Drone bill will protect prisons, law enforcement

It wasn’t that long ago that the only place you’d hear someone saying “there are unmanned aircraft flying all around us” was in a science fiction movie, or a Jetsons cartoon. Today, drones are flying off the shelves across the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration says 2.5 million drones were sold commercially in 2016 — double the previous year — and forecasts that 7 million may be sold by 2020.

Proposal to ban drones near SC prisons and jails advances to Senate floor

Commercial drones are used daily by professional photographers and videographers to create stunning productions. Hobbyists enjoy the hours of entertainment a drone may provide. Most importantly, drones can provide life-saving support for emergency responders and supply aid during a natural disaster.

We should embrace all this; after all, innovation and invention have put our nation at the forefront of technological development.

But just as encouraging the use of drones to improve our state is important, ignoring the potential dangers is reckless.

That is why the state Senate is currently working in a bipartisan effort to preclude malicious abuse of unmanned aerial vehicles. S.176 is a pro-law-enforcement measure that would restrict how close a drone could fly to a correctional facility. My committee heard extensive testimony for weeks on the merits of this legislation and additional steps needed to respond to the impact unmanned aerial vehicles have on South Carolina, and the bill is up for debate in the full Senate on Tuesday.

Some contend that restricting drone use amounts to over-regulation and limits the ability of private companies to use drones. This is simply untrue. Recognizing and encouraging the responsible use of drones is at the forefront of this bill.

It’s also not true that people will be targeted for mistakenly flying near a facility with no harmful intent. The bill is designed to protect our law enforcement officials, while ensuring that responsible, law-abiding citizens can enjoy drones for safe, secure use.

My goal is to pass a commonsense law that protects our law enforcement officials who put their lives on the line every day for our state.

This story was originally published January 30, 2017 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Drone bill will protect prisons, law enforcement."