103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB0107

 

Introduced 1/24/2023, by Sen. Linda Holmes

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
See Index

    Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board may investigate complaints concerning drone use by a law enforcement agency. Provides that if a pattern of willful and wanton violations is confirmed, the law enforcement agency shall take actions to prevent future violations through specified means. Provides that if the agency fails to take actions to address the violations and prevent future violations from occurring, then the Board may restrict the agency's ability to use its drones for a period not to exceed 3 months per incident. Amends the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act. Changes the name of the Act to the Drones as First Responders Act. Defines "permitted special event". Adds various exemptions allowing the use of drones. Permits records of drone usage, including flight path data, metadata, or telemetry information of specific flights, to be disclosed subject to the Freedom of Information Act and rules adopted under that Act. Provides that the information relating to infrastructure inspections conducted at the request of a local governmental agency may be disclosed to that local governmental agency or, in the case of traffic and parking evaluations conducted at school, it may also be disclosed to the school or any engineering staff involved in the process. Provides that nothing in the Act prevents the disclosure of information through a court order or subpoena in connection with a criminal proceeding or if the disclosure is in regard to a completed traffic crash investigation. Changes drone usage reporting requirements of law enforcement agencies to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Makes other changes, and amends the School Code to make conforming changes. Provides that a drone may not be used over a school unless the parents are notified by a principal or administrator prior to the use of the drone.


LRB103 24892 RLC 51226 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB0107LRB103 24892 RLC 51226 b

1    AN ACT concerning drones.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Police Training Act is amended by
5adding Section 8.5 as follows:
 
6    (50 ILCS 705/8.5 new)
7    Sec. 8.5. Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards
8Board; violations of the Drones as First Responders Act. The
9Board may investigate complaints of violations of the Drones
10as First Responders Act, if the images, photos, or video, are
11being maintained in accordance with Section 20 of the Drones
12as First Responders Act. If a pattern of willful and wanton
13violations is confirmed, the law enforcement agency shall take
14actions to prevent future violations through any of the
15following means: training, discipline, removal of the pilot
16from its drone program, or other means that will prevent
17repeated violations. If the agency fails to take actions to
18address the violations and prevent future violations from
19occurring, then the Board may restrict the agency's ability to
20use its drones for a period not to exceed 3 months per
21incident.
 
22    Section 10. The School Code is amended by adding Sections

 

 

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110-27.1C and 34-240 as follows:
 
2    (105 ILCS 5/10-27.1C new)
3    Sec. 10-27.1C. Use of drone; notice to parents. A law
4enforcement agency may use a drone for the purpose of
5evaluating traffic flow and parking around the school. The
6drone may not be used by the law enforcement agency unless the
7school board first authorizes the law enforcement agency to
8use a drone over the school. The school board may authorize the
9use of a drone at the annual review conducted under Section 25
10of the School Safety Drill Act or through a separate board
11action. A drone may not be used over a school unless the
12parents are notified by a principal or administrator prior to
13the use of the drone. Nothing in this Section shall be
14construed to prohibit a law enforcement agency from using a
15drone in accordance with the Drones as First Responders Act.
16    In this Section, "drone" and "law enforcement agency" have
17the meanings provided for those terms in Section 5 of the
18Drones as First Responders Act.
 
19    (105 ILCS 5/34-240 new)
20    Sec. 34-240. Use of drones; notice to parents. A law
21enforcement agency may use a drone for the purpose of
22evaluating traffic flow and parking around the school. The
23drone may not be used by the law enforcement agency unless the
24school board first authorizes the law enforcement agency to

 

 

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1use a drone over the school. The school board may authorize the
2use of a drone at the annual review conducted under Section 25
3of the School Safety Drill Act or through a separate board
4action. A drone may not be used over a school unless the
5parents are notified by a principal or administrator prior to
6the use of the drone. Nothing in this Section shall be
7construed to prohibit a law enforcement agency from using a
8drone in accordance with the Drones as First Responders Act.
9    In this Section, "drone" and "law enforcement agency" have
10the meanings provided for those terms in Section 5 of the
11Drones as First Responders Act.
 
