S.B. 167 Enrolled

             1     

REGULATION OF DRONES

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

             5     
House Sponsor: Marc K. Roberts

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill establishes provisions for the appropriate use of an unmanned aerial vehicle.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    defines terms;
             13          .    enacts the "Government Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Act";
             14          .    prohibits a law enforcement agency from obtaining data through an unmanned aerial
             15      vehicle unless the data was obtained:
             16              .    pursuant to a warrant;
             17              .    in accordance with judicially recognized exceptions to warrant requirements; or
             18              .    under certain conditions, from a nongovernment actor;
             19          .    establishes requirements for the retention and use of data collected by an unmanned
             20      aerial vehicle;
             21          .    establishes reporting requirements for:
             22              .    a law enforcement agency that operates an unmanned aerial vehicle; and
             23              .    the Utah Department of Public Safety; and
             24          .    provides a statement of intent.
             25      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             26          None
             27      Other Special Clauses:
             28          None
             29      Utah Code Sections Affected:


             30      ENACTS:
             31           63G-18-101 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             32           63G-18-102 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             33           63G-18-103 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             34           63G-18-104 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             35           63G-18-105 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             36      Uncodified Material Affected:
             37      ENACTS UNCODIFIED MATERIAL
             38     
             39      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             40          Section 1. Section 63G-18-101 is enacted to read:
             41     
CHAPTER 18. GOVERNMENT USE OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES ACT

             42          63G-18-101. Title.
             43          This chapter is known as the "Government Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Act."
             44          Section 2. Section 63G-18-102 is enacted to read:
             45          63G-18-102. Definitions.
             46          As used in this chapter:
             47          (1) "Law enforcement agency" means an entity of the state or an entity of a political
             48      subdivision of the state, including an entity of a state institution of higher education, that exists
             49      primarily to prevent, detect, or prosecute crime and enforce criminal statutes or ordinances.
             50          (2) "Nongovernment actor" means a person that is not:
             51          (a) an agency, department, division, or other entity within state government;
             52          (b) a person employed by or acting in an official capacity on behalf of the state;
             53          (c) a political subdivision of the state; or
             54          (d) a person employed by or acting in an official capacity on behalf of a political
             55      subdivision of the state.
             56          (3) "Target" means a person upon whom, or a structure or area upon which a person:
             57          (a) has intentionally collected or attempted to collect information through the operation


             58      of an unmanned aerial vehicle; or
             59          (b) plans to collect or attempt to collect information through the operation of an
             60      unmanned aerial vehicle.
             61          (4) (a) "Unmanned aerial vehicle" means an aircraft that:
             62          (i) is capable of sustaining flight; and
             63          (ii) operates with no possible direct human intervention from on or within the aircraft.
             64          (b) "Unmanned aerial vehicle" does not include an unmanned aircraft that is flown:
             65          (i) within visual line of sight of the individual operating the aircraft; and
             66          (ii) strictly for hobby or recreational purposes.
             67          Section 3. Section 63G-18-103 is enacted to read:
             68          63G-18-103. Warrant required -- Exceptions.
             69          (1) A law enforcement agency may not obtain, receive, or use data acquired through an
             70      unmanned aerial vehicle unless the data is obtained:
             71          (a) pursuant to a search warrant;
             72          (b) in accordance with judicially recognized exceptions to warrant requirements; or
             73          (c) subject to Subsection (2), from a person who is a nongovernment actor.
             74          (2) A nongovernment actor may only disclose data acquired through an unmanned
             75      aerial vehicle to a law enforcement agency if:
             76          (a) the data appears to pertain to the commission of a crime; or
             77          (b) the nongovernment actor believes, in good faith, that:
             78          (i) the data pertains to an imminent or ongoing emergency involving danger of death or
             79      serious bodily injury to an individual; and
             80          (ii) disclosing the data would assist in remedying the emergency.
             81          Section 4. Section 63G-18-104 is enacted to read:
             82          63G-18-104. Data retention.
             83          (1) Except as provided in this section, a law enforcement agency:
             84          (a) may not use, copy, or disclose data collected by an unmanned aerial vehicle on a
             85      person, structure, or area that is not a target; and


             86          (b) shall ensure that data described in Subsection (1)(a) is destroyed as soon as
             87      reasonably possible after the law enforcement agency collects or receives the data.
             88          (2) A law enforcement agency is not required to comply with Subsection (1) if:
             89          (a) deleting the data would also require the deletion of data that:
             90          (i) relates to the target of the operation; and
             91          (ii) is requisite for the success of the operation;
             92          (b) the law enforcement agency receives the data:
             93          (i) through a court order that:
             94          (A) requires a person to release the data to the law enforcement agency; or
             95          (B) prohibits the destruction of the data; or
             96          (ii) from a person who is a nongovernment actor;
             97          (c) (i) the data was collected inadvertently; and
             98          (ii) the data appears to pertain to the commission of a crime;
             99          (d) (i) the law enforcement agency reasonably determines that the data pertains to an
             100      emergency situation; and
             101          (ii) using or disclosing the data would assist in remedying the emergency; or
             102          (e) the data was collected through the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle over
             103      public lands outside of municipal boundaries.
             104          Section 5. Section 63G-18-105 is enacted to read:
             105          63G-18-105. Reporting.
             106          (1) (a) Except as provided by Subsection (1)(b), before March 31 of each year, a law
             107      enforcement agency that operated an unmanned aerial vehicle in the previous calendar year
             108      shall submit to the Utah Department of Public Safety, and make public on the law enforcement
             109      agency's website, a written report containing:
             110          (i) the number of times the law enforcement agency operated an unmanned aerial
             111      vehicle in the previous calendar year;
             112          (ii) the number of criminal investigations aided by the use of an unmanned aerial
             113      vehicle operated by the law enforcement agency in the previous calendar year;


             114          (iii) a description of how the unmanned aerial vehicle was helpful to each investigation
             115      described in Subsection (1)(a)(ii);
             116          (iv) the frequency with which data was collected, and the type of data collected, by an
             117      unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the law enforcement agency on any person, structure, or
             118      area other than a target in the previous calendar year;
             119          (v) the number of times a law enforcement agency received, from a person who is not a
             120      law enforcement agency, data collected by an unmanned aerial vehicle; and
             121          (vi) the total cost of the unmanned aerial vehicle program operated by the law
             122      enforcement agency in the previous calendar year.
             123          (b) (i) A law enforcement agency that submits a report described in Subsection (1)(a)
             124      may exclude from the report information pertaining to an ongoing investigation.
             125          (ii) A law enforcement agency that excludes information under Subsection (1)(b)(i)
             126      from the report shall report the excluded information to the Utah Department of Public Safety
             127      on the annual report in the year following the year in which the information was excluded.
             128          (2) Before May 31 of each year, the Utah Department of Public Safety shall, for all
             129      reports received under Subsection (1) during the previous calendar year:
             130          (a) transmit to the Government Operations Interim Committee and post on the
             131      department's website a report containing:
             132          (i) a summary of the information reported to the department;
             133          (ii) the total number of issued warrants authorizing the operation of an unmanned aerial
             134      vehicle; and
             135          (iii) the number of denied warrants for the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle;
             136      and
             137          (b) post on the department's website each report the department received.
             138          Section 6. Statement of intent.
             139          This chapter is intended to govern the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle by a law
             140      enforcement agency. Nothing herein is intended to prohibit or impede the public and private
             141      research, development, or manufacture of unmanned aerial vehicles. Unmanned aerial vehicles


             142      will provide promising technological advances, which, if properly developed, will prove
             143      beneficial to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this state and greater society.


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