Arizona House Bill 2574 attempts to establish the framework of how state law enforcement agencies and hobbyists use unmanned aerial vehicles — or drones.
Here are the bill’s main takeaways:
Law enforcement agencies can't use a drone to gather, store or collect evidence of any type (including audio or video recordings) that are not specifically outlined in a search warrant.
Although individuals can own personal drones, they cannot use it to "monitor other persons inside their homes or places of worship or within the closed confines of their property or other locations where a person would have an expectation of privacy."
Basically, an individual can't use a drone to spy on people.
This proposal is aligned with a handful of other states considering similar limits to the use of drones by law enforcement agencies.
The legislation comes at an interesting time for drones. As the technology transitions from the war abroad to the homeland, there are many passionate voices questioning its future in our lives.
If you ask former Wired editor-in-chief, Chris Anderson, he will tell you his personal drone company will revolutionize our daily lives — much like the personal computer.
But Montana lawmakers don't want any part of that revolution. Via the Associated Press:
In Montana, a libertarian-minded state that doesn't even let police use remote cameras to issue traffic tickets, Democrats and Republicans are banding together to back multiple proposals restricting drone use. They say drones, most often associated with overseas wars, aren't welcome in Big Sky Country.