12    Section 15. The Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act is
13amended by changing Sections 1, 5, 15, 20, 25, and 35 and by
14adding Section 17 as follows:
 
15    (725 ILCS 167/1)
16    Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Drones as
17First Responders Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act.
18(Source: P.A. 98-569, eff. 1-1-14.)
 
19    (725 ILCS 167/5)
20    Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
21    "Authority" means the Illinois Criminal Justice
22Information Authority.
23    "Drone" means any aerial vehicle that does not carry a

 

 

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1human operator.
2    "Information" means any evidence, images, sounds, data, or
3other information gathered by a drone.
4    "Law enforcement agency" means any agency of this State or
5a political subdivision of this State which is vested by law
6with the duty to maintain public order and to enforce criminal
7laws.
8    "Permitted special event" means a nonroutine activity:
9        (1) for which a permit has been issued by the
10    responsible governmental agency, including, but not
11    limited to, the State of Illinois or a county,
12    municipality, township, park district, or other unit of
13    local government; and
14        (2) that is either open to the public or for which the
15    organizer has consented to the use of a drone.
16(Source: P.A. 98-569, eff. 1-1-14.)
 
17    (725 ILCS 167/15)
18    Sec. 15. Exceptions. This Act does not prohibit the use of
19a drone by a law enforcement agency:
20        (1) To counter a high risk of a terrorist attack by a
21    specific individual or organization if the United States
22    Secretary of Homeland Security determines that credible
23    intelligence indicates that there is that risk.
24        (2) If a law enforcement agency first obtains a search
25    warrant based on probable cause issued under Section 108-3

 

 

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1    of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. The warrant
2    must be limited to a period of 45 days, renewable by the
3    judge upon a showing of good cause for subsequent periods
4    of 45 days.
5        (3) If a law enforcement agency possesses reasonable
6    suspicion that, under particular circumstances, swift
7    action is needed to prevent imminent harm to life, or to
8    forestall the imminent escape of a suspect or the
9    destruction of evidence. The use of a drone under this
10    paragraph (3) is limited to a period of 48 hours. Within 24
11    hours of the initiation of the use of a drone under this
12    paragraph (3), the chief executive officer of the law
13    enforcement agency must report in writing the use of a
14    drone to the local State's Attorney.
15        (4) If a law enforcement agency is attempting to
16    locate a missing person, engaging in search and rescue
17    operations, or aiding a person who cannot otherwise be
18    safely reached, and is not also undertaking a criminal
19    investigation.
20        (5) If a law enforcement agency is using a drone
21    solely for crime scene and traffic crash scene
22    photography. Crime scene and traffic crash photography
23    must be conducted in a geographically confined and
24    time-limited manner to document specific occurrences. The
25    use of a drone under this paragraph (5) on private
26    property requires either a search warrant based on

 

 

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1    probable cause under Section 108-3 of the Code of Criminal
2    Procedure of 1963 or lawful consent to search. The use of a
3    drone under this paragraph (5) on lands, highways,
4    roadways, or areas belonging to this State or political
5    subdivisions of this State does not require a search
6    warrant or consent to search. Any law enforcement agency
7    operating a drone under this paragraph (5) shall make
8    every reasonable attempt to only photograph the crime
9    scene or traffic crash scene and avoid other areas.
10        (6) If a law enforcement agency is using a drone
11    during a disaster or public health emergency, as defined
12    by Section 4 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency
13    Act. The use of a drone under this paragraph (6) does not
14    require an official declaration of a disaster or public
15    health emergency prior to use. A law enforcement agency
16    may use a drone under this paragraph (6) to obtain
17    information necessary for the determination of whether or
18    not a disaster or public health emergency should be
19    declared, to monitor weather or emergency conditions, to
20    survey damage, or to otherwise coordinate response and
21    recovery efforts. The use of a drone under this paragraph
22    (6) is permissible during the disaster or public health
23    emergency and during subsequent response and recovery
24    efforts.
25        (7) To conduct an infrastructure inspection of a
26    designated building or structure at the express request of

 

 

