Bill Text: MI HB4455 | 2013-2014 | 97th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Law enforcement; investigations; use of unmanned aerial vehicles; authorize under certain circumstances. Creates new act.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 13-4)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-19 - Printed Bill Filed 03/15/2013 [HB4455 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2013-HB4455-Introduced.html
HOUSE BILL No. 4455
March 14, 2013, Introduced by Reps. McMillin, Goike, Yonker, Lyons, Howrylak, Somerville, Hooker, Cavanagh, Robinson, Lund, Heise, Lauwers, Singh, Hovey-Wright, Callton, Genetski and Franz and referred to the Committee on Criminal Justice.
A bill to authorize and regulate the use of unmanned aerial
vehicles; to provide the powers and duties of certain state
agencies and departments and local units of government; to
authorize the use of unmanned aerial vehicles under certain
circumstances; to prohibit the operation of unmanned aerial
vehicles under certain circumstances; to prohibit the disclosure of
information collected by unmanned aerial vehicles under certain
circumstances; and to provide penalties and sanctions.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1. As used in this act:
(a) "Agent of this state or a political subdivision of this
state" means this state or local unit of government, including, but
not limited to, a law enforcement agency or any other investigative
entity, agency, department, division, bureau, board, or commission,
or an individual acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of
this state or local unit of government.
(b) "Law enforcement agency" means 1 or more of the following:
(i) The department of state police.
(ii) The department of natural resources.
(iii) The county sheriff department.
(iv) The police department of a local unit of government or of
a community college, college, or university.
(c) "Local unit of government" means 1 or more of the
following:
(i) A city, county, township, or village.
(ii) A public school, as that term is defined in section 5 of
the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5.
(iii) A school district, as that term is defined in section 6 of
the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.6.
(d) " Unmanned aerial vehicle" or "UAV" means an aircraft that
is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention
from within or on the aircraft.
Sec. 3. (1) An unmanned aerial vehicle shall only be used as
provided in this act.
(2) A person who uses an unmanned aerial vehicle shall comply
with all federal aviation administration requirements and
guidelines. This state or a local unit of government shall not
acquire an unmanned aerial vehicle until the legislature or the
legislative body of the local unit of government seeking to acquire
an unmanned aerial vehicle first approves its acquisition.
(3) Except as provided in section 5, a law enforcement agency
of this state or a political subdivision of this state shall not
disclose or receive information acquired through the operation of
an unmanned aerial vehicle.
(4) A person shall not operate a UAV that contains, mounts, or
carries a lethal or nonlethal weapon or weapon system of any type.
(5) The body of a UAV shall bear the name of the political
entity that owns the UAV in clearly printed and visible lettering.
Sec. 5. Information about a person acquired through the
operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle shall not be disclosed or
received unless 1 or more of the following circumstances apply:
(a) The person has given written consent to the disclosure.
(b) The unmanned aerial vehicle is used in circumstances in
which it is reasonable to believe that there is an imminent threat
to the life or safety of a person, for the purpose of assisting the
person if the following conditions are met:
(i) The request to use an unmanned aerial vehicle for emergency
purposes under this subdivision contains documentation establishing
the factual basis for the emergency.
(ii) Not later than 48 hours after an agent of this state or a
political subdivision of this state begins operating an unmanned
aerial vehicle, a supervisory official files a sworn statement
setting forth the grounds for the emergency access.
(c) Pursuant to a search warrant issued under 1966 PA 189, MCL
780.651 to 780.659, to collect information from private property.
(d) Pursuant to an order issued by a court of competent
jurisdiction if the agent of this state or a political subdivision
of this state offers specific and articulable facts demonstrating
reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, that the operation of
the unmanned aerial vehicle will uncover that criminal activity,
and that alternative methods of data collection are either cost-
prohibitive or present a significant risk to any person's bodily
safety. An order issued under this subdivision shall not be issued
for a period greater than 48 hours. Extensions of an order may be
granted but shall be no longer than the authorizing judge considers
necessary to achieve the purposes for which it was granted and in
no event for longer than 30 days.
(e) If no part of the information and no evidence derived from
the operation is admitted into evidence in a trial, hearing, or
other proceeding in or before a court, grand jury, department,
officer, agency, regulatory body, legislative committee, or other
authority of this state or a political subdivision of this state,
or for any intelligence purpose. An unmanned aerial vehicle used
under this subdivision shall be operated in a manner so as to
collect data only on the target and to avoid data collection on
individuals, homes, or areas other than the target. Neither facial
recognition nor other biometric matching technology shall be used
on nontarget data collected by an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Sec. 7. (1) Data collected on an individual, home, or area
other than the target that justified deployment of a UAV shall not
be used, copied, or disclosed for any purpose, but shall be deleted
as soon as possible, and in no event later than 24 hours after
collection.
