New Counter-Drone Rules Raise the Bar for Mission Evidence. The Truth Calculator Outlines Its Response.
BEYONDx Advisors sets out a planned evidence-review workflow for source authority, accountable decisions and explainable handoffs under the DOJ/DHS SAFER SKIES framework.
September 7, 2026 — BEYONDx Advisors, LLC is outlining its planned The Truth Calculator: Authority & Mission Evidence capability to address a practical challenge behind the federal counter-drone framework: connecting a mission decision to the records that explain its authority, supporting evidence, human approvals and subsequent handling.
The opportunity is straightforward. Detecting a threat and explaining an authorized response are different jobs. The people receiving a mission handoff need to understand what happened, what the records support, who reviewed them, what can be shared and what must still be resolved.
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What changed—and why it matters now
The parallel DOJ and DHS regulations in 28 CFR Part 124 and 6 CFR Part 124 implement the framework for specified State, local, Tribal and territorial law-enforcement and correctional agencies and their personnel under 6 U.S.C. §124n(a)(2), as amended by the SAFER SKIES Act. The joint interim final rule was published July 6, 2026, with an effective date of July 1, 2026. Its published comment deadline was September 4. It is an effective rule, not simply a proposal. [1–3]
The framework separates detection and warning from mitigation, with different qualification and coordination requirements. Authority depends on the applicable agency, personnel, technology and operational conditions; buying software does not create it. Federal operations and deputized personnel operating within FBI counter-UAS task forces follow separate policies. [2–3]
For eligible agencies, the work extends beyond equipment. It includes agency policies, personnel qualifications, system configurations, approvals, coordination, reporting and privacy protections. For technology vendors and integrators, the handoff must also respect where data came from and whether it can lawfully be used or disclosed. [2–3]
One rule is especially relevant to evidence readiness: an agency cannot request, buy, subscribe to or operationally rely on intercepted UAS control communications acquired by an actor lacking the necessary lawful authority. The agency must document the source’s authority, with legal-counsel review and concurrence procedures. This restriction concerns the underlying interception and data—not a blanket ban on software subscriptions. [1; 2, §124.14(i)]
The problem: a record can arrive without the context needed to use it
Consider a fictional post-operation review at a correctional facility. The responsible team receives a mission summary, system-version records and references to official approvals. A vendor has supplied a separate intelligence summary. Before the next handoff, reviewers need to establish the source’s collection authority, reconcile the versions used, identify missing approvals and determine which information the recipient may receive.
A folder full of files does not, by itself, answer those questions. Nor does a polished summary establish that a required report was submitted.
Part 124 requires specified post-operation reporting within 48 hours of the first applicable trigger, immediate notification of unintended consequences, and semiannual summaries. It also separates a protected audit trail retained for at least six years from covered communications that may need prompt deletion and generally cannot be kept beyond 180 days without an applicable exception. Evidence readiness must support both accountability and lawful disposal. [2, §§124.12–124.14]
The planned response: make the handoff explainable
The planned Authority & Mission Evidence workflow is intended to connect:
- The claim and its sources: what the selected records support, contradict or leave unanswered.
- The basis for use: documented source authority, purpose, restrictions and named human review.
- The decision record: the versions reviewed, open conditions, approvals and next responsible action.
- The controlled handoff: recipient and purpose checks, reporting worksheets, and retention or disposal records within an approved scope.
Initial evaluations would use synthetic or explicitly authorized, non-sensitive material. Handling restricted operational records would require a separately approved environment, legal and security review, and demonstrated controls. The consumer app is not an agency repository for those records.
“The mission may end, but accountability continues. People deserve more than a confident summary: they need the evidence, the basis for using it, and a clear account of what still needs human judgment. That is the handoff we want The Truth Calculator to make explainable.”
— Jay Allan Shears, Founder & CEO, BEYONDx Advisors, LLC
The broader roadmap proposes a qX-TGRI engine and vendor SDK, allowing qualified partners to explore evidence-review capabilities within their own applications through versioned interfaces and domain-specific requirements. The proposed commercial model centers on licensed software, maintained capabilities and support. Its value and repeatability remain to be validated.
The free iPhone app is preparing for release and is not yet available on the App Store. Authority & Mission Evidence is planned; the enterprise engine and vendor SDK are proposed. This announcement describes product direction, not a counter-UAS deployment or an available agency compliance system. TTC does not grant operational authority, control or mitigate drones, replace required training or federal submissions, or guarantee compliance. No government approval or certification is claimed.
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See the planned workflow, mission-handoff examples and product boundaries on The Truth Calculator’s Authority & Mission Evidence page.
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BEYONDx invites eligible agencies, technology vendors, integrators and strategic partners to discuss a defined evidence-review need and the conditions for a scoped evaluation. Contact Jay Allan Shears through BEYONDx Advisors with non-confidential business context. Please do not send operational records, intercepted communications or other protected information through the public contact form.
Also explore the TTC ecosystem and how evidence readiness works.
About BEYONDx Advisors and The Truth Calculator
The Truth Calculator™ is owned and operated by BEYONDx Advisors, LLC. Its evidence-readiness ecosystem is being developed to connect consequential claims with supporting records, unresolved gaps and human review. qX Alliance™ provides BEYONDx’s collaboration and pathway-to-market framework.
Sources
Sources checked September 8, 2026 (UTC). This release summarizes selected provisions, not every requirement applicable to a particular operation.
- Joint DOJ/DHS interim final rule, 91 FR 41466, July 6, 2026.
- 28 CFR Part 124, especially §§124.1–124.9 and §§124.12–124.15.
- 6 CFR Part 124; SAFER SKIES Act, Public Law 119-60, Title LXXXVI, §§8601–8607, amending 6 U.S.C. §124n.
Related implementation development: The FBI’s September 1, 2026 information-collection notice seeks OMB review of revised collection instruments. It is a Paperwork Reduction Act notice, not a separate expansion of operational authority. Its comment period ends November 2, 2026.