vehicle system1 as      
procured or as modified after           
procurement but before operational use--
 7,i7 can no longer transfer data to1 or
 download data from1 a covered foreign  
entity2 and  7,,ii7 poses no national   
security cybersecurity risk as          
determined by the head of the agency4   
7#b7 ,agencies described ,the agencies  
described in this paragraph are-- 7,a7  
the ,department of ,homeland ,security2 
7,b7 the ,department of ,defense2  7,c7 
the ,department of ,state2 and  7,d7 the
 ,department of ,justice4