Bill > S01096

This bill establishes the "Protect Our Privacy (POP) Act" to comprehensively regulate law enforcement's use of drones, imposing strict limitations to protect civil liberties. The legislation prohibits law enforcement agencies from using drones for general surveillance, specifically banning their use at First Amendment protected events like concerts, protests, and demonstrations, and explicitly forbidding the use of armed drones. The bill allows very limited drone usage only for specific purposes such as search and rescue operations and examining areas after natural disasters. Additionally, the legislation mandates that any data collected through permissible drone use must be kept confidential, cannot be shared without agreement, and must be destroyed within one year unless part of an active criminal investigation. The bill provides strong enforcement mechanisms, including allowing individuals to file civil actions against government entities that violate these provisions, with potential damages of $1,000 per violation or actual damages, punitive damages, and mandatory attorney's fees for prevailing plaintiffs. The definition of "drone" is broad, encompassing remotely piloted devices that travel by air, land, or water, and the law applies retroactively to existing drone surveillance data, requiring the deletion of any information collected using facial recognition technology.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1096