Impeding emergency response with drone.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on what happens in cases of accidental drone usage that impedes emergency responders, leaving this as an open question.

Impeding Emergency Response with Drones

This law allows local agencies to fine people up to $75,000 for using drones in a way that blocks emergency responders from doing their jobs during an emergency.

What This Bill Does

• Allows local agencies to impose fines of up to $75,000 on anyone who uses a drone at the scene of an emergency and stops firefighters, police officers, medical workers, or military personnel from doing their job.
• Requires people using drones during emergencies to have special permission (called a federal operational waiver) if they want to avoid being fined.
• Lets the Attorney General or local city attorneys take legal action against anyone who breaks this rule.

Who It Names or Affects

• Emergency responders like firefighters, police officers, and medical workers.
• People using drones during emergencies without proper permission.

Terms To Know

Civil Penalty

A fine that a local agency can charge someone for breaking certain rules or laws.

Federal Operational Waiver

Special permission from the federal government to use drones in specific situations, like during emergencies.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if someone accidentally blocks emergency responders with a drone.
• It is unclear how local agencies will decide whether a person's actions are impeding emergency response efforts.

Official Summary Text

AB 426, as amended, Dixon.
Local agencies: civil penalty for impeding
Impeding
emergency response with drone.
Existing law makes it a crime for a person
who operates or uses
to operate or use
an unmanned aerial vehicle, remote piloted aircraft, or drone at the scene of an emergency for the purpose of viewing the scene or emergency or military personnel, and thereby
impedes
impede
the emergency or military personnel, in the performance of their duties in coping with the emergency. Existing law excuses a local public entity or public employee from liability for damage to an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft
system, if the damage was caused while the local public entity or public employee of a local public entity was providing, and the unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system was interfering with, the operation, support, or enabling of any emergency service, as specified.
Existing law imposes liability for physical invasion of privacy on a person if the person knowingly enters onto the land or into the airspace above the land of another person without permission or otherwise commits a trespass in order to capture any image or recording of the other person engaging in a private activity and the invasion occurs in a manner that is offensive to a reasonable person.
This bill would
authorize a local agency to impose a civil penalty not exceeding $75,000 upon
prohibit
a person
who operates or uses
from operating or using
an unmanned aerial vehicle, remote piloted aircraft, or drone at the scene of an emergency and thereby
impedes
impeding
firefighters, peace officers, medical personnel, military personnel, or other emergency personnel in the performance of their fire suppression, law enforcement, or emergency response duties, unless the person has a federal operational waiver, as specified.
The bill would authorize the Attorney General or a county counsel or city attorney to bring civil action to enforce the prohibition and authorize a prevailing plaintiff to recover civil penalties, injunctive relief, or reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, as specified.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF