RICHMOND, Va. (Feb. 26, 2015) A Virginia bill to permanently restrict the use of drones by state and local law enforcement is on its way to the Governor’s desk for a signature. If signed into law, it would not only establish important privacy protections at the state level, it would also thwart the federal surveillance state.
Virginia was the first state in the U.S. to establish any restrictions on drones when former Gov. Bob McDonnell signed a two year moratorium on the use of unmanned aircraft in 2013. SB1301 would replace that temporary moratorium with permanent restrictions on drone use.
The House approved the bill by a 99-0 while the Senate passed the legislation back on Feb. 10 by a 21-17 vote. The two version had some technical differences, but the senate has agreed to the House’s version of the bill.
SB1301 would require any “state or local government department, agency, or instrumentality having jurisdiction over criminal law enforcement or regulatory violations,” to obtain a warrant before deploying a drone with only a few exceptions.
The bill only allows warrantless use of a drone to help locate a missing persons, if officials determined it necessary to alleviate an immediate danger to any person, or, “if a person with legal authority consents to the warrantless search.” It also allows for the use of drones for certain non-law enforcement activities such as disaster damage assessment. The House version carves out exceptions for the National Guard when training for its “federal mission.”
SB1301 includes a blanket prohibition against weaponized drones.
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Originally Posted by Sister Miriam Godwinson
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