HB5452 Summary

• Amends the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act to define "emotionally disturbed person" as someone appearing mentally ill or deranged who a peace officer reasonably believes is likely to cause serious injury to themselves or others.

• Adds "special event" definition (a non-routine community activity bringing together large numbers of people) and permits law enforcement to use drones at special events to monitor crowd size, density, movement, assess staffing, and monitor participant safety with prior authorization for private property events.

• Permits law enforcement drone use to assist emotionally disturbed persons and respond to Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) dispatched calls to locate or assist victims, identify offenders, and guide emergency response.

• Excludes drone surveillance from the Act's restrictions when used over publicly or privately-owned property for training officers, public relations, infrastructure inspections, or similar non-law enforcement purposes.

• Requires drone information gathered under the Act to be destroyed within 30 days (7 days for protests/demonstrations) unless retained for criminal evidence, ongoing investigations, Local Records Commission retention schedules, or training purposes, and subjects all drone information to Freedom of Information Act disclosure provisions.