Bill > S2702

This bill establishes standards for law enforcement agencies and fire departments in New Jersey when using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones. A UAV is defined as an aerial vehicle without a human operator, capable of autonomous or remote piloting and surveillance, which means monitoring, observing, or recording people or their activities. The bill prohibits law enforcement from using UAVs for surveillance or evidence gathering unless there are reasonable grounds to believe the information is relevant to an ongoing criminal investigation, or if the UAV is used for search and rescue missions, including locating missing persons or children, or in response to an Amber Alert or Silver Alert. Any unrelated verbal or video recordings captured by law enforcement UAVs must be discarded within 14 days, and such information is protected from public disclosure, with exceptions for court or law enforcement use in investigations. Evidence obtained in violation of these rules cannot be used in criminal prosecutions. Firefighter services, including forest firefighters and paid or volunteer fire departments, can use UAVs to survey or monitor the extent of fires, but any unrelated recordings must also be discarded within 14 days and kept confidential. Both law enforcement and fire departments must maintain detailed records of their UAV usage, including maintenance and fuel records, and conduct annual inspections to ensure the UAVs are safe for public proximity. These inspection reports, along with usage data, must be submitted annually to the Attorney General's office. Crucially, the bill explicitly forbids the use of UAVs equipped with "anti-personnel devices," which are defined as firearms or any projectile designed to harm or incapacitate a person, with violations being a fourth-degree crime. The Attorney General, in conjunction with the Superintendent of State Police, will develop further rules and regulations to implement these provisions.