HI SB2172

Establishes a new chapter regulating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Hawaii, with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs responsible for enforcement through rulemaking and civil penalties.

Prohibits UAV operation within 5 miles of airports, 500 feet of emergency responders, above 400 feet altitude, outside visual line of sight, over schools/hospitals/places of worship without property owner consent, and near critical infrastructure like water intakes and electrical facilities.

Bars collection, publication, or distribution of personal information via UAV without express written consent and prohibits repurposing collected data for unintended purposes; violators face civil penalties and can be sued for injunctive relief, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.

Prohibits law enforcement from using UAVs to gather evidence without a warrant, but allows emergency exceptions for life-threatening situations, search and rescue, hostage situations, and training exercises.

Amends Hawaii's privacy statutes to specifically include UAVs in prohibitions on recording people in private places without consent and in violations of privacy in the first and second degrees; creates new criminal offense for using UAVs to spy on people in private places.