Prohibit the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles over schools

As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
H. B. No. 597

2025-2026

Representatives Sigrist, Mathews, T.

Cosponsors: Representatives Fischer,
Williams, McNally, Brennan, Lett

To
amend section 4561.50 and to enact section 4561.54 of the Revised
Code
to
prohibit the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles over schools.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
That
section 4561.50 be amended and section 4561.54 of the Revised Code be
enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
4561.50.
As
used in sections 4561.50 to
4561.53

4561.54

of
the Revised Code:

(A)
"Critical facility" means any of the following:

(1)
A critical infrastructure facility as defined in section 2911.21 of
the Revised Code;

(2)
A commercial distribution center;

(3)
A federal, state, county, or municipal court;

(4)
A police station, sheriff's office, state highway patrol station, or
premises controlled by the bureau of criminal identification and
investigation;

(5)
A federal, state, county, or municipal jail or prison or any other
facility in which persons are incarcerated;

(6)
A federal or state military installation or facility;

(7)
A hospital that receives air ambulance services.

(B)
"Unmanned aerial vehicle" means a powered, aerial vehicle
to which all of the following apply:

(1)
The vehicle does not carry a human operator and is operated without
the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the
vehicle;

(2)
The vehicle uses aerodynamic forces to provide lift;

(3)
The vehicle can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely;

(4)
The vehicle is either expendable or recoverable.

"Unmanned
aerial vehicle" is commonly referred to as a drone and does not
include a satellite.

(C)
"Unmanned aerial vehicle system" means an unmanned aerial
vehicle and associated elements, including communication links and
components that control the unmanned aerial vehicle and that are
required for the remote pilot in command to operate the vehicle in
the air space over this state.

(D)
"Park district" means a park district created in accordance
with Chapter 1545. of the Revised Code.

(E)
"School" means all of the following:

(a)
A city, exempted village, local, or joint vocational school district;

(b)
A community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised
Code;

(c)
A science, technology, engineering, and mathematics school
established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code;

(d)
A chartered nonpublic school;

(e)
An educational service center, on behalf of a school or district.

Sec.
4561.54.
(A)
No person shall knowingly operate an unmanned aerial vehicle over a
school.

(B)
Division (A) of this section does not apply to any of the following:

(1)
A person under contract with or otherwise acting under the direction
of or on behalf of the federal government, the state government,
another governmental entity, or a law enforcement agency;

(2)
An operator of an unmanned aerial vehicle that is being used for a
legitimate commercial purpose, provided the operator has obtained all
required federal aviation administration authorizations;

(3)
A person who has the prior written consent of the principal, vice
principal, or school resource officer or peace officer assigned to
the school;

(4)
A person who is younger than fourteen years of age.

(C)
If the principal, the vice principal, or a school resource officer or
peace officer assigned to a school witnesses the operation of an
unmanned aerial vehicle over the school, the principal, vice
principal, or resource officer or peace officer may temporarily take
possession of the unmanned aerial vehicle for the purpose of
providing the unmanned aerial vehicle to a local law enforcement
agency as evidence of a violation of division (A) of this section.

(D)(1)
The court may dismiss a charge for a violation of division (A) of
this section if both of the following apply:

(a)
The defendant is younger than seventeen years of age at the time of
the offense;

(b)
The judge finds that, in committing the offense, the defendant did
not intend to use the unmanned aerial vehicle to cause physical harm
to another person or damage to school property.

(2)
Before dismissing a charge under division (D)(1) of this section, the
judge shall issue to the defendant a warning and refer the defendant
to an educational program on unmanned aerial vehicle safety and
aviation laws, the duration and contents of which shall be
established by the director of transportation.

(E)
Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a minor
misdemeanor on the first offense and a fourth degree misdemeanor on
each subsequent offense.

Section
2.
That
existing section 4561.50 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.