HF 2295 (LSB 6185HV (1) 91)

HOUSE FILE 2295

BY  COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY

(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 612)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by law enforcement officers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 321.492B, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   321.492B  Use of unmanned aerial vehicle for traffic law enforcement prohibited.
   1.  The Except as provided in subsection 2, the state or a political subdivision of the state shall not use an unmanned aerial vehicle for traffic law enforcement.
   2.  A certified law enforcement officer may operate an unmanned aerial vehicle in order to assist other law enforcement officers in apprehending a driver eluding or attempting to elude a pursuing law enforcement vehicle in violation of section 321.279, and may cite the driver for any traffic violations committed during the pursuit.
    Sec. 2.  Section 808.15, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   808.15  Unmanned aerial vehicle —— information —— admissibility.
   Information obtained as a result of the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle is not admissible as evidence in a criminal or civil proceeding, unless the information is obtained pursuant to the authority of a search warrant when the information obtained is from a location that is viewable from the public navigable airspace or is within public view, or unless if the information is otherwise obtained in a manner that is consistent with state and federal law.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by law enforcement officers.
   The bill provides that a certified law enforcement officer may operate an unmanned aerial vehicle in order to assist other law enforcement officers in apprehending a driver eluding or attempting to elude a pursuing law enforcement vehicle, and may cite the driver for any traffic violations committed during the pursuit.
   The bill provides that information obtained as a result of the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle is admissible as evidence in a criminal or civil proceeding when the information obtained is from a location that is viewable from the public navigable airspace or is within public view, or if the information is otherwise obtained in a manner that is consistent with state and federal law.