Maine § 25 §4501 Regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles

Maine Statutes

§ 25 §4501 — Regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles

Maine·Title 25 INTERNAL SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY·Part 12 UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES·Ch. 551 REGULATION OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

1.Findings. The Legislature finds that evolving technology regarding unmanned aerial vehicles presents a potential economic driver for the State, an opportunity for research and development and a very real benefit for security, for search and rescue efforts and for disaster prevention and relief, as well as a tool for the investigation of serious crimes, but the technology also presents a potential threat to the privacy of citizens of this State if used by law enforcement in the conduct of criminal investigations without appropriate guidelines and supervision.

2.Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

3.Acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles. The acquisition of an unmanned aerial vehicle by a law enf

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1.
Findings.
The Legislature finds that evolving technology regarding unmanned aerial vehicles presents a potential economic driver for the State, an opportunity for research and development and a very real benefit for security, for search and rescue efforts and for disaster prevention and relief, as well as a tool for the investigation of serious crimes, but the technology also presents a potential threat to the privacy of citizens of this State if used by law enforcement in the conduct of criminal investigations without appropriate guidelines and supervision.
2.
Definitions.
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
3.
Acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The acquisition of an unmanned aerial vehicle by a law enforcement agency must be approved by the governing body of the governmental unit overseeing the law enforcement agency seeking to make such an acquisition or, in the case of a state agency, by the commissioner of that agency.
4.
Law enforcement agency operation of unmanned aerial vehicles.
A law enforcement agency's operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle must fully comply with all Federal Aviation Administration requirements and guidelines, including the acquisition of a certificate of authorization or waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration. Additionally, a law enforcement agency's use of an unmanned aerial vehicle is governed by the following provisions.
5.
Minimum standards for law enforcement.
The Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall establish minimum standards for written policies and protocols for use of unmanned aerial vehicles by law enforcement agencies. The standards must include at a minimum:
6.
Data collection.
On or before July 1, 2016 and July 1st of each subsequent year, the Commissioner of Public Safety shall submit to the Legislature a report containing the number of instances in which an unmanned aerial vehicle has been deployed by any law enforcement agency in the State with summary descriptions of the number of deployments for investigative purposes, the general nature of those investigations and the number of search warrants sought and the number of search warrants obtained for the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles.