SB 626

This bill provides that a law enforcement officer may do any of the following to mitigate the threat posed by a drone that the officer reasonably suspects poses an imminent threat to public safety: 1) detect, track, and identify the drone; and 2) intercept, disable, or destroy the drone through any lawful method, including jamming, hacking, or physically capturing the drone. The bill provides that neither the law enforcement officer nor the agency that employs them is financially liable for damage to or loss of a drone that is intercepted, disabled, or destroyed.

Under current law, no person may operate a drone over a correctional institution without the express permission of the secretary of corrections. A person who violates this prohibition is subject to a forfeiture of $5,000. This bill provides that a person who violates this prohibition by use of a weaponized drone, the use of which poses a threat to public safety, is guilty of a Class H felony. “Weaponized drone” is defined to mean a drone equipped with a taser, firearm, flamethrower, chemical, or explosive device.