Missouri Bill Would Also Curtail Manned Law Enforcement Flights

The Florida Senate and Missouri House of Representatives have each passed legislation to limit the use of unmanned aircraft in their respective states.

In Florida, a bill sponsored by Republican Senator Joe Negron to limit the use of UAVs by law enforcement agencies passed on a unanimous 39-0 vote. His bill would limit the use of the aircraft to preventing imminent danger to life or serious damage to property. Fox News reports that the bill would also require police to obtain a search warrant before a UAV could be used to collect evidence. It makes an exemption for situations that constitute a credible threat of terrorist attack.

The FAA had authorized three police departments, the Miami-Dade Police as well as the Orange and Polk County Sheriff's departments, to test drones in the state. Polk County recently suspended its program citing its costs.

In Missouri, the "Preserving Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act" limits drone use while also banning the use of manned aircraft from conducing some types of surveillance without a warrant. The bill would prohibit "any person, entity, or state agency from using a manned aircraft, drone or unmanned aircraft to gather evidence or other information relating to  criminal conduct or a violation of a statute or regulation except to the extent authorized in a warrant. A person, entity, or state agency is prohibited from using a manned aircraft, drone or unmanned aircraft to conduct surveillance or observation under the doctrine of open fields of an individual, property owned by an individual, farm, or agricultural industry without the consent of the individual,property owner, farm, or agricultural industry."

Missouri representative Casey Guernsey (R) sponsored the bill in response to the use of small UAVs by the U.S. EPA to look for clean water violations on farms in Nebraska and Iowa. "We don't want that to happen in Missouri," the legislator said. The bill provides specific protections for agricultural interests.

Some in the Missouri legislature said during the debate that the bill would have a detrimental effect on law enforcement in the state.  The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the State Highway Patrol and local police agencies use manned aircraft to locate marijuana fields and meth labs. Rep. Jeff Roorda (D) said during the debate that the legislation "goes way too far. It disables law enforcement's ability to keep us safe."

FMI: www.house.mo.gov, www.flsenate.gov