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SB1125 • 2025

Increases the penalties for using an unmanned aircraft system to interfere with a law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue or emergency response effort.

Increases the penalties for using an unmanned aircraft system to interfere with a law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue or emergency response effort.

Crime
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Judiciary
Last action
2025-08-08
Official status
Chapter Number Assigned
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.

Increases the penalties for using an unmanned aircraft system to interfere with a law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue or emergency response effort.

<b>Digest: The Act makes it a worse crime to use a drone to meddle in an emergency.

What This Bill Does

  • <b>Digest: The Act makes it a worse crime to use a drone to meddle in an emergency.
  • The Act says that it is a crime to cause death or serious injury by using a drone to meddle in an emergency.
  • (Flesch Readability Score: 72.3).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act makes it a worse crime to use a drone to meddle in a wildfire emergency.
  • The Act says that it is a crime to cause death or serious injury by using a drone to meddle in an emergency.

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. 2025-08-08 Senate

    Chapter 604, 2025 Laws.

  2. 2025-08-08 Senate

    Effective date, January 1, 2026.

  3. 2025-07-24 Senate

    Governor signed.

  4. 2025-06-30 Senate

    President signed.

  5. 2025-06-30 House

    Speaker signed.

  6. 2025-06-27 Senate

    Rules suspended. Senate concurred in House amendments and repassed bill. Ayes, 27; Nays, 2--Linthicum, Robinson; Excused, 1--Thatcher.

  7. 2025-06-26 House

    Second reading.

  8. 2025-06-26 House

    Rules suspended. Third reading. Carried by Boice. Passed. Ayes, 42; Nays, 1--Nelson; Excused, 9--Cate, Diehl, Harbick, McIntire, Nguyen H, Reschke, Wallan, Wright, Yunker; Excused for Business of the House, 8--Boshart Davis, Breese-Iverson, Gamba, Helfrich, Lively, Mannix, McLain, Nathanson.

  9. 2025-06-25 House

    Work Session held.

  10. 2025-06-25 House

    Recommendation: Do pass with amendments and be printed B-Engrossed.

  11. 2025-06-11 House

    Public Hearing held.

  12. 2025-05-28 House

    Without recommendation as to passage and be referred to Rules.

  13. 2025-05-28 House

    Referred to Rules by order of Speaker.

  14. 2025-05-22 House

    Work Session held.

  15. 2025-05-14 House

    Work Session held.

  16. 2025-04-22 House

    Public Hearing held.

  17. 2025-04-10 House

    Referred to Judiciary.

  18. 2025-04-03 Senate

    Third reading. Carried by Prozanski. Passed. Ayes, 21; Nays, 7--Anderson, Bonham, Linthicum, McLane, Nash, Robinson, Smith DB; Excused, 2--Gorsek, Woods.

  19. 2025-04-03 House

    First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk.

  20. 2025-04-02 Senate

    Carried over to 04-03 by unanimous consent.

  21. 2025-04-01 Senate

    Carried over to 04-02 by unanimous consent.

  22. 2025-03-31 Senate

    Second reading.

  23. 2025-03-28 Senate

    Recommendation: Do pass with amendments. (Printed A-Eng.)

  24. 2025-03-19 Senate

    Work Session held.

  25. 2025-03-12 Senate

    Public Hearing held.

  26. 2025-03-03 Senate

    Referred to Judiciary.

  27. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk.

Official Summary Text

<b>Digest: The Act makes it a worse crime to use a drone to meddle in an emergency. The Act says that it is a crime to cause death or serious injury by using a drone to meddle in an emergency. (Flesch Readability Score: 72.3).</b>
[<i>Digest: The Act makes it a worse crime to use a drone to meddle in a wildfire emergency. The Act says that it is a crime to cause death or serious injury by using a drone to meddle in an emergency. (Flesch Readability Score: 72.3).</i>]
Increases the penalties for using an unmanned aircraft system to interfere with a [<i>wildfire suppression effort</i>]<b> law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue or emergency response effort</b>.
Modifies the felony of causing death or serious physical injury using an unmanned aircraft system to include causing death or serious physical injury by causing an unmanned aircraft system to interfere with a [<i>wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response effort</i>]<b> law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue or emergency response effort</b>.
Relating to: Relating to unmanned aircraft systems.
Current location: Chapter Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Enrolled
Senate Bill 1125
Sponsored by COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
CHAPTER .................................................
AN ACT
Relating to unmanned aircraft systems; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 837.374.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
ORS 837.374 is amended to read:
837.374. (1) Except as provided in subsection [ (3)] (5) of this section, a person commits a Class
A violation if the person possesses or controls an unmanned aircraft system and recklessly causes
the unmanned aircraft system to:
(a) Direct a laser at an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air;
(b) Crash into an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air; or
(c) Prevent the takeoff or landing of an aircraft[ ; or ].
[(d) Interfere with a wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response effort. ]
(2) A person commits a Class B misdemeanor if the person possesses or controls an un-
manned aircraft system and recklessly causes the unmanned aircraft system to interfere
with a law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue or emergency response effort.
[(2)] (3) Except as provided in subsection [ (3)] (5) of this section, a person commits a Class A
misdemeanor if the person possesses or controls an unmanned aircraft system and knowingly or in-
tentionally causes the unmanned aircraft system to:
(a) Direct a laser at an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air;
(b) Crash into an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air; or
(c) Prevent the takeoff or landing of an aircraft[ ; or ].
[(d) Interfere with a wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response effort. ]
(4) Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, a person commits a Class C felony
if the person possesses or controls an unmanned aircraft system and knowingly or inten-
tionally causes the unmanned aircraft system to interfere with a law enforcement,
firefighting, search and rescue or emergency response effort.
[(3)] (5) A person commits a Class A felony if the person possesses or controls an unmanned
aircraft system and knowingly, intentionally or recklessly causes death or serious physical injury,
as defined in ORS 161.015, to another person by causing the unmanned aircraft system to:
(a) Direct a laser at an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air;
(b) Crash into an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air; [or]
(c) Prevent the takeoff or landing of an aircraft[ .]; or
(d) Interfere with a law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue or emergency re-
sponse effort.
Enrolled Senate Bill 1125 (SB 1125-B) Page 1
[(4)] (6) Notwithstanding [ subsection] subsections (1) and (2) of this section, a person commits
a Class A misdemeanor if the person violates subsection (1) or (2) of this section and the person
has one or more convictions under subsection (1) or (2) of this section at the time of the offense.
[(5)] (7) In addition to and not in lieu of any other sentence the court may impose, upon a
person’s second or subsequent conviction under this section, the court shall, at the time of sen-
tencing, declare the unmanned aircraft system used in the offense to be contraband and order that
the unmanned aircraft system be forfeited.
SECTION 2. The amendments to ORS 837.374 by section 1 of this 2025 Act apply to con-
duct occurring on or after the effective date of this 2025 Act.
Passed by Senate April 3, 2025
Repassed by Senate June 27, 2025
..................................................................................
Obadiah Rutledge, Secretary of Senate
..................................................................................
Rob Wagner, President of Senate
Passed by House June 26, 2025
..................................................................................
Julie Fahey, Speaker of House
Received by Governor:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
Approved:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
..................................................................................
Tina Kotek, Governor
Filed in Office of Secretary of State:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
..................................................................................
Tobias Read, Secretary of State
Enrolled Senate Bill 1125 (SB 1125-B) Page 2