Sponsor Says She Wants To Protect The Public Without Overregulation

The state legislature in Nebraska will consider a bill later this year that would put statewide regulations on the use of drones.
The bill was introduced by State Senator Carol Blood of Bellevue, NE. She said as the use of drones continues to grow at a rapid pace, she wants to protect the public without over regulating the industry.

The Associated Press reports that Blood contends that the FAA's drone rules do no address all public safety concerns. "We want to make sure we have laws that tell people what our expectations are when they use technology," she said.

The legislation is similar to laws passed by other states. It makes using a drone to spy on people a misdemeanor, and would prohibit sex offenders from using a drone to violate a protection order.

Flying a drone at less than 300 feet over private property would be considered trespassing, and operators could be fined for such an infraction. An exception is made for such flights with the property owner's permission. It also prevents drone owners from weaponizing their aircraft, or using them from harassing livestock.

The law contains the usual carve-outs for police and fire department uses, but would require a warrant before information gathered with a drone could be used in court in most cases. It also protects authorities who might damage a drone in the course of their normal duties.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original report