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Senate passes bill giving on-scene authority to neutralize drones that interfere with wildfire response
Summary
HB 3,003 passed the Senate to address drone interference with wildfire suppression. Sponsors said drones entering designated no-fly wildfire zones forced firefighting aircraft to land or dump payloads and increased costs and danger; the bill allows restitution, authorizes incident commanders/local law enforcement to neutralize drones, and directs further coordination with federal FAA rules.
Lawmakers passed House Bill 3,003 after sponsor remarks and floor questions about frequent drone intrusions over wildfire incidents. Senator Vickers and other senators recounted multiple instances in which drones entered temporary flight restrictions during active wildfire responses, leading pilots to ground aircraft or jettison retardant and thereby extending fires and increasing costs.
"As soon as those they enter into that designated no fly zone ... it requires all aircraft to land and to be grounded," Senator Vickers said, describing the operational consequences when unmanned aircraft enter firefighting airspace. Sponsors told colleagues the bill opens the door for judges to order restitution for damage and losses and gives incident commanders and local law enforcement limited authority to neutralize interfering drones; nonlethal signal-blocking options were discussed as alternatives to destructive approaches.
Senators raised questions about how notice of temporary flight restrictions is provided to drone operators and about potential conflicts with federal law; sponsors pointed to FAA temporary flight-restriction mechanisms, public postings on state forestry and fire websites, and a planned working group to resolve state-federal alignment. The Senate suspended the three-reading requirement and passed HB 3,003; the clerk announced the bill's passage and it will be transmitted for signatures as required.
