Bill
SB 210
Criminalizes knowingly interfering with drone operations near listed critical facilities and over FAA-registered facilities, with penalties up to 4 years or $2,500.
Status and sponsor
- Introduced April 16, 2025 (Sen. Joseph Bellino listed as introducer).
- Referred to the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety (as of introduction).
- Amends section 45a of Michigan Penal Code, 1931 PA 328 (MCL 750.45a).
Purpose
- To criminalize the knowing and intentional use of an unmanned aircraft (drone) in ways that interfere with operations of certain critical or sensitive facilities, and to bar flights/hovering over facilities that appear on the FAA’s fixed-site facilities registry.
Key provisions
- Prohibited conduct: A person may not knowingly and intentionally use an unmanned aircraft in a manner that interferes with operations of any of the listed facilities, including:
- key facility (cross‑referenced to existing statutory definition),
- fire station / firefighting facility,
- correctional or other law‑enforcement facility,
- hospital or emergency medical facility,
- dam,
- nuclear reactor,
- critical manufacturing facility,
- commercial facility,
- any government‑owned facility.
- FAA registry prohibition: If a listed facility appears on the FAA’s fixed‑site facilities registry (per the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016, sec. 2209), the bill additionally prohibits flying or causing an unmanned aircraft to hover over that facility.
- Definitions:
- “Unmanned aircraft” is defined by reference to the state Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act (2016 PA 436, MCL 259.303).
- “Commercial facility” and “critical manufacturing facility” are described by reference to sectors identified in Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD‑21).
- Exemption: The criminal prohibition does not apply to a commercial operator of an unmanned aircraft when the aircraft is operated pursuant to and in compliance with applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, authorizations, and exemptions.
Penalty and enforcement
- Violation is a felony punishable by up to 4 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.
Who is affected
- Recreational and commercial drone operators, owners and pilots who fly near the enumerated facility types.
- Facilities identified on the FAA fixed‑site registry would gain an explicit statutory prohibition on flights over them.
- Law enforcement and prosecutors would enforce the new criminal prohibition.
Procedural and timing notes
- Introduced in the Senate and referred to committee (Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety). Further committee hearings, amendments, or votes would determine advancement.
- The bill is a state criminal law change that interacts with federal aviation regulation (FAA). The bill contains an exemption for FAA‑compliant commercial operators; practical enforcement and preemption issues may arise in application.
Potential impacts (practical considerations)
- Strengthens criminal penalties for drone operations that interfere with public‑safety or critical infrastructure operations.
- Could restrict where hobbyists and some commercial operators can lawfully fly, depending on FAA registry coverage and how “interferes with operations” is interpreted.
- Implementation may require coordination between state/local law enforcement and federal aviation authorities when incidents involve airspace or FAA‑regulated activity.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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