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Committee questions one-mile drone ban near ticketed events, asks about drone shows and neighborhood effects
Summary
Staff briefed the committee on SB 1160, which would criminalize flying a drone within one mile of ticketed entertainment events except in specified circumstances; members raised concerns about homeowners and drone shows inside the one-mile buffer.
A staff presenter told the committee that SB 1160 would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor to fly a drone within one mile horizontally or vertically of a ticketed entertainment event, with exemptions for law enforcement and for flights that obtain written consent from the event.
A committee member asked whether the bill covers private drones and whether drone shows would be covered. Staff confirmed the exemption for law-enforcement drones and said private drones are covered absent an exemption; staff also said they would follow up on details for organized drone shows but indicated written event consent would permit an authorized flight.
Committee members expressed concern that many homes fall within a one-mile radius of event venues and noted that some sporting events have larger buffers, suggesting sponsors may want to revisit the distance in consultation with the bill sponsor. The committee did not record a formal vote in the transcript excerpt; staff said they would get back to members with specifics.
Next steps: Staff and sponsor follow-up was requested to clarify how drone shows and homeowner operations are treated under the bill.
