Committee advances bill to limit drone flights over critical infrastructure

Representative Archer, sponsor of House Bill 2312, told the committee the bill would change how the state treats drone flights over critical infrastructure. "House Bill 2,312 looks to update the critical infrastructure facilities in how we navigate the airspace over those facilities across the state of Oklahoma," Archer said. He added that "nefarious drone activity is not limited to the state of New Jersey," and said Oklahoma has experienced unwanted drone flights over critical assets.

The bill would repeal an existing exemption the sponsor identified as "c9," which Archer said currently allows a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone operator the ability to fly over certain facilities and can create confusion for local security and law enforcement trying to make contact with the operator. "By striking this we will be able to limit some of those foreign interests and some of those entities in the activities that they perform on critical infrastructure," he told the committee.

Committee members asked no questions during debate. The motion to advance the bill carried on a voice or recorded count reported in committee as 14 ayes, 0 nays. The clerk declared the bill "out of committee." The transcript does not record a named mover or seconder for the motion.

The measure was discussed as a change to how state and local authorities interact with FAA-registered drone operators when those operators operate over facilities identified as critical infrastructure. The committee record does not include textual changes or the final statutory language; it records the sponsor's explanation and the committee vote. Local law enforcement, facility security and the FAA would be affected in how the exemption is applied and enforced, but the transcript does not detail implementation steps or enforcement mechanisms.