House Passes Ban on Drone Strikes Against US Citizens

Washington: White House has reportedly passed a defence bill banning drone strikes against US citizens.

The move came after Junior Senator Rand Paul held a filibuster urging the President Barack Obama's administration to explain why it had carried out the drone strikes which enabled the military to target citizens with Hell-fire missiles from an unmanned aerial vehicle. 

Note: The amendment does contain an exception for Americans "actively engaged in combat against the United States".

Below is the Full Amendment:

AMENDMENT TO THE RULES COMMITTEE PRINT
OF H.R. 1960 
OFFERED BY MR. BROUN OF GEORGIA
At the end of subtitle E of title XII of division A, 
add the following new section: 
1 SEC. 12l. PROHIBITION ON USE OF DRONES TO KILL 
2 UNITED STATES CITIZENS. 
3 (a) PROHIBITION.—The Department of Defense may 
4 not use a drone to kill a citizen of the United States. 
5 (b) EXCEPTION.—The prohibition under subsection 
6 (a) shall not apply to an individual who is actively engaged 
7 in combat against the United States. 
8 (c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘drone’’ 
9 means an unmanned aircraft (as defined in section 331 
10 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (49 

11 U.S.C. 40101 note))