Bill > H1322

This bill, concerning the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, by government entities, establishes regulations for their operation and the use of data collected. It defines an unmanned aerial vehicle as an aircraft operated without direct human intervention. The bill mandates that all UAV operations must comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements and prohibits equipping them with weapons. It also outlines authorization procedures for acquiring UAVs, requiring approval from the Secretary of Public Safety for state and county governments, and municipal governing bodies subject to the Secretary's approval. The bill makes it unlawful for government entities to operate UAVs except for executing a warrant, for non-law enforcement purposes where collected information cannot be used as evidence or for intelligence, or in emergencies with documented justification and a supervisory official's affidavit filed within 48 hours. When operating under a warrant, UAVs must collect data only on the warrant subject and avoid collecting information on others or unrelated areas, and facial recognition technology is prohibited except to identify a warrant subject. Furthermore, UAVs cannot be used to track political, religious, or social views unless directly related to a criminal investigation with reasonable grounds. Data collected on individuals or areas not related to the warrant's justification must be deleted within 24 hours or with the data subject's consent. Information derived from UAV use will not be admissible in legal proceedings if the operation was unlawful, for an unlawful purpose, or violated data retention limits. The bill also details procedures for warrant applications, including potential delays in notifying the warrant subject, and requires government entities to provide the warrant subject with a copy of the warrant and related information. Finally, it mandates annual reporting to the legislature on the issuance and denial of warrants for UAV use, including details about the applications and the nature of the investigations.