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H1688 • 2025

An Act relative to unmanned aerial vehicles

An Act relative to unmanned aerial vehicles

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Michael J. Finn
Last action
2025-10-23
Official status
Accompanied a new draft, see H4637
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to unmanned aerial vehicles

An Act relative to unmanned aerial vehicles By Representative Finn of West Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to unmanned aerial vehicles By Representative Finn of West Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 1688) of Michael J.
  • Finn relative to penalties for unauthorized use of unmanned aerial vehicles.
  • The Judiciary.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-23 House

    Accompanied a new draft, see H4637

  2. 2025-10-20 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 07/15/2025 from 01:00 PM-08:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-07-15 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 07/15/2025 from 01:00 PM-06:00 PM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time

  4. 2025-07-15 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 07/15/2025 from 01:00 PM-08:00 PM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time

  5. 2025-07-07 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 07/15/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  6. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on The Judiciary

  7. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to unmanned aerial vehicles
By Representative Finn of West Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1688) of Michael J. Finn relative to penalties for unauthorized use of unmanned aerial vehicles. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill H.1688

Chapter 269 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 20. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

“Critical infrastructure facility”, if completely enclosed by a fence or other physical barrier designed to exclude intruders, or if marked with a sign conspicuously posted on the property that indicates that entry is forbidden: (i) a petroleum or alumina refinery; (ii) an electrical power generating facility, substation, switching station or electrical control center; (iii) a chemical, polymer or rubber manufacturing facility; (iv) a water intake structure, water treatment facility, wastewater treatment plant or pump station; (v) a natural gas compressor station; (vi) a liquid natural gas terminal or storage facility; (vii) a telecommunications central switching office; (viii) a port, railroad switching yard, trucking terminal or other freight transportation facility; (ix) a gas processing plant, including a plant used in the processing, treatment or fractionation of natural gas; (x) a transmission facility used by a federally licensed radio or television station; (xi) a steelmaking facility that uses an electric arc furnace to make steel; (xii) any portion of an aboveground oil, gas or chemical pipeline; or (xiii) a correctional facility or law enforcement facility.

“Unmanned aerial vehicle”, an aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft.

(b) Whoever, without lawful authority, weaponizes an unmanned aerial vehicle or operates a weaponized unmanned aerial vehicle shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than 3 years nor more than 20 years or imprisonment in the house of correction for not less than 6 months nor more than 2 ½ years, or by fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $50,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(c) Whoever willfully uses an unmanned aerial vehicle to photograph, videotape or electronically surveil another person when the other person in such place and circumstance would have a reasonable expectation of privacy in not being so photographed, videotaped or electronically surveilled, and without that person's knowledge and consent, shall be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(d) Whoever, without lawful authority, willfully uses an unmanned aerial vehicle to photograph, videotape or electronically surveil a critical infrastructure facility, shall be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

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