Legislation making its way through the Oklahoma state legislature aims to allow property owners to lawfully shoot down a drone trespassing over their property. But that could put the state on a collision course with the federal government.
The bill, S.B. 660, would allow the destruction of a drone flying over someone's private property. After passing the Judiciary Committee by an 11-0 vote on Feb. 21, the Senate floor version of the bill reads: "Any person owning or controlling real estate or other premises who voluntarily damages or destroys a drone located on the real estate or premises or within the airspace of the real estate or premises not otherwise regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration or where a reasonable expectation of privacy exists, shall, together with any successors in interest, if any, not be civilly liable for causing the damage or destruction to the property of such person."
The full Senate is expected to take up the legislation soon. In 2015, a drone operated by an animal rights group was shot down over private property while filming a pigeon-shoot fundraiser for Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.
Drones are becoming a hit consumer product. According to the Federal Aviation Administration's annual "Aerospace Forecast Report Fiscal Years 2016 to 2036," combined total hobbyist and commercial drone sales are expected to rise from 2.5 million in 2016 to 7 million in 2020.
Yet toy drones can be dangerous. The FAA published a report last month revealing that the number of drone sightings by pilots, air traffic controllers, law enforcement and the general public between February and September 2016 is on the rise. While there haven't been any verified reports of collisions between a civil aircraft and a drone, the FAA is taking action to prevent this type of disaster. The agency has worked in partnership with a number of companies and other government agencies, such as the FBI and Homeland Security Department, to evaluate drone-detection technology in and around airports.
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04.27.2024