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Committee passes bill to ban unauthorized drone flights and contraband drops over prisons
Summary
The committee approved House Bill 1230 to criminalize unauthorized drone flights and the delivery of contraband over correctional facilities; sponsor said the change clarifies air rights and adds felony penalties for organizers and pilots used to smuggle contraband.
A state legislative committee voted to pass a bill Tuesday making it a felony to operate a drone over a place of incarceration for the purpose of delivering contraband.
Representative Jones presented House Bill 1230, explaining that jails and prisons have experienced repeated incidents in which drones were used to drop contraband — including drugs, cell phones and SIM cards — into secured facilities from adjacent property. The sponsor said the FAA has in some cases recognized air rights over these facilities, enabling the state to restrict operations and to impose criminal penalties.
The bill does two primary things: it creates a statutory prohibition on unauthorized drone operation in the airspace above places of incarceration, and it adds felony penalties for those who hire pilots or use drones to deliver contraband. Representative Jones said law‑enforcement agencies, the Department of Corrections and county sheriffs had requested the change and that prosecutions for related conduct are already under way.
Committee members asked about enforcement and whether the activity is already illegal; the sponsor pointed to existing statutes that make providing contraband to inmates unlawful and said this bill updates that framework for unmanned aircraft. The committee voted to pass the measure and identified a senate sponsor to carry the bill forward.
What’s next: The committee recorded a 'do pass' recommendation and named a senate sponsor; the bill will proceed to the senate for consideration.
