Also Bans The Use Of Weaponized Drones

A new law went into effect in Oregon on Sunday that takes initial steps towards limiting data collected by drones under current law, and bans the use of weaponized drones in the state.

The Tenth Amendment Center reports that the law "establishes privacy protections at the state level" and will "help thwart the federal surveillance state."

The law requires any government agency using a drone to set policies and procedures for storing, accessing, use and retention of data collected by drones, setting the stage for limiting access to such data going forward. It also makes it a Class A misdemeanor to "knowingly or recklessly operates an unmanned aircraft system that is capable of firing a bullet or projectile or otherwise operates an unmanned aircraft system in a manner that causes the system to  function as a dangerous weapon as defined in ORS 161.015.”

The law, HB4066, strengthens existing drone regulations in Oregon. In 2013, Gov. John Jitzhaber signed a bill requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant for the use of unmanned aircraft in nearly all cases. The new law covers the use of data collected by such flights.

The Tenth Amendment Center says that the federal government funds a network of drones at the state and local level and encourages their use. That gives them access to an enormous amount of data that it did not have to collect. The Oregon law is a "major win" for privacy at the state level, the group contends.

FMI: https://legiscan.com/OR/bill/HB4066/2016