S.B. 513 - Fireworks Enforcement Summary

• Establishes an expeditious civil adjudication system for fireworks infractions in district courts, similar to traffic violation procedures, with notices of infraction, hearings, and monetary assessments.

• Increases fireworks display permit fee from $110 to $150 and raises the general fireworks violation fine to $5,000; clarifies that each aerial device or article weighing 25 pounds or less constitutes a separate violation.

• Elevates the penalty for removing or extracting pyrotechnic contents from fireworks from misdemeanor to class C felony.

• Authorizes the sheriff division of the Department of Public Safety to assist counties in enforcing fireworks laws and allows evidence from witness statements and unmanned aerial vehicle recordings for establishing probable cause.

• Requires the Attorney General to establish an explosion detection technology working group and the Department of Public Safety to develop a statewide web-based reporting tool for illegal fireworks with GPS mapping and evidence upload capabilities.