An unmanned aircraft system; however more commonly known as a drone, is a relatively new technology that has only recently been available for use by consumers and the general public. Previously, they only had uses in a commercial or military setting, as they were too expensive for the average consumer to buy and maintain, in addition to being too difficult to operate. Currently they are available in many sizes and forms, with uses varying from land surveying, aerial photography, and even has a prominent use in militaries; including the United States, with operations carried out by drones date all the way back to 2002. Recent companies have been created upon designing and developing consumer drones, such as DJI, Parrot, and others. Each company …show more content…
Punishes as a Class 1 misdemeanor the use of an electronic device to enter upon the property of another to secretly or furtively peep or spy or attempt to peep or spy into a dwelling or occupied building located on such property, unless such use occurs pursuant to a lawful criminal investigation.”

This bill makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to use a drone (or any electronic device) to intentionally and maliciously spy on another individual through any dwelling or occupied building, such as a home or business, unless a person is using it for a criminal investigation with a prior warrant to do so. A Class 1 misdemeanor is punishable by up to 12 months in jail, and the offender is subject to a fine of up to $2,500.
The bill was offered on January 15th, 2017 by chief patron J. Randall Minchew and chief co-patron Timothy D. Hugo. It was assigned to the Courts of Justice with the subcommittee under Criminal Law. As of February 21st, 2017 the bill was adopted in a 96-1 vote (97-0, Delegate Watts was recorded as nay. Intended to vote yea), and the bill will be passed into law with approval from the governor. The bill was not opposed by any delegates during its lifespan, and was amended after the initial introduction to state that it is unlawful