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* From the governor’s office…
Bill Number: HB 3902
Description: Creates the Drones as First Responders Act.
Action: Signed
Effective: ImmediatelyBill Number: SB 1298
Description: Annual Medicaid Omnibus. Contains rate increases for various healthcare professions and facilities.
Action: Signed
Effective: Some provisions take effect immediately, some take effect July 1, 2023
That Medicaid omnibus bill allows them to issue emergency rules to keep costs down in the undocumented immigrant healthcare program. Those rules will be filed today as well, I’m told.
…Adding… Press release…
After a mass shooting at Aurora’s Henry Pratt Company in 2019 where five people were killed and six injured, the Aurora Police Department’s drone team began to carefully review how other states use drones to support law enforcement operations, and today the legislation their work led to – the Drones as First Responders Act – was signed into law.
Aurora’s State Senator Linda Holmes brought together that research and the countless months, weeks, and hours of stakeholder involvement from municipal groups, law enforcement personnel, and advocates, along with 50th District State Representative Barb Hernandez. In 2022, legislation was prepared.
“This measure gives police and other first responders critical information in a chaotic situation where lives are at stake,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “This could spare another community the suffering and trauma we experienced here – it has the potential to prevent more chaos and death.”
Holmes’ personal and policy-centered interest in this effort grew because she knew Aurora police had identified a valid need. Tragically last year, a sniper fired into the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, killing seven and injuring 48. State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) was walking in the parade with her family at the time. She filed legislation last fall and teamed with Holmes to bring their efforts together this spring.
The Drones as First Responders Act seeks to cover larger crowds and provide additional public safety mechanisms against those trying to harm or hurt multiple people at once.
• Beyond special events, drones will also be able to be utilized in responding to calls, providing real-time information for officers en route to a call. This will not replace the response of an officer, but provide information in advance that will support the officers’ ability to respond in a safe and effective manner as well as secure the scene.
• There are numerous examples of events, large and small, where it is possible that real-time monitoring provided by drones may have prevented or reduced the loss of life that has occurred.“This may be one of the most important bills I’ve worked on in my Senate career because it can make a difference in how law enforcement and first responders can gather information and take lifesaving actions swiftly,” Holmes said. “Our communities deserve to feel safer as people go about their lives.”
House Bill 3902 takes effect immediately.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 9:18 am
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I’m glad to see the drone legislation prohibited weapons and facial recognition technology.
Comment by 40,000 ft Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 10:27 am
Is there a product out there that allows for distributed, lets call them “drone bases?” Like you’d have a series of boxes around your town, and when a 911 call comes in, the nearest box could open, and a drone launches to fly to the scene and start recording?
Seems like all the technology exists already. We definitely can get GPS/address information from 911 calls. Cheap commercially available drones absolutely have the ability to fly to X location and back home when batteries are low.
If this doesn’t exist, someone should make a start up and start hoovering up all the free money that gets thrown around by police departments for fancy tech.
Comment by homebody Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 10:45 am
There is no expectation of privacy in public.
Comment by Dotnonymous x Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:48 pm
Does this mean my drone can get the first responder discount at Wendy’s
Comment by IMSmarter Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:25 pm