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S 1734

Relates to benefits and supplemental wages

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Pat Fahy

Sets state rules for government drone use: warrants required for most surveillance, limits on data, bans weapons, privacy safeguards, and annual oversight.

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Bill Summary · S 1734

Bill Summary — S 1734 (2025): An Act relative to the use of unmanned aerial systems

Note on materials provided: The bill text attached to S 1734 concerns the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS / drones). Some accompanying metadata (title, committee actions, sponsors) appears inconsistent with that text; this summary treats the actual bill language as the controlling content.

Main purpose

To establish state law rules governing government use, procurement, operation, data handling, and judicial oversight of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by Commonwealth and municipal authorities, with privacy protections and limits on law-enforcement uses.

Key definitions

  • “Unmanned aerial vehicle”: an aircraft operated without direct human intervention on/within the aircraft.
  • “Critical infrastructure facility”: as defined by relevant FAA federal statutes (FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016; FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018).

Major provisions

  • Federal compliance and procurement

    • All UAS operations must comply with FAA requirements.
    • UAS may not be equipped with weapons.
    • State/county procurement must be authorized by the Secretary of Public Safety; municipal procurement by the local governing body subject to Secretary approval.
    • Operating in airspace restricted for critical infrastructure is prohibited.

  • Permitted government uses (exceptions to a general prohibition)

    1. Pursuant to a warrant issued under chapter 276, section 2.
    2. For non-law-enforcement/non-criminal-investigation purposes, provided data cannot be used as evidence or for intelligence.
    3. In emergencies where imminent threat to life/safety exists — operator must document factual basis and a supervisory affidavit must be filed within 48 hours.

  • Data collection and privacy limits

    • When used under warrant, data collection must be narrowly targeted to the warrant subject.
    • Facial recognition/biometric matching of UAS data is banned except when judicially authorized under §220.
    • UAS may not be used to collect/maintain information about political, religious, or social views/associations unless directly tied to a specific criminal investigation with probable cause.
    • Non-target data (individuals/homes/areas other than the target) must be deleted as soon as practical and no later than 24 hours, and cannot be stored/used without written consent.

  • Evidence exclusion

    • Information obtained by unlawful UAS use, unlawful manner/purpose, or in violation of retention limits is inadmissible in judicial, regulatory, or government proceedings.

  • Notice, delay, and reporting

    • Warrant applicants may request delayed notice up to 90 days; court may grant if adverse-result standard met.
    • Absent delay, within 7 days after UAS-collected information, the government must provide the warrant subject with the warrant, application, and a notice describing the inquiry, data collected, collection dates, and any delay.
    • Judges who issue/deny warrants must report details annually (reported to the court management office on the second Friday of January); beginning June 2027, the court administrator will transmit a full report to the legislature.

Who is affected

  • State and local government agencies, law-enforcement entities, and their procurement/oversight officials (Secretary of Public Safety, courts).
  • Residents and property owners whose images or data might be collected by government UAS operations.
  • Critical infrastructure operators (airspace restrictions).

Procedural/timeline highlights

  • Emergency affidavit must be filed within 48 hours of deployment.
  • Non-target data must be deleted within 24 hours.
  • Notice to warrant subjects within 7 days unless delayed (up to 90 days).
  • Annual judicial reporting and legislative reporting beginning June 2027.

This bill balances enabling certain drone uses by government with specific privacy safeguards, procurement controls, and judicial oversight designed to limit surveillance and preserve evidentiary and disclosure protections.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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