(2) If an agent of this state or a political subdivision of
this state uses an unmanned aerial vehicle, information acquired
and evidence derived from the operation shall not be admitted into
evidence in a trial, hearing, or other proceeding in or before a
court, grand jury, department, officer, agency, regulatory body,
legislative committee, or other authority of this state or a
political subdivision of this state if the disclosure of that
information would be in violation of this act.
Sec. 9. (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act,
an agent of this state or a political subdivision of this state
shall only operate an unmanned aerial vehicle to target public
property if both of the following apply:
(a) The agent reasonably suspects that an emergency situation
exists that involves the immediate danger of death or serious
physical injury to any person, conspiratorial activities
threatening the national security interest, or conspiratorial
activities characteristic of organized crime and requires operation
of an unmanned aerial vehicle before a warrant or order authorizing
such interception can, with due diligence, be obtained.
(b) There are grounds upon which a warrant or order could be
entered to authorize the operation, and an application for a
warrant or order approving the operation is made within 48 hours
after the operation has occurred or begins to occur.
(2) In the absence of a warrant or order, the operation of an
unmanned aerial vehicle carried out under subsection (1) shall
immediately terminate if the information sought is obtained or if
the application for the warrant or order is denied, whichever
occurs earlier. If the application for a warrant or order is
denied, the information obtained from the operation of an unmanned
aerial vehicle shall be treated as having been obtained in
violation of this act and an inventory shall be served on the
person named in the application.
(3) An unmanned aerial vehicle shall only be operated to
target private property if a search warrant is first obtained under
1966 PA 189, MCL 780.651 to 780.659, to permit that operation.
Sec. 11. (1) An agent of this state or a political subdivision
of this state who applies for a search warrant or an order under
this act may include in the application a request, which the court
shall grant, for an order delaying the notification required under
section 1(8) of 1966 PA 189, MCL 780.651, for a period not to
exceed 90 days, if the court determines that there is reason to
believe that notification of the existence of the court order may
have an adverse result. As used in this subsection, "adverse
result" means 1 or more of the following:
(a) Endangering the life or physical safety of an individual.
(b) Flight from prosecution.
(c) Destruction of or tampering with evidence.
(d) Intimidation of potential witnesses.
(e) Otherwise seriously jeopardizing an investigation or
unduly delaying a trial.
(2) Extensions of the delay of notification under subsection
(1) of up to 90 days each may be granted by the court upon
application, or by certification by the agent of this state or a
political subdivision of this state.
(3) Upon expiration of the period of delay of notification, an
agent of this state or a political subdivision of this state shall
serve, or deliver by registered or first-class mail, a copy of the
warrant or order upon the person or persons upon whom information
was collected together with notice that states with reasonable
specificity the nature of the law enforcement inquiry and informs
the person or persons that notification was delayed, what
governmental entity or court made the certification or
determination pursuant to which that delay occurred, and which
provision of this section allowed the delay.
Sec. 13. (1) If a court or department or local unit of
government determines that an agent of this state or a political
subdivision of this state has violated this act, and the court or
appropriate department or local unit of government finds that the
circumstances surrounding the violation raise serious questions
about whether or not the agent acted willfully or intentionally
with respect to the violation, the department or local unit of
government shall, upon receipt of a true and correct copy of the
decision and findings of the court or appropriate department or
local unit of government, promptly initiate a proceeding to
determine whether disciplinary action against the agent is
warranted. If the department or local unit of government involved
determines that disciplinary action is not warranted, the director
of that department or chief operating officer of the local unit of
government shall notify the attorney general and shall provide the
attorney general with the reasons for the determination.
(2) A willful disclosure or use by an agent of this state or a
political subdivision of this state of information beyond the
extent permitted by this act is a violation of this act for
purposes of this section.
(3) If it is determined under subsection (1) that an agent or
a department of this state by intent or by negligence violated this
act, the governor may require that the agent or department obtain
approval from the attorney general before deploying an unmanned
aerial vehicle for a specified period of time. As used in this
subsection, "negligence" means conduct that falls below the
standards of behavior established by law for the protection of
others against unreasonable risk of harm.
