Colorado Lawmakers Consider Drone Regulations

DENVER (CBS4) - An incident this week in which a drone crashed on the lawn of the White House is an example of why unmanned aerial vehicles need to be regulated, according to some Colorado lawmakers.

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State Sen. Linda Newell, a Democrat who represents Littleton, said there is little that legally protects a citizen's privacy when it comes to drones. She is among those in the Colorado Legislature who feel the FAA is taking too long to come up with revised rules on unmanned aircrafts.

"We've been waiting on regulations from the FAA for years now and we're still another 18 months to 24 out," Newell told CBS4.

In an effort to prevent crashes, the FAA currently restricts drones from flying above 400 feet or within five miles of an airport.

Newell is the author of a bill that would require individuals to get a special permit for drones and police to have a warrant before a drone is used in a law enforcement action.

"If you weren't the target, for instance, and they see something occurring then how is that data going to be used?" Newell said.

Annmarie Jensen represents the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police and says most departments don't have drones, but there is a mindset in place when they are used.

"If law enforcement is enforcing their legal duties and they see another crime being committed they have legal obligation to do something about it," Jensen said.

Drones are sometimes used by police to find victims in fires or floods, to process crime scenes or to pursue suspects.

Jensen says police are already bound by case law on technology.

"Any place you have a reasonable expectation of privacy they would believe you would need to get a warrant before you could use any technology," she said.

Police aren't the only ones concerned about the bill. Drones are also used by farmers for aerial photography, by commercial operations and for fun.

"It is a very complex area of law but ... as this technology emerges we need to make sure that it is responsibly used," Newell said.

Newell says her bill is undergoing amendments.