Drone aircraft; limitations on use, penalties. (HB2077)
Introduced By
Del. Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✗ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Limitations on use of drone aircraft; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for the operation, manufacture, sale, or distribution of an unmanned aircraft system (drone) as a weapon or to deliver a weapon. The bill provides that no governmental agency or organization having jurisdiction over criminal or regulatory violations, including the Department of State Police, nor any local law-enforcement department, may procure a public unmanned aircraft system (drone aircraft) without the approval of the General Assembly or the local governing body, respectively. The bill requires a warrant for governmental use of such an aircraft. Law-enforcement officers and other public officials may operate a public unmanned aircraft system and disclose personal information from such operation under certain emergency situations without a warrant. The bill also provides that it is not unlawful for a public institution of higher education or other research organizations and institutions to operate a drone aircraft solely for research and development purposes. The bill contains extensive procedural guarantees against the release of personal information and establishes reporting requirements by agencies and courts with respect to use of and data collected by such aircraft. Read the Bill »
Outcome
History
- 01/14/2015 Committee
- 01/14/2015 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/14/15 15101647D
- 01/14/2015 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
- 01/20/2015 Assigned Courts sub: Criminal Law
- 01/30/2015 Impact statement from DPB (HB2077)
- 02/04/2015 Subcommittee recommends incorporating (HB2125-Cline)
- 02/10/2015 Left in Courts of Justice
Comments
The ACLU of Virginia strongly supports this legislation that regulates the use of drones by government agencies. The legislation requires a search warrant for drone use by law or regulatory enforcement agencies and establishes reporting requirements so that the public is aware of the uses being made of drones. The bill also requires approval to purchase drones from the legislature or local governing bodies as appropriate. The bill also makes it a crime for any person to operate a weaponized drone in the Commonwealth.
The ACLU of Virginia strongly supports this legislation that regulates the use of drones by government agencies. The legislation requires a search warrant for drone use by law or regulatory enforcement agencies and establishes reporting requirements so that the public is aware of the uses being made of drones. The bill also requires approval to purchase drones from the legislature or local governing bodies as appropriate. The bill also makes it a crime for any person to operate a weaponized drone in the Commonwealth.