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1    a local governmental agency or to conduct an evaluation of
2    traffic flow around a school in order to assist the
3    school, law enforcement agency, and engineering staff to
4    determine the optimal flow of traffic and parking around
5    the school. The school evaluation shall be preplanned and
6    limited to the immediate roadway and parking areas at and
7    adjacent to the school. The school board or the board's
8    designee must authorize the use of the drone for this
9    purpose and, when feasible, shall notify parents ahead of
10    time that this evaluation is planned.
11        (8) To demonstrate the capabilities and functionality
12    of a police drone for public relations purposes, provided
13    that no information is recorded by the drone during such a
14    demonstration.
15        (9) In response to Public Safety Answering Point
16    (PSAP) dispatched calls for service, when the primary
17    purpose for using a drone is to locate victims, or to
18    coordinate the response of emergency vehicles and
19    personnel to an emergency.
20        (10) To investigate a drone being used in violation of
21    Federal Aviation Administration rules that pertain to
22    safety, to include flying beyond visual line of sight,
23    interfering with the flight of manned aircraft, flying
24    over people, flying in Federal Aviation Administration
25    restricted areas (such as adjacent to or at airports or
26    areas that have a Federal Aviation Administration-issued

 

 

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1    Temporary Flight Restriction).
2        (11) If a law enforcement agency is using a drone at a
3    permitted special event or at a public event hosted by a
4    governmental unit in which a permit is not issued by the
5    governmental unit, such as a parade, street festival,
6    sporting event, or other similar event. The use of a drone
7    under this paragraph (11) requires that:
8            (A) signs are posted at major entry points to the
9        event that clearly communicate to the participants
10        that a drone may be used for the purpose of real-time
11        monitoring of participant safety; and
12            (B) the drone is flown in accordance with Federal
13        Aviation Administration safety regulations.
14        Under this exception (11), a law enforcement agency
15    may use the drone:
16            (i) in advance of an event before event
17        participants have begun to assemble to determine
18        appropriate access routes, staging areas, and traffic
19        routes; or
20            (ii) during the event to proactively support
21        public safety personnel by monitoring the event
22        footprint for the following in real time:
23                (I) to detect any breach of public event space
24            to include: unauthorized vehicles, interruptions
25            of parade routes, breaching event barricades, or
26            fencing;

 

 

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1                (II) to monitor crowd size and density in real
2            time;
3                (III) to provide real-time monitoring for
4            activity that could present a public safety issue
5            for the crowd as a whole, including crowd
6            movement;
7                (IV) to assist in the response of public
8            safety personnel to a real-time public safety
9            incident at the event; and
10                (V) to assess the traffic and pedestrian flow
11            around the event in real time.
12        (12) To conduct department-approved training for any
13    of the types of operations authorized by the preceding
14    exemptions, while complying with Section 20 of this Act.
15(Source: P.A. 98-569, eff. 1-1-14; 98-831, eff. 1-1-15.)
 
16    (725 ILCS 167/17 new)
17    Sec. 17. Use of facial recognition. A law enforcement
18agency operating a drone under this Act is prohibited from
19using, during a flight, onboard facial recognition software
20that works in conjunction with the drone, unless there is a
21reasonable suspicion that a felony, as defined in Section 2-7
22of the Criminal Code of 2012, is occurring or has just occurred
23at that location or in the immediate vicinity; or the law
24enforcement agency is attempting to locate a specific person
25who it reasonably believes may cause great bodily harm to one

 

 

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1or more persons at that location. Nothing in this Act prevents
2a law enforcement agency from using captured images, photos,
3or video from a drone at a later time to identify persons
4involved in criminal activity, if the images, photos, or video
5are being maintained in accordance with Section 20 of this
6Act.
 
