HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — One of the most powerful legislative committees at the State Capitol has quickly acted on a proposed law to regulate the use of drones. The bill to establish state laws for the inexpensive small flying machines that can transmit perfect video is on a fast track.
The federal government is expected to deregulate the use of drones by the end of the year and announce rules for their private use. The Federal Aviation Administration covers everything that flies above 400 feet. What goes on below 400 feet will be up to the states. Because of that, state lawmakers are acting very, very quickly on a new law to regulate them here. The proposed law has overwhelmingly passed the powerful Judiciary Committee by a vote of 43 to 1.
“You don’t want to have a ‘wild west’ scenario,” said state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk. “You want to have a scenario in which people are protected.”
“Criminalizing the use of drones in pursuing criminal activity, such as voyeurism or dropping lethal items on property, stuff like that,” added the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield.
It will require the police to show probable cause to a judge and get a search warrant before they can use a drone to spy on anyone, but there would be exceptions for things like looking for a missing child.
“It’s unfortunate that it still requires that we have to get a warrant, but there’s enough exceptions that in an emergency type situation we could fly a drone,” said Cromwell Police Chief Tony Salvatore, who represents the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association.
Police had wanted a looser standard, like just having to show reasonable suspicion, but the A.C.L.U. of Connecticut fought to have a warrant required.
“This bill strikes the balance between public safety in a way that will allow police to use drones while respecting people’s Fourth Amendment privacy rights,” said the A.C.L.U.’s David McGuire.
The bill could come up in the state Senate within the next few weeks.
