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House committee OKs school drone pilot after vendor demo raises safety and cost questions
Summary
The House Education Committee voted to report SB488 with amendments to create a pilot school safety drone response program. Testimony described on‑site "hives" of three drones with nonlethal gel payloads and rapid activation; members pressed vendors on injury risk, operator training and costs.
Chairman Edmonds asked the committee to consider SB488, a two‑year pilot authorizing the Louisiana Department of Education to establish a school safety drone response program to supplement existing crisis management and law enforcement plans. Edmonds said the pilot would involve up to four schools selected by the department and that the year‑long task force that produced the proposal reviewed a wide range of security technologies.
Michelle Getty, who identified herself as a representative of a company that operates school drone security systems, described how the systems work: "They put what they call hives, which are these metal boxes in a number of places in a school...each box or hive contains 3 drones," Getty said. She said the drones are equipped with flashing lights, sirens and a pepper gel — "not spray but gel" — intended to incapacitate an assailant and that operator teams include former SWAT and SEAL officers. Getty said the drones can be activated within five seconds and reach an indoor scene in 10 to 15 seconds.
Committee members pressed Getty and the bill sponsor on safety, potential injury and costs. Representative Rev Almoday asked whether a drone flying at the cited speeds could injure someone; Getty acknowledged the drones are "pretty substantial" and said she had seen no reports of injury. Representative Roussard asked whether the gel could be used to track a suspect; Getty said she had not seen that in use but would relay the suggestion to the company. Getty estimated initial equipment costs could be about $100,000 per school, and she said annual operating costs could be lower than maintaining school resource officers, though she did not provide a departmentwide fiscal analysis.
Chairman Edmonds said the bill includes oversight language and a vendor selection process; the committee adopted a friendly amendment to require the vendor coordinate with the State Department of Education, Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association. Edmonds emphasized the pilot nature of the program and the need to evaluate effectiveness and local absorption of costs before broader adoption.
The committee reported SB488 with amendments to the House floor for further consideration. Next steps include LDOE reports from the pilot sites and potential legislative follow‑up after the pilot period.
"This is just another one of those that we wanna take a look at," Edmonds said, adding that the pilot would allow the state to assess how drone technology could complement other school safety measures.