Sec. 15. (1) No later than January 1, April 1, July 1, and
October 1 of each year, any agent of this state or a political
subdivision of this state that uses unmanned aerial vehicles shall
report to the legislature and make all of the following public on
its website:
(a) The number of times an unmanned aerial vehicle was used,
organized by the types of operations and the types of justification
for deployment.
(b) The number of crime investigations aided by the use of an
unmanned aerial vehicle, including a description of how the
unmanned aerial vehicle was helpful to each investigation.
(c) The number of uses of an unmanned aerial vehicle for
reasons other than criminal investigations, including a description
of how the unmanned aerial vehicle was helpful in each instance.
(d) The frequency and type of data collected on individuals or
areas other than targets.
(e) The total cost of its unmanned aerial vehicle program.
(f) The flight pattern of each flight made by an unmanned
aerial vehicle, except for those flights made as part of a criminal
investigation that has not yet been completed.
(g) A log containing all of the following information
concerning each flight of a UAV:
(i) The time and geographical location of each takeoff and
landing.
(ii) For each flight, the total distance travelled and time
spent in flight.
(iii) The geographical flight pattern.
(iv) A unique identifier denoting the individual warrant or
order, if any, issued under section 5 or section 9 corresponding to
the flight.
(2) In January of each year, each judge who has issued an
order or an extension of an order under this act that expired
during the preceding year, or who has denied a request for a
warrant or order under this act during the preceding year, shall
report all of the following to the state court administrator:
(a) The fact that an order or extension was applied for.
(b) The kind of order or extension applied for.
(c) The fact that the order or extension was granted as
applied for, was modified, or was denied.
(d) The period of unmanned aerial vehicle use authorized by
the order, and the number and duration of any extensions of the
order.
(e) The offense specified in the order or application, or
extension of an order.
(f) The identity of the applying agent of this state or a
political subdivision of this state making the application and the
person authorizing the application.
(3) In March of each year, the department of attorney general
or the principal prosecuting attorney for a political subdivision
of this state shall report all of the following to the state court
administrator:
(a) The information required under subsection (2) with respect
to each application for an order or extension made during the
preceding calendar year.
(b) A general description of the information gathered under
each order or extension, including all of the following:
(i) The approximate nature and frequency of incriminating
conduct gathered.
(ii) The approximate number of persons upon whom information
was gathered.
(iii) The approximate nature, amount, and cost of the manpower
and other resources used in the collection.
(c) A list of each arrest resulting from information gathered
and the offenses for which arrests were made.
(d) The number of trials resulting from information gathered.
(e) The number of motions to suppress made with respect to
information gathered, and the number granted or denied.
(f) A list of convictions resulting from information gathered
and the offenses for which the convictions were obtained and a
general assessment of the importance of the information.
(4) In June of each year, the state court administrator shall
transmit to the legislature and post on its website a full and
complete report concerning the number of applications for orders
authorizing or approving operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle or
disclosure of information from the operation of an unmanned aerial
vehicle under this act and the number of orders and extensions
granted or denied under this act during the preceding calendar
year. The report shall include a summary and analysis of the data
required to be filed with the state court administrator under this
section.
(5) The chief operating officer of a department of this state
or of a local unit of government that has deployed a UAV during the
preceding 3 months shall sign an affidavit stating that there is no
existing data in that unit of government's data or in that unit of
government's possession that violates section 7(1) and send the
affidavit to the chair of the senate and house of representatives
standing committees on the judiciary by January 1, April 1, July 1,
and October 1 of each year.
Sec. 17. (1) A person who violates section 3(4) is guilty of a
felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a
fine of not less than $1,000.00 or more than $10,000.00, or both.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (3), a person who
violates section 3, other than section 3(4), is guilty of a
misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or
a fine of not less than $500.00 or more than $5,000.00, or both
imprisonment and a fine.
(3) A person who intentionally discloses or uses information
or data in violation of this act is guilty of a crime as follows:
(a) For a first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor
punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of
not more than $500.00, or both.
(b) For a second or subsequent offense, the person is guilty
of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 4 years or
a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both.
(4) A person who violates this act by making a significant
reporting error is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by
imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not less than
$500.00 or more than $5,000.00, or both imprisonment and a fine. As
used in this subsection, "significant reporting error" means
inaccurately reporting data or failing to report data required to
be reported under this act resulting in significant risk that the
public will be misled or confused by the inaccurate report or the
lack of a report.
