PRINTER'S NO. 1200
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
971
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY FOLMER, WHITE, WARD AND ALLOWAY, AUGUST 7, 2015
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, AUGUST 7, 2015
AN ACT
Regulating unmanned aircraft in Pennsylvania.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Fourth
Amendment Protection Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Amber Alert System." The system established under section
1(a) of the act of November 24, 2004 (P.L.1270, No.153),
referred to as the Pennsylvania Amber Alert System Law.
Section 3. General prohibition.
A State or local agency, including a law enforcement agency,
may not utilize an unmanned aircraft system before July 1, 2017.
Section 4. Permitted use.
Notwithstanding the prohibition under section 3, an unmanned
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aircraft system may be deployed before July 1, 2017, in an
emergency or major disaster, when the Amber Alert System is
activated or during a search and rescue operation if the
deployment is necessary to protect life, health or property.
Section 5. Prohibition regarding weaponized aircraft.
(a) Prohibition.--Except as provided under subsection (b), a
weaponized unmanned aircraft system may not be deployed or its
use facilitated by a State or local agency or a member of the
public.
(b) Exceptions.--This section does not apply to the
following:
(1) The Pennsylvania National Guard in the following
circumstances:
(i) while utilizing a weaponized unmanned aircraft
system in its facilities during training required to
maintain readiness for its Federal mission;
(ii) when facilitating training for a Department of
Defense unit at its facilities; or
(iii) when the weaponized unmanned system is
utilized to support the Commonwealth for purposes other
than law enforcement, including damage assessment,
traffic assessment, flood stages and wildfire assessment.
(2) When the State or local agency has obtained a
warrant permitting the use of the weaponized unmanned
aircraft system.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
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