H3618 • 2025

An Act regulating the flight of unmanned aircraft/drones in the airspace over all early, elementary and secondary education facilities in the Commonwealth

Education

Active

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

Sponsor: Bruce J. Ayers
Last action: 2026-02-05
Official status: Accompanied a study order, see H5049
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 regulating the flight of unmanned aircraft/drones in the airspace over all early, elementary and secondary education facilities in the Commonwealth

An Act regulating the flight of unmanned aircraft/drones in the airspace over all early, elementary and secondary education facilities in the Commonwealth By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act regulating the flight of unmanned aircraft/drones in the airspace over all early, elementary and secondary education facilities in the Commonwealth By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
3618) of Bruce J.
Ayers relative to the flight of unmanned aircraft drones in the airspace over early, elementary and secondary educational facilities.
Transportation.

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

2026-02-05 House
Accompanied a study order, see H5049
2025-07-10 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 07/22/2025 from 11:00 AM-01:00 PM in B-1
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on Transportation
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act regulating the flight of unmanned aircraft/drones in the airspace over all early, elementary and secondary education facilities in the Commonwealth
By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3618) of Bruce J. Ayers relative to the flight of unmanned aircraft drones in the airspace over early, elementary and secondary educational facilities. Transportation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.3618

Chapter 90 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 64. (a) As used in this section the following terms shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

“School zone”, on or within 50 feet of the real property comprising a public or private accredited preschool, accredited Head Start facility, elementary, vocational or secondary school.

“Small unmanned aircraft”, an unmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds on takeoff, including everything that is on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft.

“Small unmanned aircraft system”, a small unmanned aircraft and its associated elements, including communication links and the components that control the small unmanned aircraft, that are required for the safe and efficient operation of the small unmanned aircraft.

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

(b) No person shall operate a small unmanned aircraft system within a vertical distance of 400 feet in a school zone without authorization by the superintendent of schools.

(c) Whoever willfully operates a small unmanned aircraft system in violation of subsection (b) shall be punished by a fine of not more than $250 for the first offense, a fine of not more than $500 for a second offense, and a fine of not more than $750 and the small unmanned aircraft system shall be confiscated by the commonwealth and destroyed for a third or subsequent offense.

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