House resurrects drone regulations

Earlier this year the New Hampshire Senate killed a bill that limited the use of drones by law enforcement, businesses, and private citizens. 

On Thursday, June 1 the House of Representatives resurrected the bill by adding its language to an unrelated bill about franchise regulations. The Senate will likely request a conference committee with Representatives to negotiate a final version of the bill.

When offering his amendment on June 1, Rep. Neal Kurk noted that the drone regulation bill originally passed the House with a margin of almost nine-to-one.

Supporters of the regulations argue that drones are a significant threat to the privacy of New Hampshire citizens.  Kurk’s language will protect citizens by requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant and requiring businesses or private citizens to get permission to fly over anyone’s private property.

However, Senators opposed the bill because the Federal Aviation Administration is already working on regulations at the national level.  Existing state privacy laws can also cover drone use.

Was the House right to resurrect drone regulations?  Share your opinion in the comments below.

When we asked our community about drone regulations this March, a majority of commenters supported the bill.  Click here to read a summary of that discussion, which we presented at a Senate hearing.