House advances bill to ban unauthorized drone flights over jails and prisons
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Summary
Lawmakers approved an act to prohibit unauthorized drone flights over correctional facilities after debate about penalties, federal airspace authority and reported increases in drone incidents at U.S. prisons; supporters cited rising incidents while opponents questioned the scope and enforcement.
The Maine House moved forward with legislation on March 26 that would prohibit unauthorized drone flights over correctional facilities and jails. The measure was advanced after debate over the proper penalty structure and whether federal airspace rules preclude state action.
Representative Perkins cited national trends in illicit drone use around correctional facilities, saying reported incidents had risen from single digits to hundreds annually in other states and stressing the security risk. "By 2024, there were 479 reported uses of illicit drones over correctional facilities," Perkins said, arguing that a stronger deterrent is needed.
Other members questioned whether the bill would conflict with federal aviation authority or create undue criminal penalties for bystanders. Representative Luckner said the FAA is responsible for much of drone regulatory authority and warned that limiting flight altitudes or criminalizing first‑time flights might not solve the core security issue.
Floor action moved the committee's amended report forward and the bill will be sent to the Senate. Some members supported the stricter penalties in the minority report; others favored civil penalties with escalation on repeat violations. The final committee report adopted by the House makes unauthorized flights a punishable offense on facility grounds while noting that delivery of contraband is already separately criminalized under existing statutes.
If enacted, corrections officials and state law enforcement will coordinate on enforcement guidance and signage for no‑fly facility zones.