7    (725 ILCS 167/20)
8    Sec. 20. Information retention.
9    (a) If a law enforcement agency uses a drone under Section
1015 of this Act, the agency within 30 days shall destroy, within
11the following time frames, all photos, videos, and images
12gathered by the drone: information gathered by the drone,
13except that a supervisor at that agency may retain particular
14information if:
15        (1) for photos, videos, and images gathered pursuant
16    to paragraphs (1) through (11) of Section 15, within 30
17    days.
18        (2) for photos, videos, and images gathered pursuant
19    to paragraph (12) of Section 15, within 7 days.
20    (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a supervisor at a law
21enforcement agency may retain particular information if:
22        (1) there is reasonable suspicion that the information
23    contains evidence of criminal activity; , or
24        (2) the information is relevant to an ongoing
25    investigation or pending criminal trial;

 

 

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1        (3) a supervisor at the agency deems that the
2    information will be used exclusively for training
3    purposes, provided that any such information shall not
4    contain any personally identifiable information;
5        (4) the information consists of flight path data,
6    metadata, or telemetry information of the drone;
7        (5) the information relates to infrastructure
8    inspections conducted at the request of a local
9    governmental agency or traffic and parking evaluations
10    conducted at a school; or
11        (6) the information was gathered during the
12    investigation of a drone being used in violation of
13    Federal Aviation Administration safety rules as stated in
14    paragraph (10) of Section 15.
15(Source: P.A. 98-569, eff. 1-1-14.)
 
16    (725 ILCS 167/25)
17    Sec. 25. Information disclosure.
18    (a) If a law enforcement agency uses a drone under Section
1915 of this Act, the agency shall not disclose any information
20gathered by the drone, except that a supervisor of that agency
21may disclose particular information to another governmental
22government agency, if (1) there is reasonable suspicion that
23the information contains evidence of criminal activity, or (2)
24the information is relevant to an ongoing investigation or
25pending criminal trial.

 

 

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1    (b) Records of drone usage, including flight path date,
2metadata, or telemetry information of specific flights, may be
3disclosed subject to the Freedom of Information Act and rules
4adopted under that Act.
5    (c) Information relating to infrastructure inspections
6conducted at the request of a local governmental agency may be
7disclosed to that local governmental agency or in the case of
8traffic and parking evaluations conducted at a school it may
9also be disclosed to the school or any engineering staff
10involved in the process.
11    (d) Nothing in this Act prevents the disclosure of
12information through a court order or subpoena in connection
13with a criminal proceeding or if the disclosure is in regard to
14a completed traffic crash investigation.
15(Source: P.A. 98-569, eff. 1-1-14.)
 
16    (725 ILCS 167/35)
17    Sec. 35. Reporting.
18    (a) If a law enforcement agency owns one or more drones,
19then subsequent to the effective date of this Act, it shall
20report in writing annually by April 1 to the Authority the
21number of drones that it owns, the number of times a drone was
22used pursuant to paragraphs (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), and
23(9) of Section 15, including the date of use, time of use,
24reason for use, location, whether video was recorded, and
25whether the video is designated for retention for training

 

 

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1purposes. The report shall contain a copy of the agency's
2latest policy concerning drones as of the most recent April 1.
3    (b) On July 1 of each year, the Authority shall publish on
4its publicly available website a concise report that lists
5every law enforcement agency that owns a drone, and for each of
6those agencies, the number of drones that it owns, the number
7of times a drone was used pursuant to paragraphs (3), (4), (5),
8(6), (7), (8), and (9) of Section 15, including the date of
9use, time of use, reason for use, location, whether video was
10recorded, whether the video is designated for retention for
11training purposes. The report shall contain a copy of the
12agency's latest policy concerning drones as of the most recent
13April 1.
14    (c) Each law enforcement agency that uses a drone shall
15implement and make publicly available on its website the law
16enforcement agency's policy governing the operation, use,
17administration, and oversight of its drone program.
18(Source: P.A. 98-569, eff. 1-1-14.)

 

 

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1 INDEX
2 Statutes amended in order of appearance
3    50 ILCS 705/8.5 new
4    105 ILCS 5/10-27.1C new
5    105 ILCS 5/34-240 new
6    725 ILCS 167/1
7    725 ILCS 167/5
8    725 ILCS 167/15
9    725 ILCS 167/17 new
10    725 ILCS 167/20
11    725 ILCS 167/25
12    725 ILCS 167/35