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Ohio House OKs UAV warrant requirement and drone reporting rules
Summary
The House passed Sub. H.B. 251 to require warrants for certain law‑enforcement drone surveillance, mandate flight and surveillance logging, prohibit arming UAVs and modernize aviation definitions; final vote was 93–2.
Substitute House Bill 251, a package updating Ohio law for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), passed the Ohio House with bipartisan support and a 93–2 recorded vote.
Representative Bernie Willis, speaking for the bill, said the legislation "establishes a clear warrant requirement" for law‑enforcement drone surveillance and aligns aviation definitions (heliports, vertiports, spaceports) with current industry standards. Willis and other proponents stressed that the bill preserves public‑safety uses — including a "drone first responder" program — while protecting constitutional privacy rights. "The Fourth Amendment protects all citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures," a sponsor stated on the floor, framing the warrant language as a constitutional safeguard.
The bill also requires agencies to document every UAV flight and retain verified surveillance records as public records unless an exemption applies; it prohibits arming UAVs and bars law enforcement from authorizing private‑to‑private contracted surveillance without consent. Supporters noted bipartisan committee backing and endorsements from some law enforcement groups and civil liberties organizations.
After floor discussion, the clerk recorded 93 affirmative votes and 2 negative votes; the Speaker declared the bill passed and entitled. The bill updates Ohio’s aeronautics law and will move to the Senate.
Next steps: bill text will be transmitted to the Senate for further consideration; agencies preparing for implementation will need to establish logging and public‑records procedures if enacted.
