HB507 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chris SellsRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

Unmanned aircraft systems or drones, prohibited from flying over certain facilities, sale, operation, manufacturing of drones equipped with a weapon are prohibited, criminal penalties, use by governmental agencies authorized under certain conditions, rulemaking authority, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act, Secs. 13A-6-24, 13A-6-90.1, 13A-7-22, 13A-10-2, 13A-10-38, 13A-11-32, 23-1-388 am'd.

Summary

HB507 creates the Alabama Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act to regulate drones, restrict flying over certain facilities, ban weaponized drones, and set penalties, civil remedies, and government-use rules.

What This Bill Does

It designates certain facilities as off-limits for drone overflights without owner permission (with exceptions) and establishes criminal penalties and injunctive relief for violations. It bans sale, transport, manufacture, or possession of drone systems equipped with weapons and expands existing crimes to cover drone involvement. It restricts government use of drones to specific circumstances and allows civil actions by injured parties, while giving the Department of Transportation rulemaking authority. It notes FAA preemption of national airspace, requires local no-fly zones to get FAA approval, and amends several existing Alabama crimes to include drone-related conduct; the act is exempt from local-funding approval under Amendment 621 and has a defined effective date.

Who It Affects

• Designated facility owners/operators and their workers, who are protected from unauthorized drone overflights or recordings and can pursue injunctive relief or damages if violated.
• Drone operators, manufacturers/sellers, and government agencies, who would be restricted by new prohibitions on weaponized drones, face criminal penalties, and must follow government-use rules and upcoming DOT regulations.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Alabama Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act with definitions of designated facilities, government agencies, and unmanned aircraft systems.
• Prohibits overflight or recording of designated facilities without owner consent; provides exceptions and criminalizes unlawful surveillance, distribution of obtained data, and harassment.
• Bans sale, transport, manufacture, or possession of unmanned aircraft systems equipped with a weapon; defines weapon and sets misdemeanor penalties.
• Criminal penalties: Class B misdemeanor for first unlawful act; Class A misdemeanor for second or subsequent offenses; affirmative defenses related to destruction or cessation of data disclosure.
• Civil remedies for designated facility owners, including injunctive relief and damages of $5,000 per disseminated photo/image/video, plus costs and fees.
• Governs government use of UAS with warrants, specific emergencies, plain-view surveillance, event surveillance, fugitive searches, search-and-rescue, crime-scene documentation, and property consent exceptions; civil action allowed for violations; evidence not admissible if unlawfully obtained.
• News organizations are exempt for lawful news gathering; other exceptions allowed for utility and infrastructure monitoring and maintenance uses by designated facility operators or their contractors.
• DOT rulemaking authority; FAA preemption acknowledged; local no-fly zones require FAA approval; municipalities can enforce Alabama criminal statutes but must follow national airspace rules.
• Amends several existing Alabama statutes (reckless endangerment, stalking, criminal mischief, obstructing governmental operations, promoting prison contraband, criminal surveillance) to include drone-related conduct.
• Prohibits sale/possession/operation of weaponized drones under Section 11; defines weapon and related penalties.
• Excludes the act from local funding approval requirements under Amendment 621 due to specific exceptions and its nature as creating/altering crimes.
• Effective date: becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage and governor's approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Crimes and Offenses